Chapter 1 - Omen of a StormPart 1When people spoke of shrines in Yushima in the Bunkyou ward, it wasusually about Yushima Tenjin.^There was also the famous Kanda Myoujin^ nearby. But right now, shewas not at such a major place. There was a quiet shrine in the backstreetsof Yushima. Usually without a priest or a full-time miko, this little shrine wascared for by the neighborhood parishioners.She opened the door to the cozy front shrine and stepped inside.People from the vicinity who caught a glimpse of her might have thought itstrange.Because after throwing open the usually closed door, the femalehigh-school student wearing a short-sleeved uniform began to roamaround shamelessly. But since she was not breaking any laws, there wasno reason to reprimand her.Besides, it was five in the morning. There were almost no pedestrianspa.s.sing by."I said I got it, grampsy. Yeah I"m fine, probably... ohh shut it. Well, I"venever gone out with a boy before, but... And whose fault do you think thatis?"While sitting courtly in seiza^ posture, she was talking fiercely on her cellphone.Outside, strong winds were blowing violently.The howling wind continued to rock the shrine as if it was one step short ofblowing it away. The sky was covered by dark clouds and looked about torain any time."Eh, how to seduce a man? ... If you"re the one to teach me, it"s not goingto be of any use anyway, grampsy. You"re behind the times at best, youknow? I"ll study by myself."With one hand, the girl skillfully unfastened the package on the floor.A long sword in a black lacquered scabbard appeared. It was her reliablepartner, three shaku, three sun, five bu^ long.Right next to it, ten-odd sheets of paper were strewn about. It was aninvestigation report on two girls about her age."Leaving that aside, I"ve found an interesting girl... Yep, right, one of theking"s lovers... Yeah, because I don"t feel like losing. I"ll chase her out ofj.a.pan for sure... Yes... Yes yes. Of course I"m ready to use force if it getsdown to it. That way"s more interesting. Okay, I"ll contact you again."After ending the conversation, the girl picked up one of the paper sheets.Erica Blandelli. Native of Milan, Italy. Member of the Magic a.s.sociation[Copper Black Cross], Age 16.Height 165cm. BWH 87/58/88.There was even a photo attached. It showed an incredibly beautiful girl.She, Seishuuin Ena, was complacently smiling while looking at the[Diavolo Rosso]"s personal information."As an opponent she lacks nothing. This girl will surely allow you and Enato have some fun."While calling out to her partner lying on the floor, Ena was looking outside.It had become completely silent.The violent wind had weakened and the sun rays were piercing the clouds."So that wind was grampsy"s fault after all... he"s such a troublesomegrandpa."After shrugging her shoulders and murmuring, Ena was about to stuff hercell phone into her pocket when she remembered that it was completelydischarged. Pausing midway, she started looking for the battery chargerwhich should be in her bag.The cell phone Seishuuin Ena had been talking over had had no powersource.Part 2In Erica Blandelli"s dictionary, there was no idiom like "Early to bed, early torise."Instead the opposite existed. She would stay up late at night and, unlessthere were other businesses, she would sleep until around noon.That was the life-style Erica Blandelli loved.But, this morning, she abruptly got up from her bed at 5am.It was not like she wanted to enjoy an invigorating morning on a whim.While rubbing her tired eyes, she picked up the cell phone near her pillowand dialed a number registered in her address book. The other party didnot pick up, but she persistently continued."What ishh it, Eri — cca, ishh early in the moring. ... is there. ..aaaa. .anemergency... or ssshhhing?"At last, her lover, Kusanagi G.o.dou, had picked up.Probably he was not awake either. He was slurring his words.Usually this was when she would present him with a graceful morninggreeting and a kiss over the telephone. But right now Erica did not havethe composure for that, so she cut straight to the point."Hey, G.o.dou... today you don"t need to come pick me up. I"ll go to schoolat noon. It"s regrettable that I won"t be able to see your face when wakingup, but that"s how it is..." Erica said with a whisper that lacked the richnessher voice usually had.It was a faint voice, one that gave a very immature impression.She was not a morning person; hence the only one who had the privilegeto contact her under such dire circ.u.mstances was Kusanagi G.o.dou."I don"t remember our school having flextime.""Flextime or not isn"t the problem. The problem is that I"m unbearably tiredthis morning. I won"t be able to welcome you like this even if you come. I"llprobably be in bed the whole time... Ahh, if you like, you can spend thewhole morning in bed with me...?"Because she was weak in the morning, it was G.o.dou"s daily routine tocome and pick her up for school.But even though she called him out of concern over that, she still receiveda sharp reply in return."You know, even if we put the problem with flextime on hold, I don"tunderstand this sudden call early in the morning with neither restraint norprior arrangement... it wouldn"t have happened if you had just used somecommon sense""Because... the two of us need neither restraint nor common sensebetween us. We have love.""There are so many things I should say about that, but my head isn"tworking well yet... I"ll tell you later at school. Don"t skip.""Then I"ll tell you what I want to say right now. I love you, and, good night,"Erica whispered gently and threw the cell phone away.She stretched out on the bed again, closed her eyes, and returned to hercountry of sweet dreams right away.Kusanagi G.o.dou earnestly felt miserable. Waking up early in the morninghad been the worst.He had been struck awake by Erica"s call at five "o clock in the morning.As a consequence of waking up half-way, he had lost the will to go to sleepagain.With the creed "early to bed, early to rise," G.o.dou always got up right after6am. So even if he got up at five, it was not that hard. But a normal humanwould not have called him that early in the morning.He had hoped for Erica to treat people with more common sense.He melancholically muttered to himself.He was in Jounan Academy"s year 1 cla.s.s 5 before morning homeroom.However, in the seat next to him, Erica was nowhere to be seen. It seemedshe would be late just like her advance notice said."Seriously, that girl..." As G.o.dou sighed, the female student next to himstarted talking to him."I do not see Erica. Were you not together this morning?""She contacted me saying she"d be late because she"s sleepy.""That girl was saying such things again? She really has not changed sinceshe was a little child! She is always so selfish and not even trying to stickto the rules..."The angrily muttering girl had her silver hair collected in a ponytail.Liliana Kranjcar. After leaving her hometown of Milan, the great knightcame all the way to Tokyo for him. It was the result of him thoughtlesslyconsenting when she told him "she"d stay by his side as his knight."Before he knew it, Liliana, who had arrived in j.a.pan at the end of August,had decided to study abroad.She got into year 1 cla.s.s 5 of the private Jounan Academy, which was hiscla.s.s. During homeroom on the first day, she had suddenly made anannouncement.Even though she was an Italian exchange student, she introduced herselfin flawless j.a.panese.When told that her seat was along the windows, Liliana had frowned with atwitch.And then she declared right after stalwartly walking up to G.o.dou"s seat:"To begin, I should first explain: I, Liliana Kranjcar, have someone I havesworn to share my destiny with, to be close with at all times. It is thisgentleman, Kusanagi G.o.dou."She had a magnificent tone of voice; her words spoken like performancesfrom a cla.s.sical Greek drama."What is she saying all of a sudden?"When their cla.s.smates all made expressions that seemed to say that,Liliana had continued her address. That she, who could be called hisknight, would constantly be waiting by his side."The place I should sit at cannot be anywhere other than by his side. Iwould like you to think about helping me with my mission and pardon myselfishness."That appeal had surprised G.o.dou.No, she was being impossible. He had wanted to remonstrate her, but hewas now at a loss for words.Suddenly the surrounding students had gotten up from their seats andstarted changing seats to grant Liliana"s firm request.At that time Liliana must have used hypnotism or some kind of magic.Just like that, she had secured the seat next to him, and the cla.s.s hadimmediately recognized: On Kusanagi G.o.dou"s right sat Erica Blandelli,and on his left sat Liliana Kranjcar; the two beautiful girls who came fromEurope surrounded G.o.dou and competed for his attention.Liliana was burning with helpfulness towards G.o.dou. Erica nonchalantlyinterfered with that.After that day, such spectacles would repeat themselves many times. Buttoday, one of the two in question was absent. It seemed like he wouldfinally be able to spend time calming his heart, so G.o.dou was relieved."Kusanagi G.o.dou. Your complexion is not what it should be. Do you lacksleep?""I did sleep well, but I woke up at an odd time. That may be why..."When Liliana suddenly asked him, G.o.dou opted to answer safely. He didnot mention Erica"s name out of a knight"s compa.s.sion."Adequate sleep is the basis for a healthy life. Please also take care tomaintaining your health," she told him with an overly serious expression.Since she certainly was right, he had nothing to refute.When G.o.dou nodded with a bitter smile, the silver-haired knight sighed."This is no laughing matter. Your lack of self-awareness as a king is anevident weakness of yours... however, there is nothing we can do about ittoday. I thought this might happen, so please have some of the coffee Iprepared this morning."With that said, Liliana pulled a thermos flask out of her bag."What preparedness!" G.o.dou was a little surprised at the unexpecteddevelopment."How much sugar and milk should I add?""Ah, please don"t put any. Black is fine.""That is bad for your stomach, I cannot recommend that way of drinking.Well, no helping it now, let us take it one step at a time.""Ah, okay."When he accepted the presented coffee, Liliana said without a momentsdelay:"It is hot, so please take care. If you don"t mind, should I cool it for you?""Y-you don"t need to go that far...," he perplexedly replied to her, who wasleaning forward to blow on the coffee. Ever since this new knight hadprecipitously joined him, she has always taken on a very polite demeanor.Coming from a family built on the principle of laissez-faire,^ G.o.dou hadnever experienced being care for to this degree, not even during infancy.Liliana scowled at his reserved reply with a stern face."This is also my duty as a knight. Feel free to order me as you like. Youshould become more used to making use of people... What is that! Takeyour shirt off right away! Quickly!""Eh? Why?"Liliana, her face changing color, drew closer to the wincing G.o.dou."Your shirt has become frayed. I need to sew it right away.""Y-you can leave that much alone.""It would be my shame if I allowed you to look like that."In the end, G.o.dou, overpowered by the girl"s forcefulness, took his shirt offand handed it to her.When he was in his t-shirt, he noticed the stares concentrating on him fromthe surroundings.Everyone was observing them — while quietly whispering to each other,while giggling, or while smacking their lips in annoyance. They gaveimpressions like "Get a room!" or "Eeeek, filthy!" or "Tsk. That d.a.m.nKusanagi... he should just die."It was as though they were looking at a pimp that did nothing but leech offwomen.At that moment, when his dignity as a man was being doubted... G.o.doufinally realized what was going on around him.Then lunch break arrived.While heading for the rooftop, G.o.dou was a.s.sailed by anxiety.If he continued onward like that, he could not help but feel that he wouldrush head-on into an even scarier minefield. But since he still had noexcuse to escape...The first to welcome him on the rooftop was Liliana."I have been waiting for you... However, since our destinations were thesame, could you not have come here together with me?" she inquired in illhumor.Under her dissatisfied expression G.o.dou"s body slightly cramped."So-sorry. I went to buy some bread.""Is that so? That is unfortunate... finally a chance to be alone and progressour relationship..."When G.o.dou made a suitable excuse, Liliana mumbled away to herself."Eh?""Ah, nothing. As a knight. Right, because as a knight I must act as yourguard. Anyways, let us quickly have lunch!"While her mouth ran non-stop, Liliana produced a bundle from her bag thatlooked like a lunchbox.With handmade sandwiches and fresh juice among other things, no onecould object about either its taste or nutrition.In contrast to the lunchboxes Erica brought, which were carefully preparedby Arianna, Liliana also began bringing handmade cooking every day.Usually they would share the gathered food with everyone, but...This day Erica was absent. But everyone else still gathered.Mariya Yuri was from the cla.s.s next door and his little sister Shizukaespecially came from the middle school section.Would lunch really end safely with this lineup? As anxiety a.s.sailed G.o.dou,Yuri timidly asked him a question."E-Erica-san is not present today?""Yeah, she said she"d come to school today but I guess she"s not hereyet.""I... see...," Yuri murmured and fell silent, looking depressed. Then evenG.o.dou became restless.Ever since the events in Naples, his relationship with her had becomedelicately awkward.He felt that before the summer holidays, while being reserved around eachother, they had become wonderfully close. However, lately it had alwaysbeen like this, somewhat formal.If at least Erica were here, she would liven up the place with her ingeniousconversation skills.It was time to do something. While looking at Yuri, who had been plungedinto silence, G.o.dou made up his mind. He might be over-thinking matters,but he would feel bad if the situation went on without him doing anything."You need not care about such a selfish woman. Leaving that aside,Kusanagi G.o.dou, I warned you the other day, and yet you still obtainedsomething like that again?" Liliana interjected in ill humor."Eh? What are you talking about?""I am talking about that. About that obviously nutrient-deficient bread!"She was staring at the yakisoba bread^ that G.o.dou bought.Even among the bread in the store, it was particularly a popular article. Thesweetness and saltiness of the sauce surrounding the noodles wasexquisite, and it was always sold out a few minutes after the beginning oflunch break.That day he had managed to buy two of those popular items. He alsopurchased an egg sandwich and a croquette sandwich along with them,but in terms of rarity they were no match for the yakisoba bread.But apparently the knight from Milan disliked this specialty bread that wasunique to j.a.pan."Combining carbohydrates with carbohydrates is reckless at best. So longas my heart beats, I shall not permit that kind of crude meal."And just like that, Liliana confiscated the yakisoba bread. In return, sheforced a self-made sandwich onto him.Roast beef and lettuce, tomatoes, cuc.u.mber, avocados, and otheringredients held between toasted rye bread, seasoned with what appearedto be a handmade sauce."A meal like this is appropriate for a warrior. Now, please eat up.""A-ahh. Then, thanks..."Actually, that day he had wanted to be satisfied by the taste of junk foodsauce.But refusing Liliana"s consideration with such a reason would feelawkward.G.o.dou bit into the sandwich. Of course, it was delicious. It tasted betterthan the food offered by the cafes in the area. The pickled vegetables thatwere offered along with the sandwich were outstanding as well.It was not just garnished with the customary cuc.u.mber, but carrots andbroccoli as well. When he asked, he learned that they were also self-made.It was a lunch prepared with a lot of time and effort that left nothing to bedesired in both taste and nutrition.However, G.o.dou unintentionally stared at the yakisoba bread, which hadbeen regretfully confiscated."Hey, could you return that to me? I still have room for more..." he askedtentatively. Junk food with an excess of salt and sauce had a charm thatwas hard to resist, after all. As a former athlete, he normally showedself-restraint; but from time to time gluttony would overcome him."1-1 cannot. This was hard, but I confiscated it under consideration of yourown good, you know?"Liliana somehow became fl.u.s.tered when G.o.dou asked."E-even if you ask me with such a face, this is out of the question, simplyout of the question... But, umm, it is not that I cannot consent to giving youhalf of it. S-split half of it with me. That would be fine.""Liliana-san. Please don"t change your position so abruptly-" Shizuka saidto Liliana as she suddenly came around to agreeing.Until now, she had been sarcastically watching the exchange between herbrother and the silver-haired knight."It"s shameful to be like a mother going all soft on her child just becausehe"s throwing a tantrum."She was not outright rude, but Shizuka"s tone contained an obvious thorn.Minding that, Yuri, who sat across her, softly chided her."Shizuka-san, you must not speak like that. Well, I also think that Liliana"sbehavior is inconsistent, but...""C-could you stop with the strange accusations?"Liliana cleared her throat with a somewhat sheepish expression."Shizuka-san, I only acted with appropriate concern towards your olderbrother. In addition, I presented a compromise to meet his wishes as muchas possible. Therefore, Mariya Yuri, all my actions were taken thinking ofKusanagi G.o.dou"s well-being. In that sense, all of my actions areconsistent, I believe."She was stiffer towards the younger Shizuka than towards Yuri, who washer age.Liliana made her arguments with that slight difference in att.i.tude."In short, that means you"ve totally caved in against my brother, right?""I caved in against Kusanagi G.o.dou? Ridiculous. I am always strict andpush high standards onto him. What you said just now was clearly amistake of the facts," Liliana said as she took out a napkin.When she suddenly handed it to him, G.o.dou was startled."Ahh, this is no good. You have gotten sauce on you. Your dignity andauthority will be for naught like this. Okay, it is all right now. You are anunexpectedly troublesome person, hmm?" she said while wiping G.o.dou"smouth.Although she called him troublesome, Liliana still looked very content forsome reason. It was a strange feeling of enrichment, and, from the looks ofit, Yuri and Shizuka had awfully cold stares."G.o.dou-san.""Onii-chan, I can"t believe it. You look like an idiot. You"re totally beingbabied!"Were these possibly the same reactions that had occurred earlier in thecla.s.sroom? Exposed to stares that doubted his character and dignity,G.o.dou was horrified.By the way, Liliana and Shizuka had met for the first time on the last day ofthe summer holidays.Saying that her personal arrangements in Italy had finished at last, Lilianahad appeared in Nezu^ in the Bunkyou ward and went straight to G.o.dou"shouse to introduce herself.At that time, both G.o.dou and Shizuka had been at home, and so was theirgrandfather Ichirou.He had instructed her not to reveal information on magicians, knights, orCampione to his family, so Liliana had not used those words.Still. Still."I came to take care of Kusanagi G.o.dou" or "we shall be together forever.""Our relationship binds us with the same fate; we are one in body and soul"or "I intend to protect him for all our lives" were also unnecessary, G.o.doubelieved.At that time, his grandfather had laughed "Hoho, well well" and gaveLiliana a warm reception.But after she had gone home, he had whispered: "You see, girls like thatbrood over too many things, so you need to be careful with them. Howshould I say it; whether they let you live or die is up to you..."That piece of advice somehow seemed weighed down with meaning. Andspeaking of Shizuka..."When you vanished off somewhere at the start of the summer holidays, Ican"t believe you were out catching such a beautiful person! You weren"tsatisfied with just Erica-san and Mariya-san; no, you had to get a thirdone!?! Onii-chan, you"re totally like grandpa!"Just like that, she had become exceedingly hotheaded. "Little sister ofmine, don"t have weird misunderstandings about your brother." But whenhe tried to relay that to her, Liliana had objected first."Shizuka-san, your words just now are mistaken. Unlike Erica or MariyaYuri, I do not intend to become your brother"s lover. Liliana Kranjcar is aknight that will protect Kusanagi G.o.dou until the end, living my lifealongside him... that is the purpose of my existence.""L-lover!?""Liliana-san, please stop using such strange words!"As Yuri interjected, Shizuka also winced at the term, one not usually usedby modern middle and high school students.But Liliana"s face remained calm."Am I wrong, Mariya Yuri? I have already recognized that as what you arewaiting for.""That is not true! That very idea is a misunderstanding!""I see... Well then, if you say you have no ambition to become his lover,please refrain from excessive meddling. As it is my duty, I shall earnestlyremain in waiting by Kusanagi G.o.dou"s side. I would like you to notinterfere."Faced with Liliana"s decisive words, Yuri became fl.u.s.tered.While G.o.dou grew worried as he listened next to her.If the usually reserved j.a.panese miko and the dutiful Milanese knightcontinued to diverge like that, it would definitely leave a bad aftertaste. Heshould settle matters before it came to that."Hey, Liliana, don"t be so stiff. Mariya only says that because she"s worriedabout us. It"s nothing to be so hard on her for."Matters like these should be resolved before they take deep roots.Maybe it was because he had been the captain when he was still playingbaseball, but G.o.dou had gotten used to this sort of problem. It was notnecessary to be excessively friendly among teammates, but discord hiddenin the shadows was not good.Especially if a girl like Yuri was involved, he wanted to be considerate."G.o.dou-san...""I"m sorry, Mariya. You also understand that Liliana meant no harm, right?I"ll make sure she"s careful from now on, so don"t take it to heart", G.o.dousaid to Yuri, who looked at him rather happily."Y-yes. I don"t particularly mind.""Okay, great. Lately I"ve always seemed to make you angry... sorry. I"vebeen waiting for the right time to apologize, but there were no chancesand..." he gently smiled at her. He felt this was a chance to try and fix hisrelationship with Yuri.This miko had a really nagging streak, but it was all out of consideration forhim. If he was not thankful for that, he would incur divine punishment.If he could, he would like to stay on good terms with her for a long time tocome."I should be the one to apologize deeply. After seeing how well G.o.dou-sanand Liliana-san got along lately, my chest grew strangely nauseous, andgave me dark thoughts... I also thought I should improve my att.i.tude.""Ahh, so you felt the same. True, you"ve been cold to me lately, huh,Mariya?""Please! Don"t tease me like that!"Yuri suddenly turned her face away. It was unusual for her, but she waspouting.After seeing that, a relieved G.o.dou turned around towards Liliana next. Ifhe managed to gently finish the matter now... Even so, she frowned at him,her expression full of amazement."I am impressed, Kusanagi G.o.dou... How you handled the upset MariyaYuri just now revealed quite the skill. I should have expected no less fromsomeone who became renowned for his dirty interests at such a youngage.""Seriously, you are only smooth at times like this..." Liliana grumbled."Hey, what do you mean with "handle?" Don"t make me sound like aweirdo!""There is no need to justify yourself. No matter how much you l.u.s.t afterwomen, even if the worst happens and you invite destruction uponyourself, at least I will be your ally... Indeed, I had already taken thatamount of trouble into account when I precipitously joined you."That line invited way too many misunderstandings. Sensing danger,G.o.dou was about to chide her, but it was already too late."Liliana-san. What was it you just said? About Onii-chan and dirtyinterests?""I meant it as I said it. You seem to be aware already, but your big brotherhas pledged love with quite a number of women, and he is veryaccomplished when it comes to enjoying that love.""Wait, Liliana, don"t make up fishy stories!""Onii-chan, you stay quiet. Liliana-san, please continue," Shizukainterrupted G.o.dou"s protest and urged Liliana to go on.Liliana answered her question somewhat dejectedly."Yes. The truth is, I also fear that your brother will suffer one day due tothis bad habit. When I think of wicked women like Erica being so close tohim...""Aren"t you right- Many people fell to ruin due to womanizing, right-"Shizuka, who agreed in her responses like this, also threw harsh looks atLiliana. Her countenance seemed to say "you"re also one of his playmates,aren"t you?""But Shizuka-san, please stop blaming your brother"s present sense ofvirtue. Since times immemorial, great men have always had greatfondness for s.e.xual pleasures. The fact that nothing but beautiful maidensgather around Kusanagi G.o.dou is, in a sense, proof of his qualities. Youshould not scold him so much over such a minor matter.""Hmmm? So that"s how you think about it?""Yes. In short, we simply need to avoid situations where he loses his waydue to women. And seeing to that is my duty, the duty of the one who is inwaiting by his side. I shall protect your brother without fail. So,Shizuka-san, if you could please be more tolerant?""Onii-chan, aren"t you lucky? Liliana-san understands even yourwomanizing." Shizuka ignored Liliana"s admonishment disinterestedly.Trying to follow their conversation left G.o.dou quite perplexed."So, you"re saying Onii-chan doesn"t need to reflect on his behavior?""No, I cannot state that with certainty. Even as a playmate, he shouldprobably avoid Erica. In Mariya Yuri"s case... it depends on her behaviorfrom now on. From my point of view, he should aim for women that causeless trouble in the future," Liliana said and directed her judging gaze at theHime-Miko, who was blessed with beauty in both expression and physique.Yuri reacted with bewilderment."Hey, isn"t this going in a strange direction!?""No. I believe the direction is correct. If you do not correct your womanizingatt.i.tude, there will be people who seek to make use of it later.""Li-Liliana-san, aren"t you saying a tiny little bit too much..."A sour-looking G.o.dou was faced with a composed Liliana and Yuri, whohad taken a complete turn from her earlier att.i.tude to the defensive.These three were cynically watched by Shizuka."Mariya-san is all over you just because you were a little nice to her.Liliana-san is open to your affairs and ready to recognize them. If one ofthem becomes your wife, you won"t even need to go through all the troublegrandpa did. Isn"t that great for you, Onii-chan."He wasn"t in control anymore. It was just then when G.o.dou looked up atthe sky in resignation."A pleasant day to you, everybody. It seems to be very lively and fun here.h.e.l.lo, G.o.dou, I couldn"t tell you this morning, but instead I"ll tell you rightnow with lots of affection included. I am really happy to be able to seeyou."Someone greeted them in a self-serving tone.While radiating elegance and grace, Erica showed herself on the rooftop.Even the school"s summer uniform looked like it was custom-tailored forher.More than her superficial beauty, it was her inner values that let this girlshine."Oh, I thought something has happened, and looking at your faces I canpretty much guess."While looking at everybody around her, Erica radiantly asked her old friendand rival: "Lily, please give me a sandwich, too. I"ve only had a cappuccinotoday so I"m starved.""Th-there is a lot of other food. Even if it is not mine...""But it"s made by you, isn"t it? And it looks to be the most delicious. Whenyou have room to choose, choosing the most delicious or interesting one ismy principle. You know that, right?""You are as selfish a girl as always!"Liliana sounded abusive, but when she heard the praise "delicious," sheheld out the package of sandwiches, seeming not as annoyed as shewould have others believe.Erica accepted one with the beautiful smile of a lady and turned her eyesto Yuri."I"m glad for you, Yuri. You managed to make up with G.o.dou, didn"t you?Ever since the summer break, you"ve been completely awkward; it waspainful to look at. Please allow me to congratulate you.""Ah, yes. Thanks to you I somehow..."Erica had done nothing at all, but the overwhelmed Yuri thanked her.Then she turned to Shizuka and continued courteously and sociably:"Shizuka-san, I know that you are irritated but please let it slide already. Atthe beginning of the 2nd school term, it had been so long since I hadgotten to meet G.o.dou that we ended up overdoing it. Look, he was withyou for all of August...""U-using that as a reason...""G.o.dou told me, you know, that he"d spend the rest of the holidays with hislittle sister, so he couldn"t meet me as much. It was sad, but being withone"s family was also important, so I bore it. I wouldn"t call this return forthat, but could you let this pa.s.s? Please...?"Certainly, he had not met Erica very much during August. She hadexcused herself for being busy with work for the magic society [CopperBlack Cross] and had apparently been bustling about all over the place. Atthat time, he had also been distant with Yuri, and Liliana had only arrivedin j.a.pan at the very end of the holidays.So they had not met not because G.o.dou had asked them, but..."l-is that so, Onii-chan? Is that why you accompanied me?""Uhhm, what should I say...""Don"t be shy, G.o.dou. Weren"t you worried that you weren"t looking afteryour little sister enough?""I see... Ohh Onii-chan, it"s embarra.s.sing how you can"t bear being awayfrom me," Shizuka said somewhat happily, sharply turning her head away.It was unknown if the excuse just now had worked, but it looked like thedanger had pa.s.sed.Thereupon Erica made a declaration to everyone present with a radiantsmile on her face."Then, now that the arguments are settled, let us go back to lunch. Mealsshould be held cheerful and fun. We must choose an appropriate topic."Following her lead, everyone sat down on the rooftop floor.Erica slid into G.o.dou"s right armpit quite naturally and sat down right nextto him.Yuri, who had been in that position so far, had handed it over without anythought... That single act showed their power relationship and madeG.o.dou secretly groan.Erica really was dreadful.Her actions just now were the skills of a [Queen] controlling her royal court.(...G.o.dou. You probably got it already, but with this, the number of favorsyou owe me has grown by one. Remember that.)Erica, sitting by his side, quietly whispered to him. Of course G.o.dou couldnot object.Part 3After school, Erica Blandelli and Liliana Kranj car walked through theshopping district in Nezu, where the Kusanagi"s house was located.G.o.dou had said that he had somewhere to drop by and had gone homeright after cla.s.ses were finished.Apparently, Yuri also had her duties as a miko and had gone home alone.Erica made her way home while elegantly driving away the boysapproaching her as if they were biting lice. But on the way, she spottedLiliana in the shopping district."A pleasant day to you, Lily. Are you going to G.o.dou"s after this? Well met.I was also thinking about visiting, so let"s go together," Erica forcibly turnedthem into traveling companions.Liliana frowned unhappily but started walking close to her anyway."Erica... I do not think there is any reason for you to go to the Kusanagihouse."She bluntly treated the knight who was her childhood friend and rival as abother."I intend to cook dinner at his house. Since you cannot cook, you will be ofno use even if you come along. I would like you to not interfere with myduties..."So that was it after all. Erica nodded to herself.Ever since long ago, this girl had the bad habit of not thinking much abouthow to spend her time and effort. So then, should she chide her, or makefun of her for it?After a moment of thought, Erica decided that in this situation, she shouldjust do both."Oh my, I wouldn"t interfere, Lily."Erica showed off what G.o.dou often called her devil"s smile, while maskinga quiet laugh."While you strive with your cooking, I will happily make conversation withG.o.dou; grandfather and Shizuka-san, as well. I should deepen my ties withmy future family, after all.""Wh-what did you say?""Hehee, it might not be necessary for you, Lily, considering that you serveas his knight. But for me it"s different. Eventually I will become his wife, andas his wife, I will be in charge of his army and castle. I must be on goodterms with his relatives.""W-w-wiiife!? Kusanagi G.o.dou has no intention of taking you as his wife!Can you stop deciding my lord"s future by yourself?!""He just hasn"t said it yet. Among ourselves, matters are already settled,"Erica declared while following Liliana into the supermarket.The girl reminiscent of an Eastern European fairy took a shopping basketlike it was her second nature.Contrary to her appearance, this girl had had an affinity for housekeepingsince her childhood. Cooking, sewing, cleaning, if it was housework, shecould do it. Erica, on the other hand, had almost no experience withshopping in places like this."Hey, Lily. Sometimes I feel pity for you. You became a knight for G.o.doumerely a few months after me, but during that time my relationship withG.o.dou had deepened greatly. So much that you can"t force your way inbetween us anymore.""Tha-that is not true! The relation between me and him will develop muchmore from now on!""Oh my, really? But, doesn"t G.o.dou seem restless every so often? A littlebit troubled, like he is squirming?"Liliana"s complexion changed in an instant. It looked like she had a clue.Well, it was only natural since she had suddenly barged into the Kusanagihouse and started cooking, among other things.Even G.o.dou, who was usually accepting of people"s goodwill, was quitebewildered and bothered by her fervor."You see, whenever my eyes meet G.o.dou"s, I can generally tell what he"sthinking. Because our bonds are just that deep...""DANG IT! S-stop trying to throw my feelings out of order, Erica!"Liliana harshly objected. She was right, of course.While there were times when Erica and G.o.dou could confirm each other"saims by eye contact, there were also many times where they could not. Inthe end, the environment he was raised in was just too different.The difference in perception that stemmed from the culture gap was notovercome that easily.But, Erica did not feel like saying that straight-out.At times like this, it was better to enforce her will with a bang. She had thecourage and persuasive power to make lies seem true, so she smiledelegantly and pityingly at Liliana."Feel free to think that. While you cling to that blind belief, G.o.dou and I willdeepen our relationship even further.""Ug, talking so frivolously...""So, could you please not make supper for G.o.dou today?"Erica continued nonchalantly just as Liliana had begun testing a cabbagein the produce corner. So far it had been for amus.e.m.e.nt, but her nextadvice was based on calculation."He isn"t living alone, so outside of excursions, there"s no need to cook forhim.""No, but, that"s my important work as a knight and — ""Cooking for him at his house is the work of a housewife or a maid. You"reneither, right? I understand that you"re excited to be by G.o.dou"s side, butit"s time to calm down. If you keep pressing your kindness on them soforcefully, even his grandfather will be bothered. Understood?"Erica clearly called out her troublesome old friend.Apparently G.o.dou had also mumbled to her that she did not have to gothat far, but at that level it would not get through to the over-enthusiasticLiliana. She was in love with the ideal of being in love, a maidenpredisposed for delusions."If you want to put your cooking skills to practice nonetheless, how aboutmaking something at your home and sharing it later?""Ahh!"□liana"s eyes flashed open upon Erica"s suggestion.Obviously she had never even thought of that. What a troublesomeperson.Still, she had outstanding abilities at her disposal. If this girl was to serveG.o.dou, Erica wanted her to do so without causing needless disturbance.She had to hold her reins tightly."Which reminds me; five, six years ago there was that time when you helda party at your home and put your all into the food...""Urg! E-Erica, that was in the past!""Oh Lily, although there were only five guests, you diligently made foodthat seemed enough for thirty... you have always been like that. Youpointlessly invest time and effort when you don"t need to, right? Wheneverthat"s happened, I"ve looked after you with perfection, do you remember?"Incidentally, Erica had also backed her up at Liliana"s party.She had called twenty people together in haste and organized a biggermeeting place. It was a dear memory. One that Liliana probably still hadbut would surely want to forget."Che! Well, yes. It is there, in the corners of my memory...""I see, great. Let"s get along from now on as well, while treasuring thestrong ties between the two of us, shall we, Lily?" Erica brightly told thebitterly admitting Lily.They were equal in sword and magic, but in their private life Erica generallyseized the initiative.To make Liliana easier to handle, she would use this chance to stir thosememories awake.Erica decided that while enjoying her worthy rival"s agony.The two girls left the supermarket without buying anything and headed forthe Kusanagi house.But before they had walked for even three minutes, Liliana asked in awhisper."Erica, do you know that girl who has been staring at us for a while?""I wonder? I don"t remember her face."They really stood out.Since beautiful girls, one blond, one silver-haired, and both from abroad,were walking right next to each other, it was a given that they would attractattention.But the girl"s stare, which had focused on them since their time in thesupermarket and was now ten meters behind them, had one obviouscharacteristic.It was a look one wore when evaluating an opponent. A gaze that differedfrom a normal human"s, with eyes that were accustomed to fighting.She obviously was not an ordinary person.And her eyes revealed the fact that she did not even want to hide it."I have only just come to j.a.pan. So I thought she would be youracquaintance.""By process of elimination. But unfortunately, she shouldn"t have anyconnection with me whatsoever, either. Well, I can"t deny the possibilitythat she knows about me though."The other girl presented herself without hiding, so responding to her shouldnot be bad.Erica stopped and turned around. Liliana did the same.It was evening. Among the crowds in the shopping district.Moving through the flow of people, the girl in the high school uniformmoved closer.Her long, black hair was silky and beautiful, and her features did not lose tothat either. Her build was slender, but she looked like the type that seemedslimmer in clothes.But the thing about her that caught the most attention was the long andthin cloth bag over her shoulder.Something cylindrical and longer than one meter seemed to be wrappedinside. It might be some kind of sword. Erica remembered the swastikasword that had attacked her the night before.The black-haired girl smiled at them in pa.s.sing.It had nothing in common with Erica"s refined smile; it was the smile of anopportunist.Today, she was just making herself known. The girl leisurely pa.s.sed themas she implicitly communicated her intent.Part 4The Nanao Shrine was built on a hill close to Shiba Park.To reach it, one had to first challenge the highest stone steps in themetropolitan area.For Mariya Yuri, who had no stamina, this was quite a penance. Actually,they also had an elevator that went up and down, but it was out of order.Yet, the serious girl did not complain.She somehow kept on climbing with her wheezing breath.It was still the hot beginning of September, so she was already completelydrenched in sweat.That was why she purified herself with the showers in the shrine officebefore beginning her duties.While soaking in the hot water, she suddenly felt bothered by her ownbody.Her smooth, ivory skin was so white it almost seemed transparent.Her build was slender and scrawny. Her limbs had no muscles to speak of,and she was so slender she seemed like she would break unless handledwith care.However, she had moderate volume in the proper places like her b.r.e.a.s.t.sand hips.Yuri stopped the shower and left the stall. The bathroom mirror reflectedher figure.When going through water purification with her fellow Hime-Miko orchanging with her cla.s.smates, she was always inexplicably complimentedand treated with envy.Maybe she had a body she could brag about.She payed attention to her weight and dry skin like any other girl her age,but she had never experienced being too worried about her own figure.If I can, I want to become more slender. That was about it.But lately that started giving her a bad feeling.What floated through her mind this time was the overwhelming physicalbeauty of Lucretia Zola, whom she had seen on Sardinia."Do men find that kind of build more desirable after all...?" Yuri murmuredwhile pretending she did not have a particular person in mind.It was not her build. It was the a.s.sertiveness and confidence of those girlsthat she lacked. Then there was her bad habit of blurting out harsh words."Hahhh," Yuri let out a sigh.Compared to those girls, Mariya Yuri"s build and personality was on alower scale.Because the DNA she had been born with was different from a Europeanwoman"s, it couldn"t be helped. It was inevitable, but that reasoning did notlighten Yuri"s spirits at all.Maybe, if he preferred beautiful, bold women like that..."For now, I seem to be winning against Liliana-san."The thought suddenly came to Yuri"s mind as she looked down at herstomach and she started worrying."Ann, what am I thinking about! Dirty! Imprudent!"Liliana Kranjcar"s body was reminiscent of a fairy and was like that of aslim model.In other words, it meant she lacked curves.Yuri felt she was winning when it came to being feminine. But to use thatfor comparison, she felt embarra.s.sed that her feelings were so indecent.In the face of her sacred duty, she must not do that.To clear her head with a cold shower, Yuri returned to the stall in haste.Having regained some level of calmness, Yuri put on the white robes andhakama^of her miko outfit.She left the shrine office and headed for the front shrine. While on her way,she exchanged greetings with the priests working in the shrine and theother miko as they pa.s.sed by.The standings of a full-time employee and a Hime-Miko were completelydifferent.In the end, a Hime-Miko was someone with special powers who wasdispatched by the orders of the History Compilation Committee.They were only dispatched to various important spiritual locations.Because the authority structure was completely different, even the headpriest of a shrine could not give orders to a Hime-Miko. The girls wererespected like high-cla.s.s guests.Currently, there were about ten Hime-Miko in service near Musashino inthe Kanto region.One of those comrades was waiting for her at the front shrine."Ena-san? What happened? Why are you here today?""Hey, Yuri, long time no see. I just thought I"d say h.e.l.lo."Seishuuin Ena playfully smiled at her.The girl with beautiful, black hair and n.o.ble features had an atmospherethat made her easy to get along with.She was not wearing the miko outfit that Yuri was used to seeing, but awhite shirt and a beige vest and skirt. It looked like the uniform of a highschool somewhere.Then there was the long and narrow cloth bag lying on the floor of the frontshrine.The moment she saw it, Yuri gave a startled jump. Its divine power was asfierce as ever.The cloth bag was woven with a special fabric to block the magical power.But Yuri"s spirit sense could still perceive the presence of that divine blade."Hey, Yuri, according to the rumors you"re currently a mistress for HisMajesty, right?""M-miiiiis"At such a blunt question, Yuri was lost for words."His Majesty" probably referred to a Campione. It was a way of speakingthat lacked precision, typical for Ena."I"m not! I am not in such a shameless relationship with G.o.dou-san!""Ehh, really? I mean, because the committee and the Mariya householdoffered you as a human sacrifice, everyone else gave up on becoming HisMajesty"s lover. It"s different from what I heard."She was right. Yuri regretted her verbal slip.It was a very enticing prospect — to gain influence over a devil king, aCampione, and make use of him. So to keep a lid on that, they hadprepared an excuse."T-that is, Kaoru-san and Amakasu-san said we"d act like that on thesurface, so I helped them... could you keep this a secret?""Ahh, it sounds like a trick those people would pull... Okay, got it," Ena saidindifferently.Yuri was relieved. Ena truly was the greatest Hime-Miko. In spite of herbehavior, Seishuuin Ena had the most outstanding talent and the bestqualities not only in Musashino, but in the whole country."So, instead of you, I"ll just become His Majesty"s mistress. Now this is aserious responsibility...""Excuse me?"Yuri stiffened when she heard the sudden proposal. What was she saying,all of a sudden?"Actually, this time Ena was also made His Majesty"s mistress. The head ofmy family has urgently asked me to. Grampsy thought it was interesting sohe also recommended it. Hey, you know, Grampsy? That"s why the peoplefrom the committee can"t say anything either.""G-Gram, the Old One?"He was one of the Elders whom not even the Historical CompilationCommittee wanted to offend.Even among the Hime-Miko, he had taken a special interest in SeishuuinEna and secretly granted her the divine blade. Yuri had never met him.Ena was probably the only Hime-Miko to have met him face-to-face."Right. He told me not to lose to you or anyone when serving him, so I felta bit bad. But it"s great you"re not his mistress. I really didn"t want to quarrelwith you.""You can"t! I definitely won"t allow that!"Yuri unintentionally flared up against Ena"s grin and her conceited words.The girl with the alias [Hime-Miko of the Sword] opened her eyes wide atthat angry reaction."Hm, why? Something bad about it?""Th-that is...""Apart from having Grampsy"s orders, Ena can"t go against the committeeeither, so there"s nothing she can do about it. And you"re not his mistress,are you? So what"s so bad, OH! Ena gets it..."Suddenly Ena"s expression changed to a mischievous smirk.Yuri"s face grew crimson with shame as she looked back awkwardly."Hohooh. It"s cute how you"re getting all shy. So that"s it. Ena gets it... Oh,Yuri, you seriously fell for His Majesty?""I did not! Please don"t make weird accusations!""Hehehe. Denying it while blushing to your ears, you really are cute. Whydidn"t you say so in the first place? Ena is no demon, she"s properlythinking about things."Seishuuin Ena proposed something astounding as she chuckled."Alright. Then let"s split the roles. Ena will leave the perverted andchild-bearing stuff, the work of a woman to you, Yuri. Ena will do the rest.You"re fine with that, right?""Ehh? Ena-san, what are you...?"Her fellow Hime-Miko showed the perplexed Yuri a radiant smile."I told you, right, I was ordered not to lose to anyone. It"s fine since we"refriends, but Ena will drive those other two mistresses out. Let"s serve HisMajesty, just the two of us!"Ena picked up the cloth bag lying on the floor.She opened it and pulled out what"s inside. A broadsword, 3 shaku 3 sun 5bu long, stored in a black lacquered sheath. The intensity of the magicalpower radiating from the divine artifact made Yuri dizzy."For now, Ena thinks she"ll start with cleaning up that blondErica-something-or-other. She seems quite skilled, that girl. Well, Ena"s gother strong partner here so she doesn"t think she"ll lose."Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi.The most prominent divine blade in j.a.pan. The power hidden within wasunfathomable.The strife these girls were involving Kusanagi G.o.dou and Erica Blandelli inhad only just begun.References1 . t Yushima Tenjin: Shinto shrine in Tokyo devoted to Tenjin, a G.o.drelated to learning. It is frequently visited by the students hoping topa.s.s the entrance exam2. t Kanda Myoujin: Famous Tokyo shrine devoted to two of thefortune G.o.ds (Daikokuten & Ebisu), as well as Taira no Masakado, aHeian-era rebel samurai later elevated to an immensely popular G.o.d3. t Seiza: j.a.panese term for the traditional formal way of sitting inj.a.pan4. t 1 shaku=30.3cm, 1 sun=3.03 cm, 1 bu=3.03 mm5. t Laissez-faire: Principle of minimum interference from a higherpower, e.g. from the government in economics: Laissez-faire6. t Yakisoba bread: j.a.panese hot dog with fried noodles in the bread7. t Nezu: Nezu is part of the "Ya-Ne-Sen" neighorhood where early20th century culture still lingers. The name "Ya-Ne-Sen" comes fromthe first letters of the 3 neighborhoods Yanaka, Nezu and Sendagi. Apopular area among foreign visitors to enjoy the traditional j.a.paneseatmosphere full of local color.8. t Hakama: type of traditional j.a.panese clothing; see