○Prologue
Dreaming of a nightmarish beginning.
A strange monster that scattered flames and burnt everything
Shooting. Being shot. Shooting. Being Shot.
Shooting. Being Shot. Shooting. Being shot.
Shooting. Being shot──
The strange monster collapsed.
Standing was a girl dressed in red and black.
An arm stretched out/without reaching
Cold eyes/as if to rebuke the monster.
──Stop, stop, stop, stop!
A hoarse voice, a broken cry with a throat already caved in.
And then, we wake up.
“──Oh, how nostalgic that is.”
Slowly she opened her eyelids with her elbows on the throne. She ruminated over that memory rather than dream.
From that moment, everything started from that encounter.
A strange coincidence and twist of fate perhaps brought together by an almighty power (energy).
“The Neighboring World is mine. I won’t give it to anyone.”
Her eyelids slowly twitched in conjunction to her words.
“……Ah, please excuse me. General. It should be us, us, us.”
In the space of the throne room, there were no devotees, Empty, or the Three Executives.
Over here, there was only a ferocious pure white monster, the White Queen.
Even for a military uniform, the color of her Astral Dress was seeking to be as cool and clear as possible.
The White Queen is in solitude.
Not understood by anyone, unable to be understood by anyone. There were fanatics but no supporters.
Even with it all under her control, she had no friends.
“I feel lonely, but──you don’t feel it at all. What a pitiful person.”
With a compassionate smile, once again she stirred her eyelids.
Again, no one else was in the space of the throne room. But, as if it was natural, the White Queen muttered to herself as if giving a soliloquy.
“The remaining is the Second Region Chokmah, the Fourth Region Chesed, and Fifth Region Gevurah……as expected, it seems difficult to coordinate after reaching this point. Unfortunately, I think Lady’s role comes to an end here.”
In a mild tone, she spoke.
“Now, General. I’ll leave the rest to you.”
Closing her eyelids──opening them.
That alone changed the atmosphere of the venue into a solemn one. Just like a commander in front of countless soldiers, ‘a different person’ with a different tone and quality of voice became the White Queen.
“Contact the summoner in the Fifth Region Gevurah. The summoning is almost complete. It seems about to enter the preparations for chanting. Soon, the overrunning invasion will begin.”
◇
Tokisaki Kurumi stood in front of the gate to the Fifth Region Gevurah, turning her head back while reminiscing over the past.
The beginning was a fall.
Like drowning at sea──there was a feeling as if dying.
The destination where she arrived was the Tenth Region Malkuth.
The mutual-killing region said to be the harshest in the Neighboring World. And then, Kurumi became extremely tangled in the affairs of a girl called Higoromo Hibiki.
“Hihihi……Kurumi-san……please help me……No, I absolutely won’t help……if it is Kurumi-san……”
“I looked back because I wanted to help a little. I would be happy to refrain now from you saying that.”
“I would be very grateful if you could help me!”
Right now, Hibiki, while carrying a girl on her shoulders who was continuing to sleep, was out of breath like a boxer who had fought through ten full rounds. On the way, the girl who had collapsed onto her shoulders kept muttering out “sleepy”, as if it was not possible to force her to walk endlessly.
Higoromo Hibiki once stole Tokisaki Kurumi’s power. In Kurumi’s place, she acted like Kurumi and tried to use that power to achieve revenge.
……In the end, it didn’t work. Hibiki returned that power to Kurumi and settled her own story.
And then, Hibiki chose to walk alongside Kurumi.
Kurumi thought about whether to recognize her as an accomplice or partner. Hibiki was too close to be called a friend and too far to be called family.
“I, wouldn’t mind dying for Kurumi-san’s sake, you know?”
If one day there was ever such a sudden confession, as expected it would be difficult to place her in the frame of a friend.
After crossing the Tenth Region Malkuth, she ran through the Ninth Region Yesod, Eighth Region Hod, and the Seventh Region Netzach of the Neighboring World.
There were various encounters. And there was an encounter that could be called the worst. Or perhaps an encounter that stimulated something resembling past memories and urged her to grow.
The worst encounter──Kurumi thought about the White Queen.
If her own Astral Dress <Elohim> was based on black and red colors, hers would be white and blue.
<Lucifugus>, the inscription of the Demon King carried in her hands──a saber and a precise mechanical pistol.
Altogether, altogether, that hindered and annoyed Kurumi……an uncanny smile expressed as if she was looking at herself in the mirror.
Inverted clone──such words floated and sunk in her mind. No, it was likely……probably 9 out of ten.
To her knowledge, she had never seen this before.
A Spirit had fallen into a minus level. She was an aimless calamity bringing about only destruction to the real world.
It was something that existed in Tokisaki Kurumi’s huge records like a murky stain.
……But, at the same time.
She──the inverted clone called the White Queen──it was clear that she possessed tremendous power.
At the very least, she knew that the win ratio for a head-on-confrontation would be low. In the Third Region Binah, she was able to pay her back, but that was it.
Since then, she hasn’t used the Eighth Bullet <Het>, the ability to create clones. In this
Neighboring World, Kurumi knew that she wasn’t the main body, but rather a clone. At the same time, there was also a strong repulsion for the act of creating clone after clone──‘the more created, the more of herself that would be shaved away’, it was because such a fear had been instilled.
But, still.
She knew that someday she would have to use it.
On the day of the coming decisive battle, it was because she needed to win even at the cost of losing herself. But, if there was to be a single problem; even after increasing her strength, she wondered if she could really win.
Now, the problem was in the White Queen’s movements.
She hasn’t shown herself since the battle in the Third Region Binah. But, her two subordinates have shown their faces. Rook and Bishop, both of the fanatic supporters had powers in different directions.
Even worse, they could be revived as often as possible. Like characters in a game, the White Queen would revive them as soon as they died.
……There was one positive thing of note. Their powers were fixed and wouldn’t change.
Rook has the ability to manipulate a scythe. Bishop had brainwashing and masquerade powers. The remaining Knight hasn’t been seen yet, but it could be concluded that she wouldn’t have the same level of power as the White Queen.
Therefore, the Quasi-Spirits that controlled the ten regions spread out in the Neighboring World──with the help of the Dominions, they would oppose them.
……Although.
“Zzz……zzz……zzz……”
“How awful, this person is seriously trying to lie down and sleep!”
Ariadne Foxrot, one of those Dominions, was greedily indulging in idle slumber. In the Seventh Region Netzach, Ariadne made a huge contribution to the poker game battle against Kurumi and the fight against Sagakure Yuri.
At any rate, falling asleep, nothing but wanting to go to bed. Whether on the road, walking, or running, she would lay down at a moment’s notice to sleep while letting out a ‘gu’ sound.
“The other people that can fight……it seem Tsuan-san is about it.”
“What happened to Tsuan-san?”
“What are you planning on doing?”
There was a Quasi-Spirit called Tsuan.
The girl, with alias of Biscuit Smasher, they encountered by chance in the Tenth Region Malkuth. A terrifying title gained from crushing her opponents like a biscuit, but somehow she was also an innocent girl.
Right now, she was at the Fifth Region Gevurah where Kurumi and the others were heading.
It seemed that several corpses of the mass-produced Empties were at the forefront. (However those who died in the Neighboring World immediately disappear as if melting away. Therefore, there shouldn’t be many corpses.)
If that was true, why not change the name Biscuit Smasher to Mince Maker……such whimsical thoughts occupied Kurumi.
In any case, if what Yukishiro Maya said was true, the situation was urgent.
At the same time as the crisis of the Neighboring World collapsing, the decisive battle against the White Queen was about to arrive.
“F-Finally arrived. As Kurumi-san is standing elegantly there, please help me wake up this person soon!”
“I understand. Alright, <Zafkiel>.”
Kurumi shot without hesitation.
“There’s no love in that way of waking someone up……”
She snuck out those words as if finding Kurumi’s actions troublesome. Anything more than that would mean being branded as excessively lazy. And so Ariadne mumbled out her words from her mouth.
“Nya……nyanya……roar……”
“……Only half-awake huh. Let’s shoot a flashier one between your eyebrows.”
“Ariadne-san! If you don’t get up at once, trigger happy Kurumi-san will become a demon firing blindly!”
“……Nu. I just got up……”
Fuaaaah, Ariadne Foxrot yawned as she regretfully dismissed her sleeping pillow.
“Well then, let’s depart for the Fifth Region Gevurah. Hurrah.”
“Really, we’ve already arrived.”
“Fuo?”
Ariadne was still only half-awake.
◇
From the Seventh Region Netzach to the Sixth Region Tiphereth. And also to the Second Region Chokmah.
Yukishiro Maya, Carte À Jouer, and Kurumi’s clone Cistus; those three members were heading in a different direction from Kurumi’s group.
Speaking truthfully, they should have also gone to the Fifth Region Gevurah.
The two Dominions and also Cistus, the latter had the same skills as Kurumi even if she couldn’t use <Zafkiel>.
The White Queen’s fanatics that invaded the Fifth Region Gevurah──taking the number of
Empty into consideration, it was an exceedingly difficult blow for them to not participate in this battle.
However. Still they had to return to the Second Region Chokmah.
──Seventh Region Netzach. After clearing the case of Sagakure Yuri, Maya had informed Kurumi.
“The Second Region Chokmah and the Fifth Region Gevurah, those regions hold an essential meaning in this Neighboring World. ……The White Queen hasn’t noticed yet, but it may be a matter of time. Or maybe she’s finally noticed.”
“What does that mean?”
Maya hesitated from Kurumi’s question, looking away before quickly shaking her head.
“……In the first place, this must be kept secret. Trusting everyone, I will reveal this.”
Put on the spot, Maya looked towards Tokisaki Kurumi, Higoromo Hibiki, Ariadne Foxrot, and Sagakure Yui. She spoke about the Neighboring World in a plain tone as if trying to keep her zeal contained.
“I……no, it should be we. The Quasi-Spirits in the Second Region Chokmah define investigating the Neighboring World as the meaning for their existence. Should it be described as intellectual curiosity? I’ve been researching this ever since being born as a Quasi-Spirit in this Neighboring World.”
“We have no physical development to adulthood and the body doesn’t age. We neither gain nor lose weight, there’s no shrinkage or growth. While we may be injured, there isn’t even a corpse left behind. What do you suppose that means?”
“In this Neighboring World, we can exist because of the soul, not the physical body. And this soul is held together by Reiryoku and the core of the Sephira Crystal fragment.”
Maya raised two fingers.
“There are roughly three reasons for our death……no, there are two.”
“First, there’s if someone has lost sight of her purpose in life. When a Quasi-Spirit loses sight of her purpose for living, the Sephira Fragments inside us can no longer maintain Reiryoku. As the Reiryoku fades, that means becoming an Empty and eventually disappearing. ……I think everyone here understands that well.”
“Second. Even if there is a reason to live, disappearing from Reiryoku breaking free. In other words, an attack that damages the body──something that ensures the Sephira fragment can no longer maintain the body.”
“The second point is no different from death in the real world.”
Maya nodded in agreement to Kurumi’s words.
“It does definitely have the advantage of the body being easier to repair than the real world……certainly, I agree. Now do you understand that both deaths share the same necessary condition?”
Sagakure Yui raised her hand in a dutiful manner.
“Is it……the outflow of Reiryoku?”
“Yes. In both deaths, there is first a process of ‘Reiryoku flowing out’, and then the result of the ‘body disappearing’ is reached. Reiryoku serves as the flesh, bones, and blood that forms our bodies……it serves for everything. Reiryoku can be rephrased as a super-strong energy that mobilizes this world. In the other world……the reality of having a soul missing a body would mean being dead. But that is the theory of why it isn’t considered death here.”
“Introduction too long～”
Maya sighed at Ariadne’s idle compliant.
“Without this introduction, it’s impossible to understand the White Queen’s conspiracy. ……The Reiryoku of this Neighboring World is immense. Well then, what happens if you concentrate this Reiryoku on only one person?”
Everyone fell silent.
Even Ariadne’s sleepy eyes widened unintentionally.
“That’s──”
Every single object in the Neighboring World was formed through Reiryoku. And if Maya’s words were correct, Quasi-Spirits were also formed from Reiryoku.
So what would happen if all of that was concentrated in a single person?
“Speaking frankly, that person would become a sole and peerless ‘God’ in this Neighboring World. However, it’s a God with the perquisite of every single Quasi-Spirit in the Neighboring World disappearing.”
The silence grew stronger.
“B-But. How would you do that in the first place? Since you shouldn’t be able to simply gather Reiryoku, right?”
Hibiki spoke out in a hurry. However, Kurumi kept her stern look unchanged.
“……Is that related to the Second Region Chokmah and the Fifth Region Gevurah?”
“Right. First is the Fifth Region Gevurah. There is where the Reiryoku of the entire Neighboring World is adjusted……it can be called an operating room. If a large amount of Reiryoku is consumed somewhere, there is the starting point that supplies the Reiryoku. As a result, the Reiryoku of the Fifth Region Gevurah hasn’t been stable from beginning to end, turning into a barren region.”
“That means, by seizing it here, the balance of Reiryoku will crumble?”
“Circulation itself is not catastrophic because it also takes place within each region……at the very least, it won’t be possible to spend Reiryoku as casually as before. Economically, the Ninth Region Yesod would be affected the most.”
The Ninth Region Yesod had its economy run through songs rather than mutual killing……to circulate Reiryoku for the region. However, that mode feature was displayed consequently by the Fifth Region Gevurah.
“……Then, what about the Second Region Chokmah……?”
Maya took a deep breath and confessed the role of the Second Region Chokmah in the Neighboring World.
Finally, everyone who heard this story understood as well. To turn into that.
The Neighboring World was as gentle as heaven, but on the other hand, if a dependable sheet was lifted from the surface──there would be an infinite hell spreading outward.
◇
The Fifth Region Gevurah.
As stated by Yukishiro Maya, it was a barren land like being on the site of an erupting volcano.
Tenth Region Malkuth, Ninth Region Yesod, Eighth Region Hod, Seventh Region Netzach……a vast wilderness different from all of them.
There was no vegetation. There are cracks here and there with rugged rocks spread as hazards for their feet.
“This again……”
“It’s my first time here. It’s more barren than I expected.”
“……Saying this will change the topic. I’m also barren.”
(TL Note: 不毛 can mean barren, but when read as individual kanji, it can mean no hair. Yeah……)
Ariadne whispered that as if suddenly remembering.
Huh, Kurumi and Hibiki both unconsciously responded.
“……”
“……”
Silence.
……What did this woman just say now? As they stared at Ariadne, she lightly stroked her chest while saying that again.
“That’s why I’m barren.”
So that was it. But, but.
Was it a source of pride or just a self-confession for herself?
“Alright, let’s leave now.”
“That’s right.”
Kurumi and Hibiki exchanged eye contact with each other, agreeing to pretend to ignore what was just said.
“……Not much of a reaction. And here I made a once in a lifetime confession.”
“Please don’t use the phrase once in a lifetime for something like that.”
“I’ve used it about 100 times.”
“It’s being overused……”
Kurumi sighed as if amazed.
“Come on, let’s go. Let’s leave right now!”
Being sloppy would mean her being caught in the flying sparks, so Hibiki made a snap judgment to move on. Picking up on this, Ariadne whispered with an eerie smile.
“Maybe Hibikin as well?”
“No comment! I have no comment!!”
Hibiki refused to comment.
◇
The Fifth Region Gevurah is a battlefield.
The White Queen’s subordinates filled the ground──a flock of Empty girls. Those girls appeared more like an army of insects rather than humans.
“The fifth invasion is coming! Prepare your Unsigned Angels!”
As one person instructed them to do so, the girls clad in tattered Astral Dresses clenched their teeth and stood up some way or another.
“What about the Nitro Dress?”
The Nitro Dress, which was made into an explosive by processing the Astral Dress, was perfect for intercepting the Empties. Certainly, a weapon that would be considered a precious treasure, it had been almost exhausted despite that it should have been saved as a precaution.
“There are no more left to be used here!”
There was still a stockpile, but that was supposed to be used for another operation. It mustn’t be used, so in the first place it was stored separate from the base.
“……”
“Captain, please give your instructions!”
“……The remaining Nitro Dresses……”
Just as a decision was about to be made, finally she appeared.
“Captain! Kagarike Haraka’s personal pupil has arrived as reinforcements!”
Those words alone brought back vitality into the exhausted Quasi-Spirits.
“Who has arrived!?”
“Biscuit Smasher, Tsuan!”
Cheers of joy occurred.
At the same time, a girl who flew through the sky at high speed landed outside the trench.
“Confirming situation, starting combat action. No need for assistance. I don’t care if you take a break now.”
Hearing those words, the Quasi-Spirit girls tumbled down like a thread that had snapped. Frankly, they’ve long since reached their limits. Tsuan’s words caused the girls to fall asleep as if put in a trance.
And so, Tsuan stood alone on the battlefield.
She recited Kagarike Haraka’s teachings.
“Your speed will not change. Your power will not change. Your battle will not change. Whether you win or lose depends entirely on rationale. So that must be done carefully.”
Those glassy eyes were overflowing with killing intent.
In fact, Tsuan had no idea about the current state of the Neighboring World and had no interest about it.
But fighting and winning were the reasons for her existence.
……And recently, there was one more thing.
She thought a lot about her. Somehow, when thinking about her, her heart would race, her chest throb, and her murderous intent overflow.
Tsuan thought that this was love.
And unfortunately, she didn’t have any friends around to point out, “wait, isn’t that strange.”
After all, since all of her comrades in arms were focused on fighting, so the only response was,
“I see, so it’s love.”
In layman terms, it could be said that even their ‘brains are also just muscles’.
In any case, Tsuan prepared her Unsigned Angel──<Lailaps>, the transforming halberd. Covering her body was <Brinicle>.
“……Come.”
The white Empty girls attacked all at once in response to that whisper.
Lives without destination, the girls went off to battle with no future in mind; fanatical attacks, a mental image that would whittle away at the minds of the Quasi-Spirit left guarding──
But for a fighting machine like Tsuan, this was of no concern.
A flying slash split the sky. After a moment’s delay, shockwaves dispersed to the surroundings.
The Empties learned from a single blow why Tsuan was also called Biscuit Smasher, crumbling to pieces and then disappearing.
Nevertheless, the Empties weren’t upset. While delighting over their own deaths, they continued to flood towards Tsuan. But, something of that caliber was──
“Hindrance.”
They were only strong enough to be slaughtered indiscriminately by Tsuan.
Kusu, kusu, kusu. Tsuan frowned at the myriad of laughter. A huge dragon in front──a monster formed of countless Empties combining opened its jaws towards Tsuan.
“──Assembly.”
The dragon spewed out its fiery breath.
Tsuan didn’t try to avoid this immense heat energy surging out.
She struck to kill it with <Lailaps>.
The slash caused the dragon’s entire body to be split vertically.
“Laughter is annoying.”
A brief unreasonable comment left Tsuan’s mouth.
And so this battle easily came to an end. Originally, the Empties invading here were not the main unit. But if left alone, they would break through this trench. Like an ant sneaking through a single hole, the frontlines would then crumble.
“How troublesome. This warfront has grown lengthy……”
For those not as laid-back as Tsuan, it was different story in regards to combat.
Currently, combat-oriented Quasi-Spirits mainly used the Fifth Region Gevurah and the Tenth Region Malkuth as battlegrounds, with it also being used sparingly by the other regions in varying degrees.
There were quite a few Quasi-Spirits exhausted by the Empties invading every inch of the Fifth Region Gevurah for 24 hours straight.
And nevertheless, the problem was that there was no option of ‘withdrawing’.
A large cave located at the center of the Fifth Region Gevurah. The Fifth Dungeon Elohim Gibor──being occupied there meant the circumstances for certain-defeat is decided.
Pushing through the warfront at this point would mean defeat. However, if this continued on as it was, it would only be a matter of when for the warfront to be breached and collapsed.
Thanks to Tsuan’s presence, this status quo of this perilous warfront has been barely maintained.
But that was just it. She was frantically trying to mend a net that was being eroded away in quick consecutive times.
Someday, they would be broken through, the frontlines would collapse, and they would be defeated.
Before that happens, they needed to overturn this situation.
The ‘nest’ around the Third Region Binah where these invading Empty gathered.
If they don’t strike back there, the Fifth Region Gevurah would continue to be exposed to the waves of invasion.
“──Tsuan, can you hear me? This is the guild master.”
She listened carefully to the incoming communications.
“This is Tsuan. The Empty forces have been repelled and the warfront has been successfully maintained. However, since everyone is exhausted and transitioned to sleep, reinforcements are requested if possible. Hire more vigorous adventures.”
“Oh, that is difficult. Well, I’ll do something about it. Compared to that, the rumored girl seemed to have arrived. A communication signal was delivered by Ariadne Foxrot.”
“……With her……”
“Tokisaki Kurumi.”
The moment she heard that name, Tsuan flew into the sky.
“I’m heading there now!”
“You didn’t even let me tell you where!?”
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll start indiscriminately slashing from my anger and sadness!”
“I’ll tell you know! So don’t do that!”
Tokisaki Kurumi is coming.
The emotionless mask that gave the impression of not knowing what she was think was being crushed by the delight rising to the surface──in other words, Tsuan was soaring, grinning with a sloppy look.
◇
Arriving at the Fifth Region Gevurah, Kurumi had a fed up look at the barren scenery that seemed to be endless. Rugged and dark rocky mountains, there was a brilliant red glow in several places that came from the lava.
“Wow, how warm.”
“This really looks like a volcano region……”
“Right. Hawaii……no, what was it. The something volcano in Hawaii.”
“It’s Kīlauea.”
“That’s it. How regrettable.”
“You don’t seem to have any regrets, Ariadne-san.”
“But this warmth……just the right amount of warmth……this is……sleepy……”
“……Shall I shoot at you?”
Ariadne stirred herself up with a reluctant look.
“Ariadne-san, what are you going to do now?”
“We’ll be picked up soon.”
As Ariadne spoke with a laid-back voice, Kurumi and Hibiki looked around──nobody was here.
In the midst of this wasteland, only the three of them were currently left behind.
“……Is someone really coming?”
“……No one seems to be coming.”
“……Let’s relax and wait.”
With it couldn’t be helped, they sat down as if in P.E. while waiting for a welcome to arrive. Without being even able to find a building that could be used as a landmark, they’ll likely be lost if they head out now.
“……Can I sleep?”
“If this situation persists for a while, then it can’t be helped.”
As Kurumi replied with a sigh, Ariadne’s face lit up with joy──the scarcity in variation made it unclear if this was her usual expression──as she dived into her sleeping bag.
“Ah, she’s already lying down to sleep, Kurumi-san.”
“I want to draw graffiti on her face. Do you have a pen on you, Hibiki-san?”
“I don’t have any……”
In that case, there was no other choice but for the two to do nothing. Kurumi felt a little bothered about squandering time, but the warmth of the ground caused her to begin to act idly.
“……Leisure time……that’s right.”
“Yes.”
Although it was a barren land, the air was warm and the sky was strangely still blue.
“You’ve made it to the Fifth Region Gevurah.”
Hibiki spoke in a relaxed tone.
“I don’t know.”
Kurumi suddenly──considered it. Not being able to remember his name, his face, but a boy good enough to die for.
“Kurumi-san, are you thinking about that boy?”
“Wha!?”
Agitated, Kurumi suddenly thrusted her pistol at Hibiki. With both arms raised, Hibiki screamed.
“Wait! Are you seriously pointing that gun at me for saying that just now!?”
“Please excuse me, that was a conditional reflex.”
“Hibiki thinks that Kurumi-san’s reflex is wrong!”
As expected, she wondered if she should keep these thoughts to herself. Kurumi cleared her throat while putting away <Zafkiel>.
“Anyway, was that the correct answer?”
“……It was.”
As her mood was spoiled, Kurumi whispered and turned her face the other way. Seeing this situation, Hibiki laughed and smiled. With that smile, Kurumi’s mood grew even worse.
“Anyway, don’t you think so too? Not knowing his name, or remembering anything, it’s crazy to like a person with only a vague recollection to go by.”
“……I don’t think so. I can’t imagine it like that.”
Hibiki softly looked at Kurumi’s face. Blushing, Kurumi with bashful worries looked just like a maiden in love.
“I can’t think that Kurumi, with such an expression, would be strange.”
“I……what kind of expression do I have?”
“That’s a secret.”
Hibiki giggled and laughed happily. Her expression is something that surely has never been shown to anyone except the person in question. And as long as he wasn’t in the Neighboring World, Hibiki had a monopoly on this face.
Hibiki felt a little happy.
──There wasn’t any sadness.
Even if, even if this was only a temporary sight.
Even if, even if this wasn’t directed towards her.
──No, that wasn’t it.
Because it wasn’t aimed at her, she might be happy.
Suppose it should be her reward for frantically fighting and running to the death. It shouldn’t be a life that would be easily blown away and disappear like herself, it should be a powerful life.
Don’t have any memories? Then, you’ll go make some.
Can’t recall his face? You’ll definitely see it one day.
“Hey, Kurumi-san.”
“Yes?”
Hibiki conveyed all of her thoughts just like a loaded bullet.
“Please be happy. It feels that you should stick to flirting around with that person.”
“……Is it possible?”
“You can do it. Because you are Tokisaki Kurumi.”
Hibiki calmly announced that.
◇
……While she was snoozing, Ariadne gently eavesdropped on their conversation. Since the contents were nothing but a discussion about love, she felt that she shouldn’t tell anyone else.
In the first place, Kurumi has long since proclaimed her wish to travel back to the other world through the First Region Keter.
About the man waiting at the end of that journey. Ariadne hasn’t been involved in any Compiles, so she’s only heard about it──but anyway, it was particularly popular among Quasi-Spirits──it seemed everyone was falling in love with that boy.
Ariadne wondered if such a person really exists.
To call it just rumors, Ariadne didn’t think it was such a big deal.
And so when she encountered such people, they often have the quirk of their hearts throbbing.
Whether it if it is love, love, or love, they’re all the foundation for troublesome emotions.
Ariadne felt that it had a negative effect on the brain which always wants to sleep.
(TL Note: Ariadne uses koi (恋), ai (愛), and rabu (ラブ) in that line. They all mean love, but in varying degrees)
──Being so nervous that I can’t sleep, I definitely don’t like that……
Ariadne thought that such things weren’t good for the soul (body).
However, even if she said she wasn’t interested in love, Ariadne, while sleeping comfortably, continued to carefully listen more about their girl’s talk.
◇
“……Relationship or not. What should I do about flirting?”
“Eh. Well……holding hands, arms linked together, legs intertwined, hair gently stroked, eating meals lovingly……completely naked……tied together……to be tied together?”
Hibiki’s voice seemed to disappear in the second half. Somehow it looked like she was embarrassed.
“Is it like that?”
Being asked that, Hibiki’s face flushed red, holding down her cheeks while shaking her neck. Kurumi thought she looked like a wet cat trying to shake off water.
“……I don’t really know……I’m not experienced at all either……aaaaaaa, something like that is a struggle to carry out!”
“That really cute of you, Hibiki-san.”
“I-Is it cute!”
“……By the way, don’t you know there are two different kinds of cute?”
“Ah, I’ve heard of this somewhere! That is my cuteness! A kind of cuteness just like an adorably ugly cat!”
“A cat that is ugly doesn’t exist! By all means, every last one of them is cute, Hibiki-san!” Kurumi impatiently opposed that point. There was absolutely no yielding. Cats are cute just because they are cats. Whether if it’s a kitten, an old cat, a plump one or slim one (of course the last one would invoke some worries), they all shared an invincible cuteness.
“Ku, that comparison was fatally bad……!”
“Hibiki-san, do you think cats are cute!?”
“Yes, yes, cats are cute! Adorable cats!!”
Kurumi let out an elongated sigh.
“That’s good. If you didn’t pull back, there would have been no choice but to kill each other.”
“My entire life is flashing before my eyes! Kurumi-san, you know I won’t last more than five seconds!”
“Yes. I intended to do my best……”
While exchanging such irrelevant topics, a cold chill suddenly struck both Kurumi and Hibiki. Rather than being a chill, it was a sense of dread traveling through them──that is to say, being exposed to murderous bloodlust.
“……!”
Kurumi and Hibiki were both ready for battle, and even Ariadne casually took one hand out from her sleeping bag.
Then, the three of them looked to the direction where that bloodlust was coming from──a person flying at high speed landed right in front of them.
“……You……”
“Hi, hi, hi, long time, no see.”
Crudely breathing, Tsuan was holding onto her halberd. Leaving behind her usual coolness, her eyes were shining brightly as if something feverish had overcome her.
Hibiki was frightened. This scariness came not from her combat strength, but simply from her emotions.
“Um……Kurumi-san, Tsuan looks like a wolf that’s starving for something.”
“I-I don’t know.”
“L-Let’s fight. Come. Let’s do it now.”
Not being able to wait any longer, Tsuan swung her halberd.
“……Ah, that’s right. This is Tsuan-chan’s hometown. So then she’s been going wild with the White Queen’s soldiers as her opponents──”
Ariadne calmly drew out her conclusion.
“I think the tension has already exploded.”
“I see. ……<Zafkiel> the Seventh Bullet <Zayin>.”
Kurumi subtly whispered, carrying her favorite antique rifle and huge pocket watch behind her back. As Tsuan was too excited to notice, Kurumi shot her bullet.
“Kurumi-san, certainly the Seventh Bullet means……”
Kurumi snuck around behind Tsuan, who had stopped moving, holding her rifle like a bat and swinging it down on her head.
“Yes, it’s a time stop.”
“Fight, fight, fig──gufu!?”
Tsuan’s face slammed onto the rocky ground.
“Have you calmed down?”
“I feel calm, but my shoulders, back of the head, and face hurt a lot……”
Tsuan rubbed her slightly teary face.
“Well, your shoulder was shot, the back of your head struck, and your face fell hard onto the ground……”
“Amazing. In just an instant, as expected of Tokisaki Kurumi. A sadist among sadists.”
“Where did you learn such vulgar words?”
“Everyone who I’ve fought together with on the battlefield has taught me a lot. I’ve also acquired lewd knowledge. I was able to understand the feelings I have for Tokisaki Kurumi. This seems to be called dere.”
“……Dere……?”
“Right. Was it yandere? It seems that I have love and murderous intent for Tokisaki Kurumi.” Tsuan proudly declared that.
“I see……just about everything is wrong.”
“What?”
“Your feelings are from the humiliation due to defeat. And the struggle to overturn that. It’s absolutely impossible for it to be love.”
“So that’s it……”
“That’s right.”
“Hmm……I’m not quite sure.”
Hibiki sighed as she clapped her hands. She wanted to end this conversation on this barren land as soon as possible. She didn’t think it was really interesting for Tsuan and Kurumi to be having such a conversation.
“Now, this topic is over! Tsuan-san, can you guide us?”
“Eh?”
“Eh?”
Like one-person show, Tsuan titled her head in sync with Hibiki,
“I……was being so absorbed in hearing that Tokisaki Kurumi was coming……other than that……”
“I see. Without knowing anything else, for the time being after hearing that Kurumi-san was coming, you rushed over here like an otari sword.”
(TL Note: Otari sword is someone who rushes forward without taking an emergency precautions)
“Hey, what is an otari sword?”
“I’m not talking about that right now! ……Incidentally, the implication isn’t that you’ve suddenly come along and picked up a shimmering sword on your waist.”
“Otari sword means being a little laid-back, isn’t that right?”
“I thought so, but after searching it on the smartphone it turns out to be different……”
“Please wait. I’ve properly brought <Lailaps>. It’s not an otari sword.”
“Please save this talk for later and let me proceed!”
As Kurumi a little frighteningly cut off Hibiki, an obedient silence soon quickly took over.
“……I see. I should guide you to headquarters without killing each other.”
“Yes. ……Do you understand?”
“Fine. Just follow this scent.”
“……Scent……?”
“The headquarters smell like blood. Someone got hurt, someone is on the verge of dying, and someone is healing and trying to get back onto the frontlines.”
Hibiki was caught off guard by Tsuan’s face and words.
The idiotic atmosphere from before was gone.
It was the face of a warrior, a wolf, a girl committed to fight for the Fifth Region Gevurah.
“……Tsuan-san, I think you should stick with that face all the time.”
“That’s true……”
“Hm?”
Tsuan suddenly slanted her head.
Ariadne despaired over the news that it would take around two hours walking to get there. So with a sigh, Tsuan wrapped her in the sleeping bag and carried it up from the tip of <Lailaps>.
“It’s a bagworm……”
“A bagworm moth……”
“It’s okay to be a worm……munya……”
Ariadne seemed to have no problems being in that state as she was fast asleep.
“Tokisaki Kurumi arrived here to fight against the White Queen’s army? Or did you come to meet me to kill each other? Or to meet me and fall in love?”
“To-fight-against the White Queen!”
“Hm. I didn’t ask you Higoromo Hibiki.”
“Fuka, fuya!”
Tsuan looked puzzled as Hibiki tried to imitate her by acting like a cat.
“Well, it’s exactly as Hibiki-san says. But……that’s right. Besides that, shouldn’t there also be a proper goal?”
“And that is?”
“To save this Neighboring World.”
Kurumi grinned and laughed──Tsuan let out an elongated ‘ooh’ groan.
“I think that’s a good goal.”
“Tsuan-san is also fighting for the Neighboring World, correct?”
“……No. I’m fighting all-out for myself. Because I was born that way.”
She whispered as if that should be obvious.
“Well, that’s also one way to live a life.”
“……When I say that, eyebrows often get raised……”
“On the next occasion, I will save this Neighboring World. On the next occasion, I will defeat the White Queen. On such a matter, I will make a clear statement declaring so.”
“Ah, that’s right. For Kurumi-chan, the most important thing is to meet that person, right?”
After hearing Ariadne say that, Kurumi shrugged her shoulders.
“I won’t deny that.”
Ariadne narrowed her eyes a little──Hibiki felt a small chilly glare coming from Ariadne.
“Ariadne-san?”
“It──is──nothing──.”
Ariadne smiled to gloss over the question. Kurumi didn’t notice (she wasn’t the type of person to consider the feelings of others in the first place), Tsuan didn’t notice, only Hibiki felt the chilly emotions that Ariadne let out.
◇
After walking around for a while, Kurumi and the others noticed something strange.
“Do you……smell that?”
As Hibiki asked, Kurumi also nodded in return. There was certainly a lingering odor in the air.
“This is……the smell of grass……?”
“Yup. It’s about time to reach the central area. From here on out, it won’t be barren.”
Just as Tsuan said, they suddenly walked into a grass-covered plain stretching out as far as the eye could see.
“Huh, huh, huh, wasn’t the Fifth Region Gevurah supposed to be a barren land?”
As Hibiki said that while all shaken up, Tsuan shrugged her shoulders.
“Basically this information is hidden from the other regions, but the central area of the Fifth Region Gevurah is a grassland zone. ……No, to be precise, that’s not quite it.”
“???”
As Hibiki was left more confused, Kurumi stared down at the ground.
“How strange. Normally for something on the ground, wouldn’t it change gradually?”
What Kurumi was gazing at was the divide separating the grassland from the barren land. With no misalignment or even 1mm of deviation, it had been completely separated.
“This grassland……was made by a certain Dominion. She made it and disappeared after being satisfied with it.”
“Does that mean……this is artificially made?”
“Yes. That Dominion……seemed to love it very much.”
“Ah, it is certainly great. This sort of grassland──”
Then.
At that moment, Hibiki interpreted “loving it very much” for being directed towards this grassland. It was a very ordinary preference for people to enjoy this scenery, but Hibiki didn’t particularly dislike that.
But, that wasn’t it. There was something fatal missing from Tsuan’s words.
“……What is that?”
She turned to the direction where Kurumi was pointing.
As it stood, there was a turquoise jelly-like object squirming there.
“That’s……uhh……what is that……”
“Something like a huge fruit jelly. Like from a fairy tale♪”
As Hibiki approached it defenselessly, Tsuan stopped as she was thinking it over. Kurumi intuitively recognized that it was something too dangerous to approach too much. And Ariadne was still sleeping.
There was only one person more curious than Kurumi, Tsuan and Ariadne. Only Hibiki, thinking that it wasn’t life threatening at all, approached it while completely unprepared.
“I remember now. That’s a slime.”
“Huh? Slime gyaaaaaaa!”
And so the slime threw itself at the approaching Hibiki. A thick and heavy sensation wrapped around Hibiki who was engulfed by the slime.
“Hibiki-san!”
Kurumi immediately took out <Zafkiel>’s rifle and turned it towards Hibiki.
“Gobobobobobobo” (Sorry, don’t shoot, I’ll get out, huh──)
“Tokisaki Kurumi, you can’t defeat the slime without aiming for its core.”
“Where is the core?”
“It should look like a dark green ball floating next to Higoromo Hibiki.”
“Ah, so that’s it.”
A prompt decision, in spite of Hibiki panicking and struggling to break free, Kurumi didn’t hesitate to shoot the bullet. Immediately after the slime’s core was blown away, the slime lost its viscosity and sank into the ground.
“……Hii, I-I thought I was going to die…………huh?”
“Hibiki-san, are you ok──────what are you doing?”
Every Quasi-Spirit wore clothes called Astral Dresses. Woven out of Reiryoku, it not only protects their bodies, but also granted various abilities. For example, Tsuan’s <Brinicle> not only protected her, but could also serve for long-ranged attacks. Kurumi’s Astral Dress <Elohim> has an extraordinary defense that could block any half-hearted attack.
And it stands that Hibiki is also wearing an Astral Dress──or she was wearing one.
“Kya────────────!”
The slime had melted away her Astral Dress. And of course, if her clothes had melted, it meant being completely naked.
“……In that manner, the slimes have the property of temporarily melting Astral Dresses. It’ll take about five minutes to return back to normal, but until then you’ll have to pass time being nude.”
“Tell me that earlieeeeeeer!”
Hibiki screamed as she crouched down, somehow managing to cover up the most dangerous parts with her hands.
“You approached before I had time to speak……”
Tsuan turned to look the other way. Hibiki could only grit her teeth at that sound argument.
“Well, it still ended up okay. At least it doesn’t melt away skin……”
“Gross. Please don’t let me imagine that, Kurumi-san……!”
“Come now; please wear this for the time being.”
Kurumi gently called out to Hibiki.
“Uh, thank you…………”
Kurumi gently called out to Hibiki……but she was holding out a tree branch with a huge smile on her face.
“Hide with this!? Oni! Demon! Kurumi!”
“It’s just a joke, a joke♪”
“That smile proves that’s not a joke at all……what a load of crap!”
“Yes, an ordinary cloth proves useful for moments like this.”
Having the cloth handed by Tsuan wrapped around her body, Hibiki breathed out a sigh of relief.
“Thank you very much……but what do you mean by for moments like this?”
“Beginners usually get caught in the slimes. It’s like a gate of entry for the Fifth Region Gevurah.”
“Before that, why are there even slimes in the first place?”
Hibiki intensely nodded at Kurumi’s question. In this Neighboring World, with the exception of Quasi-Spirits for living creatures, there wasn’t even a mouse present. Furthermore, slimes don’t exist in the first place.
“……This was the wish of the former Dominion. She used her huge and unrivaled power to create these huge illusions.”
“Wish……”
As Hibiki whispered, Tsuan nodded.
“She said, ‘if it was me, I want to be TUEE in a fantasy world!’ ──a simple and innocent wish.”
(TL Note: TUEE means overpowered)
“That’s a secular wish far from being innocent.”
“I don’t really understand it myself. This is more of a second-hand retelling.”
“……Does that mean…… this region been transformed by the Dominion’s power?”
“Yeah. She used up all of her life to establish this system. And even after her death, it still remains. Monsters woven through Reiryoku aren’t actually living things. But they move around like living creatures and even attack. It’s relatively fun.”
“Fun? This is supposed to be fun?”
Tsuan nodded. A small hint of bashfulness could be seen, which made Hibiki wonder if this was an illusion.
“The Dominion not only built this field. But she also tampered with the world system itself.”
“What do you mean?”
“In the Ninth Region Yesod, Reiryoku is circulated from economic activities centered on idols. Similar to that, in the Fifth Region Gevurah……uhh……Reiryoku is circulated by fighting in this fantasy place.”
“Oh.”
Ariadne stirred her eyebrows with a dim look.
“That’s the reason why fighting is half-obligatory. Skill, Status, Job, Adventurer Guild……the late Dominion also incorporated all of that into the system. If you go to another region, obviously that becomes invalid.”
Hibiki suddenly raised her hands and shouted.
“Skills!? Status!? Job!? Adventurer Guild!? What’s up with those key words that make the heart race! Hibiki-chan is very excited!”
“Huh, why are you so excited……?”
Seeing Hibiki, who was on the verge of tears just a moment ago, dance around so festively, Kurumi had to pull her back a bit.
“Because it’s a fantasy, a fantasy! From here on out, Kurumi-san and I will be going on a huge adventure exterminating dragons, exterminating bandits, I’m going to purify myself by becoming a saint!!”
“Haah……dragon……saint……”
Feeling that this wouldn’t go well, Kurumi looked on at Hibiki with some doubt.
“Tsuan-san, can we open our status already?”
“You need to register in the Adventurer Guild first.”
“Is that right, let’s proceed and depart immediately! Now, hurry up everyone!”
Hibiki began to run. Kurumi sighed as she chased after her.
Ariadne, who hadn’t participated in this conversation, was still in her sleeping bag suspended by Tsuan. It was Ariadne’s philosophy to not get involved with any troublesome events.
“──Anyway, please get up now.”
“Ouch.”
Kurumi pulled on Ariadne’s cheeks to force her to wake up. She reluctantly……with a detested look, got out from her sleeping bag.
“Sleepy……”
“Come on, you’re too slow everyone! Yahoo, it’s a fantasy!”
Hibiki kept merrily hopping up and down.
“That cloth is going to come apart at this rate!”
Hibiki responded to Kurumi’s concern with a V-sign.
“It’s fine because I’m bracing my legs──gya!”
Sure enough, just as she said, the cloth came apart and fell down. Hibiki screamed as she crouched down again.
The change in environment was real. Before one could be aware, the huge grasslands spreading out continued onto a road even if it wasn’t paved.
“Wow, this is amazing.”
Hibiki looked around her surroundings in mute amazement.
“It is……amazing?”
“Yes, that’s right after all. If what Tsuan-san said about this region is correct, then all of this was made from only a single person’s fantasy. Well, something similar had been done in the Tenth Region Malkuth, but the wide level of detail here is extraordinarily different.”
Ariadne nodded in agreement to what Hibiki had said and also offered her own praise for the Quasi-Spirit who created this region.
“It is certainly amazing. Grass, trees, soils, and monsters. A vision……the power of imagination just a little overpowering……to the point of being on an eccentric level.”
“To realize this fantasy, it seemed Reiryoku needed to be gathered from each other region at a terrific momentum. So there are many Quasi-Spirit that did hold grudges. Since something like that resembled extortion.”
“I see. This does seem to need an eccentric head……”
“──With that said, we’ve arrived. There is the first and last town, ‘Wheel’.”
Looking to place Tsuan was pointing to while speaking, a town surrounded by stone walls.
“Ah, that really does look town-ish. The place for pacts.”
“Is that right……”
Hibiki nodded several times as if satisfied. Kurumi, not understand how that place had anything to do with pacts, could only vaguely reply back in return.
“Is there an inn?”
“There is. But before anything else, let’s go to the Adventurer Guild first.”
Tsuan casually answered Ariadne’s request. Ariadne clicked her tongue as she followed along.
And so, Hibiki’s entire body was shaking with excitement.
“Fantasy, it’s a fantasy Kurumi-san……!”
“……Aren’t you being too moved?”
“Eh, but isn’t a swords and magic fantasy a girl’s romance? Sword in one hand and magic in the other. An adventurous journey traveling alone, meeting fellow comrades, encountering monsters, the appearance of a fated rival, and a battle against the Demon King!”
Kurumi smiled wryly as Hibiki was covered in excitement.
“I can’t relate to that much……also my weapon is a gun.”
It was quite different having guns and magic rather than swords and magic.
“Don’t say that.”
Hibiki pulled on Kurumi’s hand and started running.
“This is a bit too overwhelming.”
While sighing, Kurumi accepted Hibiki’s hand.
The scenery of the town could be called charming in a single expression. Medieval Europe.
──“Ah, Hibiki-san. Even for the middle ages, that time period was exceedingly broad in scope. It would be better to explain in more detail.”──Anyway, it’s very medieval Europe-like! But of course, there were wide variety of Quasi-Spirits traveling back and forth.
Injured Quasi-Spirits that were gasping for breath were being carried. Smoke was visible in the distance; it seemed that those injured on the battlefield had been brought here.
“By the way, Hibiki-san, since I imagine you are well-informed, I have one more question.”
“Yes?”
“What is the Adventurer’s Guild?”
“……O-Ooh. From there……”
“I know about Guilds. I learned about them in a Western History class. Aren’t merchant guilds and craftsmen guilds a so-called union of several people sharing the same occupation? Famously, the predecessors of freemasons were the mason guild.”
“Correct, that fits, but this is a little different! ……………Or rather it should be. It’s surprisingly difficult to explain it from scratch! Let’s go there for the time being! If you go……you’ll surely understand!”
Despite feeling that point had been glossed over, Kurumi still obediently followed behind.
Glancing to the side at the private houses lined up in a row while walking on the road, they arrived at a conspicuously large building. The huge double doors were open, with banners that said, “Welcome everyone” and “Welcome to the adventurer’s guild” hanging on the windows.
“It’s like……a conference room.”
“Though curtains give the impression of returning back to reality, anyway let’s go inside.”
Upon entering, the attention of every Quasi-Spirit there was concentrated all at once on Kurumi and Hibiki.
“Could that be Tokisaki Kurumi……?”
“No way, the rumored Spirit!?”
“Did she come to the adventurer’s guild to become an adventurer!?”
“I wonder then who’s the person in charge leading the quest!”
“I want to fight!”
“Hey, who’s that lady speaking and leading next to her?”
“There shouldn’t be a girl like that anywhere in the Fifth Region Gevurah!”
“Hey can you keep healing……I’m dying……”
“Ah, sorry. Alright, heal……I’m getting tired, so can we change shifts?”
“That’s fine but, my high heel is effective, but won’t it also hurt a lot in return?”
“Okay, let’s take turns.”
“Hey, please confirm your intentions first.”
“……It’s very noisy here…….”
“As expected of Kurumi-san, a woman who is always at the center of a vortex at all times.”
“Tokisaki Kurumi. Over here.”
Tsuan, who had gone on ahead, had called them over. A single Quasi-Spirit stood there nervously tapping at what seemed to be the reception counter in a city hall.
“Ah, a receptionist, it’s a receptionist, Kurumi-san……!”
“Why are you so impressed?”
Kurumi couldn’t understand the points of why Hibiki was deeply moved.
“W-W-Welcome. Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild. Here, um, uh, um, what, what, do you need?”
“……What’s the matter……?”
Kurumi slanted her head. From just that alone, the receptionist had a look of being killed three times over.
“I-I will register you as an adventurer! We have accepted your registration!”
“……Why is she so frightened like this, Kurumi-san?”
“How should I know!?”
Kurumi fervently protested against Hibiki’s suspicious glare. Then, Ariadne interjected while fluttering her hand.
“Perhaps it’s because of Tsuan-chan.”
“……What?”
“? I only fervently described how Tokisaki Kurumi is the most fiendish, brutal, strongest, and most mad demon king in the world while I was in the Fifth Region Gevurah.”
“So then it’s nothing other than that.”
Kurumi sighed. The reason behind those remarks, she looked like a beggar pleaded with one’s life at stake.
“Well that’s fine. For the time being, let’s get registered.”
“No, that’s not fine at all……I will register. What should I do?”
Kurumi turned to look at the receptionist. She looked almost ready to cry as she pushed out an amber crystal orb on the counter.
“K-Keep your hands on the orb. You complete the registration for being an adventurer by saying ‘register’. Everyone’s adventurer rank is basically from E to──”
“Yes, yes, yes, yes, register now, register now─────!”
While out of breath, Hibiki placed her hand against the orb.
“……You didn’t hesitate at all……”
“Fufufu, I won’t hesitate in doing anything strange! Now, how about my status!!”
“Terrible numbers, terrible job, and terrible skills!”
Hibiki collapsed onto the floor. Tsuan, Ariadne, and Kurumi also peeked at Hibiki’s status from the hologram projected from the orb.
“Yup, the status was as bad as expected.”
Tsuan made an indifferent declaration.
“Well, there is room for growth. You at least have that small hope.”
Ariadne gave those words of comfort.
“……How interesting. It gives the impression of an entire life being reduced to an image.”
And Kurumi spoke while impressed. Avenger, the line was drawn there probably indicated that job had already been completed. It shouldn’t have any meaning now that Hibiki’s revenge was already over.
“Isn’t Gadabout a little too terrible!?”
(TL Note: A class in Dragon Quest. Roughly translates to playboy or jester)
As Hibiki furiously protested, the receptionist flinched as if deeply troubled.
“Even if you say that……the registered gemstone is designed to automatically select the most suitable profession from the accumulation of experience so far……”
“This makes it look like I’m a devil-may-care Quasi-Spirit guilty of doing various things in the various regions! ……That’s certainly not something that should be heard.”
“Higoromo Hibiki. You can immediately change jobs without worrying about this. And there are even advantages for Gadabout.”
“Advantages? Like what? Can I grow to be a sage in a single leap?”
“You have a fun life.”
“That is certainly an amazing advantage!”
Kurumi covered her mouth as it would be unbecoming for lady to erupt into a burst of laughter.
“……Well, calmly reviewing, it’s not bad except for basic abilities. Especially the skills. If you leave aside ‘Mahjong: B’ ‘Produce: S’, but ‘Adrenaline Rush: S’ and ‘Environmental Adaptability: A’ is beneficial for survival. ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None: C’, well there’s no difference in being skillful……”
Mumbling, Hibiki whispered while looking at her status. As the receptionist had said, regardless of basic abilities, her high grade special skills did correspond to being a subordinate of Tokisaki Kurumi.
“What is this ‘Hate Escape: C’?”
“Ah, perhaps even if a hostile action is taken, you can reduce the rise in the hate level……or maybe something like that from only judging the meaning of those words.”
“Yes, that’s right. Higoromo Hibiki, as long as you do not attack the enemy, you will not increase your hate level, which reduces the risk of being targeted.”
Kurumi slanted her head again after hearing what the receptionist told Hibiki.
“……What is this hate level in the first place?”
“Right, it is from there. Uhh……you can think of it as hostility. In other words, even if a monster is encountered, unless a stone is thrown at it, you won’t be attacked. Conversely speaking, someone other than you will be attacked……”
“So that’s it……”
The more discovered, the more she didn’t understand. Until now, Tokisaki Kurumi had little involvement with this sort of fantasy. The amount of epic fantasies stories read could be counted on her fingers, and of course none of those stories had any skills involving hate level in them.
“Then, next up is me.”
Ariadne moved her fluttering hand.
“Oh, you haven’t registered yet?”
“I wanted to do it with everyone.”
Ariadne smiled. For a moment, Kurumi lowered her vigilance at that carefree smile. She seemed to also be enjoying their current situation.
“So with this……register.”
“Wow, what a monster.”
Those were the first words uttered as Hibiki’s mouth opened. Tsuan, seeing that everything except power was at a high rank, even gave a look of being impressed.
“Isn’t reaching lv 99 the same as hitting the maximum value?”
“It may even be higher since that’s the limit of what we can examine.”
“Hie.”
As Hibiki let out a small scream over what the receptionist said, Ariadne looked a little displeased.
“Muu……it would have felt better to gradually upgrade from lv 1.”
“It’s a little difficult to climb up to lv 99. But since your destination is a high-ranking monster zone anyway, I think that’s enough to still be considered intense.”
“What does ‘?’ mean exactly?”
“Uhh, that’s a private status. Even subconsciously, the orb will judge statuses you want to hide and automatically hide them.”
“So that means you still have secrets.”
“Ehehe, let’s just say that.”
Ariadne laughed a little.
“Then, let’s also reveal my status.”
While saying that, Tsuan placed her hand on the orb.
“Disclosure.”
“Haha……simply the best. Mostly everything gathered is of high rank.”
Hibiki was deeply impressed while looking at the status.
“Fufufufu. By no means have I elegantly gone through life and death situations in the Fifth Region Gevurah.”
“Yes. It thanks to Tsuan-sama that the warfront against the White Queen has been maintained even without Kagarike-sama present.”
“Respectable. (Boastful Tsuan)”
“Haha (prostrating receptionist)”
“This receptionist seems nice……wait, Kurumi-san?”
Kurumi, who had been silent for a while, suddenly clapped her hands together.
“……Ah, I see. ‘S’ is of a higher compatibility than ‘A’.”
“That’s what you’re asking!”
“From the right placing, I thought A would be at the top and S at the bottom. But from the percentage of abilities seen so far, my understanding seems to be mismatched……”
I see, I see, Kurumi nodded repeatedly as if convinced.
Ariadne broadly grinned as she feigned innocence for these circumstances.
“If that’s the case, then maybe Kurumin’s status won’t be a big deal after all.”
“No way. This is our Kurumi-san! Absolutely this demo status will display ‘Oh dear, did I do something?’. It will absolutely say that! And perhaps what she’s really perpetrated!”
“Yeah. If I know Tokisaki Kurumi, it will surely show something amazing.”
Hibiki and Tsuan’s rising expectations were pointless. Actually, Kurumi thought it wouldn’t be bad to objectively see what sort of power she has now. In the first place, there weren’t many worries of it being low. The strength and self-confidence she had cultivated wouldn’t be broken by something like this.
“Then, I as well. Uhh……‘register’.”
Kurumi touched the orb and uttered that keyword.
……Now. The three people, besides Kurumi and the receptionist, were thinking like this.
For Ariadne,
──Ah, with that being said, she must be an S-rank adventurer with maxed out stats and skills.
A safe assumption.
For Tsuan,
──Because it is Tokisaki Kurumi, it may be possible to be above S-rank. In that case, will she be SS-rank or SSS-rank?
Thinking something along those lines.
And for Hibiki,
──It’s Kurumi-san……for some reason there’s the premonition of something being interesting.
Those thoughts gathered in full confidence (?)
From that conclusion, it seemed all three of them were in agreement and not in agreement. Hitting the maximum values, above S-rank, and that it would be interesting. But it didn’t look like hitting maximum values, it wasn’t known if above S-rank, and in a sense it couldn’t be called interesting.
Tokisaki Kurumi’s status was as follows.
“Kowwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?”
Hibiki screamed. Ariadne’s attention was pulled. Tsuan’s heart was racing. The receptionist fainted.
And Kurumi whispered in a stunned manner.
“……What is this?”
“That’s my line! The question at hand is really ‘what have I done?’……I mean altogether this really, really is repulsive……”
Hibiki muttered while looking at the status.
“Skills……somehow it’s so simple that it’s scary……”
Ariadne nodded in agreement.
“’Survival’ is okay, but ‘Killing Intent’ and ‘Massacre’ are rank S and ‘God’ is rank A, and the rank of ‘Nightmare’ is unknown……what kind of skill is that in the first place……”
“I’m scared just not knowing that.”
“Beyond scary, somehow the matter is so insane and blasphemous that it is almost Lovecraftian? Would it be better to check for sanity? The level being ‘Die, die, die’ is really scary! I can only feel bloodlust!”
“I have a status that is entirely eerie. Rank ‘Underworld’ and rank ‘Endless’. I’m not quite sure for the imaginary rank for <City of Devouring Time>, but it does certainly sound like something horrible will happen……”
“Isn’t the percentage of skills hidden scary……? And how even more have been blacked out.”
“In any case, it can be said to be as expected of Tokisaki Kurumi.”
Tsuan smiled nihilistically like a devoted idol fan.
Essentially, Kurumi was the only person disheartened by this.
“I was hoping for the status to be a little more legitimate……”
“Let’s give up, Kurumi-san. If it’s Kurumi-san, then it can’t be helped.”
Kurumi decided to distract herself by pinching Hibiki’s cheeks for the time being, ignoring her screams of protest in the process.
◇
The receptionist that had fainted managed to recover and clear her throat.
“N-Now then, everyone has now registered as adventurers.”
Hibiki leaned towards the counter.
“Yes, yes, it’s finished!”
“So without delay, please accept the order for this quest──”
“Great, great, that’s really great!”
Kurumi pulled on Hibiki’s sleeves to push her back.
“Um……what is a quest?”
“It’s like a mission that an adventurer receives. Things like defeating slimes or collecting medicinal herbs. By accepting such quests, we will continue to raise your adventurer rank.”
“What can we do to raise the adventurer rank?”
“This will be great!”
“Haah……”
“Um……everyone, my apologizes……there is only one quest I would like you to receive.”
“……One?”
“Yes. Here it is I will read it out loud. Uhh……it looks like ‘I wish for you to infiltrate the nest of Empties in the Fifth Dungeon Elohim Gibor. Difficulty level S’.”
Hearing what the receptionist had said, they all silently looked at each other.
Then Tsuan whispered.
“Speaking of which, we are fighting against the White Queen’s army. I forgot about that a little.”
“Such an important detail shouldn’t be easily forgotten, but because of the excess momentum, I also carelessly forgot!”
“Both of you acted so happy. I just forgot all about it.”
“Incidentally, I also forgot about it as well……”
“Um. As an outsider, what do you say? Will you accept?”
Hearing what the receptionist had asked, Hibiki forcibly slammed down on the quest order.
“It’s fine. Please leave it to us!”
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login