Chapter 3 - Hime-Miko of the SwordPart 1The wind roared while the raindrops splattered furiously.Had it been the earlier half of September, the landing of a typhoon wouldnot be out of place.However, this storm was different. For the past few days, there have beenno reports of an approaching tropical depression."Yes, meeting the king today, because Ena can get along well withanyone, it will go smoothly for sure. Yes, of course that side will alsoprogress well."Wearing her miko outfit, Seishuuin Ena stood facing the school building ina corner of the sports ground in Jounan Academy"s high school section.She was soaked by the rain because she was not using an umbrella.The phone she was speaking into was also drenched, but since thiscellphone was waterproof, power was not interrupted this time."Erica-san doesn"t seem like she will be easy to handle, this will beexciting. However, having obstacles will be very annoying, so if that"s thecase, it would be best to keep it one on one. ..yes, thank you, youra.s.sistance at that time will be appreciated."The Hime-Miko of the Sword. This t.i.tle of Ena"s was due to the partner shehad just stabbed into the ground.Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi. The sword whose blade measured 3 feetand 3.5 inches.The blade was simple in construction without any curves — just a straightsword. The metallic l.u.s.ter on the blade was like sunlight descending fromthe heavens.An awe-inspiring longsword said to be the weapon of royalty."This looks fine. It"s just the right place to set up preparations. Actually Enahad been trying to decide which part of the school to use as a battlefield,and this place turns out to be nice and wide open, with the bonus thatErica-san pa.s.ses by every day. Yes, let"s go with this."Finishing her call, Ena pressed her right index finger onto the blade of theAma no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi.As the skin was sliced open, droplets of blood appeared.Then Ena pressed that right index finger onto the wall of the schoolbuilding in front of her."The many-fenced place of Izumo / Of the many clouds rising — To dwellthere with my spouse / Do I build a many-fenced palace: Ah, thatmany-fenced palace!"^Chanting the ancient lyrics in a low voice.She wrote upon the school wall the same words that she spoke.This enchanted song carried the Hime-Miko"s blood and the divine blade"ssmell of rust. Washed by the rain, the poem written on the wall in freshblood disappeared.That was fine. It will serve its purpose later on.The only uncertain factor was Yuri, who had very good instincts. Toprevent that from being an issue, it would be best to deliberately createencounters with her in school as much as possible.Then even when Yuri felt the presence of the divine sword within theschool, she would not be suspicious.Ena pondered as she ran along the school walls. After she completed thesame task on seven walls, the rain stopped, and the violent wind calmeddown.It was still six in the morning, and no clubs began their activities that early."Good. This is it for the morning. One should get a change of clothesbefore greeting the king."Ena murmured to herself as she gazed at her drenched body.Even for someone as innocent and uncouth as Ena, the idea of meetingsomeone in her current state — especially a boy with whom she will soondevelop an intimate relationship, proved to be quite objectionable."This job is so troublesome, grampsy. Hopefully next time he contacts Enafor a job, he picks a more appropriate time. Always a.s.signing troublesometasks every time."Grumbling to herself as she slung her partner onto her shoulder, Ena leftthe school.Part 2The recent weather had been rather turbulent.For the past few days, there were sudden gusts of wind and frequent rain.G.o.dou walked along the wet road as he looked up at the sky. The darkclouds of the sudden rainstorm had all been swept away.The clear blue sky seemed much broader.Though the calendar clearly indicated that autumn had arrived, thesummer atmosphere was still heavy.At 7:30am, G.o.dou"s usual task was not going to school but visiting Erica"shome first to get her out of bed.Walking along Hongou Street, he was nearing Erica"s apartment.Following this street that he took daily, G.o.dou suddenly spotted anunknown girl approaching him.She possessed beautiful soft black hair that was long and shiny, as well asan appearance of a quintessential Yamato Nadeshiko. She was wearing auniform from some school, and slung over her shoulder was the kind ofbag usually used for bamboo swords."Excuse me, are you Kusanagi G.o.dou-sama? A pleasure to meet you forthe first time, my name is Seishuuin Ena."She walked before G.o.dou and introduced herself.What is going on? Though he felt the girl was very strange, G.o.dou haltedhis footsteps."Our meeting must be fate. I am the servant girl who will stay by your side.We of the Seishuuin family would like to receive your blessing and set offtogether along the path of domination. Please accept my loyalty.""...What?"What was with these unusual words and honorifics?G.o.dou was troubled, but this Seishuuin-whatever girl, who had greetedhim so strangely, smiled at him."Just kidding. Hey, can we not use honorifics? Yuri uses them all the time,but Ena isn"t very good at them. Still, Ena will continue using them unlessKusanagi-san objects."The image of a prim and proper high-cla.s.s lady instantly dissolved.Suddenly turning into an amiable girl next door, G.o.dou did not know howto react. In any case, it would be best to agree first."I don"t really mind. Do you know Mariya well?""Yes. We are childhood friends. Since Kusanagi-san knows about themalready, Ena is also a Hime-Miko."An unexpectedly shocking introduction of the one who called herselfMariya Yuri"s companion?That was certainly what she said, and she did have an outstanding refinedair of a high-cla.s.s lady."Kusanagi-san may not know, but there are actually a few dozen of theseHime-Miko like Ena. Anyway, the other related details can be graduallyexplained."Ena smiled and said.Like a cool breeze blowing under the scorching sun, the girl gave off anunbelievably refreshing and cool feeling."This morning, I received news that I was recommended and invited.""Invited?""Yes, an invitation from Yuri, something like having tea with you together.Are you free after school today? You will receive the invitation card later."The sudden suggestion greatly surprised G.o.dou. However, if Yuri will bepresent then things should not go out of hand."Well, I"m okay with it.""Is that so? Great, then. Let us continue with the details later, farewell."The last words were chosen like a high-cla.s.s lady, but spoken with anoutgoing and friendly tone.G.o.dou tilted his head as he watched the newly debuted Hime-Miko walkoff into the distance. The strangeness of this person left him standing therebewildered for a while.Of course, he could not have expected the doom and chaos that wasabout to befall him in mere hours.Cla.s.ses had finished... it was finally the end of the school day.After the swimming pool incident yesterday, Mariya Yuri was rathergloomy.She never expected G.o.dou to have that kind of interest, but then again, asa healthy male it was only natural to have those kinds of desires. However,how should she handle this?As Yuri pondered, she finally understood the reason why she was shockedyesterday.Having these concerns made her seem like she was trying to further theintimacy of their relationship.Back then, Yuri frantically ran away because she could not face suchthoughts and behavior. Having regained composure overnight, she nowdecided to call Ena to discuss things."Just give G.o.dou-san a hug. You"re not a woman if you can"t even dosomething like that."To think she was giving orders now."B-But why does it have to be like this?""You like that person, right? Then it is the only way. If you continue to tarry,then you will be left behind and distanced by Erica-san and the rest.""l-lt"s fine, after all, G.o.dou-san and I are just ordinary friends.""Really?""Y-Yes, really. Thus, to have to do something shamelessly lewd likeErica-san..."Not long into the conversation, and Yuri was already stuttering.For some reason, she could not bring herself to speak decisively."I see I see. This must be part of the deep intricacies of the internaltsundere struggle described by Amakasu-san. Well, no matter what, Enawill a.s.sist you to get onboard. I have already met him today — Yuri, do youhave something to do right now?""Yes, today"s tea ceremony club activities..."Ending the fruitless discussion, Yuri made her way towards the clubbuilding.Lunch on the roof with G.o.dou and the rest had been a daily activity, butshe did not go today. Probably because Yuri did not know how to faceG.o.dou.Glad that school was over, Yuri walked to the tea ceremony club.This was located in one of the rooms of the j.a.panese style buildingconstructed between the high school and the middle school sections.This building housed the activity areas of cultural organizations such as thetea ceremony club, the flower arrangement club, the j.a.panese danceresearch club, and others, and was commonly dubbed the "j.a.paneseblock."Today was Wednesday. The tea ceremony club met every Tuesday,Wednesday, and Thursday for activities.Yuri took off her shoes as she walked into the tearoom — and gasped insurprise."Ah, Yuri, it"s been a day since we last met. As promised, I came to seeyou."Seishuuin Ena was sitting right there.Sitting next to her was the club president Hanabusa-san, who seemedrelieved to see Yuri."Mariya-san, you came just at the right time. Someone you know has beenwaiting for you."Tea ceremony club president Hanabusa Akari was a second year highschool student.A senior whose staid and gracious spoken mannerisms and benevolentfacial expressions always left a deep impression on people."She wanted to enter the tea room and struck up a conversation with me.""After asking students from other clubs for directions, they told Ena tocome here. Since Yuri will be here sooner or later, I didn"t mind arrivingearly."Ena spoke leisurely.Would the school staff not notice someone running about in the schoolwearing a different uniform?Yuri felt worried, but Ena smiled mischievously."Don"t worry, it seems like I wasn"t discovered.""I see... In that case, is it really fine for Ena"s own school? It seems like youhave not gone for the past few days?"Yuri asked cautiously as the thought came to her mind."Ah, don"t worry about it. I never went much in the first place anyway. Ifattendance will be a problem, my family already promised to handle it withthe school, so I"ve been continuing my training in the mountains."Ena laughed heartily as she answered.As expected of the Seishuuin family. Yuri sighed with admiration.Contrasting with the Mariya family"s impoverished state which persisteduntil the Meiji Restoration, the Seishuuin family"s exalted prestige datedback to the Warring States Era and was unimaginably influential in allareas of society."Anyway, are you the one with the most authority in this club?"Ena abruptly turned to Hanabusa-san"s dignified face and asked."Ah, I guess so. I am the club president for now after all. But why?""Just instinct. Ena always knows who the most powerful person in a groupis."Ena gazed at the tea ceremony club president as she bowed deeply andsaid."Esteemed club president, I have a suggestion, no, a request. Thistearoom, could you lend it to me for a little while? Don"t worry, it won"t takelong."A request accompanied by a cordial smile.This completely unabashed request, however, felt like an irresistiblecommand.Ena had always been like this, doing things as she pleased. Thekind-hearted Hanabusa-san had no choice but to nod under pressure.What was she planning to do here? Yuri felt more and more anxious.Part 3At that moment, in the cla.s.sroom of the First Year Fifth Cla.s.s —Kusanagi G.o.dou was at his own seat, anxiously staring at the letter in hishands.A private letter written on j.a.panese paper.On it were the words "Please come to the tearoom for a visit after theconclusion of today"s lessons." Written using a brush in extremely beautifulcalligraphy, it carried the signature of Seishuuin Ena.Was this an invitation? ...It felt very suspicious. G.o.dou recalled the scenethat morning.At some unknown point in time, the letter had somehow slipped intoG.o.dou"s desk.G.o.dou wondered how she placed it. Most likely it was magic. G.o.dou reallyfelt like scolding her not to engage in such suspicious behavior for the sakeof trivial things like this.However, Yuri did not appear on the rooftop for lunch, probably becauseshe was avoiding him.It would be bad if this awkwardness continued, and G.o.dou felt that hereally needed to have a good talk to clear things up. Though the matter ofthis letter was unpleasant, at least it would give a good pretext.Erica had already gone outside with the girls in the cla.s.s, but there was noneed to get her to come along anyway.G.o.dou was going to visit the tearoom alone, until he suddenly thought ofanother knight."Hey, Liliana, I have something to do alone. Why don"t you go home first?""Something to do? What is it?"Greeting her neighbor in the cla.s.sroom, Liliana resumed her usualexpression of solemnity."A little visit to the tea ceremony club.""The tea ceremony club? You have something with Mariya Yuri or yoursister Shizuka?""Uh, I was invited by Mariya"s miko friend. I don"t really know what"s goingon, but I"ll just be gone for a bit."As soon as he gave that explanation, G.o.dou realized his mistake. If heexplained it like that, then she will insist on her knight"s duty and comealong. He should have just made up an innocuous story."This smells suspicious. If she is Mariya Yuri"s friend, then it is extremelyunlikely for her to be a normal person. I will accompany you, for I mustprotect you.""Ah, yes. Though that sounds a little too exaggerated.""Not exaggerated at all. Of course, I need to pay attention, especially whenyou are lacking in crisis management awareness. ...You are always one tomake others worry."And so, accompanied by the silver-haired knight, G.o.dou headed towardsthe "j.a.panese block."Jounan Academy"s campus was quite large, especially the forest near theboundary between the high and middle school sections. It was like a smallgarden and even had ponds.As the location representing the activities of the various clubs in thecultural department, the j.a.panese building was also located there."So this is where the tea ceremony club holds its activities. It is my firsttime here.""I don"t come here often either. The only time I came here was when thecultural department held its club introduction fair."The j.a.panese block was constructed as a long and narrow single-storybuilding.G.o.dou and Liliana took off their shoes and placed them into the shoecabinet before walking inside. Not far along the corridor was the tea roomwhich was roughly twenty square meters in size,^ and there were alreadysix occupants inside.One was Mariya Yuri, and beside her was Seishuuin Ena, the one wearinga uniform G.o.dou had never seen before. The other four girls sat a littledistance away from them, and were all members of the tea ceremony clubthat G.o.dou had never seen before.— Uh, with one exception. That was his little sister Shizuka."Onii-chan? Why did you come to a place like this?"It was quite common for cultural organizations like the tea ceremony clubto have both middle and high school members in activities together.It was probably expected for Shizuka to be surprised. However, she wasnot the only one surprised by the sudden intrusion, as Yuri also glancedover with doubt."G-G.o.dou-san? Why are you here?""It"s me, Ena, who called him here. Now that all the guests are present,let"s start the tea party. It also seems like an uninvited guest has arrived,but welcome anyway."Ena, the only person who was not wearing a Jounan uniform, suddenlyspoke.Hearing these exchanges, Liliana frowned unhappily. Just as G.o.dou wasabout to speak, she had already bent down to sit in front of the twoHime-Miko. Surprisingly she had taken the proper traditional j.a.panesesitting posture of seiza. ^Unlike Erica who never changed her ways despite any amount of nagging,Liliana was more disposed to learning local traditions."...Please be wary of this woman, for she was following Erica and me a fewdays ago."Liliana whispered softly to G.o.dou sitting beside her.This unexpected warning made the atmosphere tense, but Ena showedG.o.dou a rea.s.suring smile."Is that Kusanagi-san"s younger sister over there? Hmm mmm, what acoincidence. How should I address her?""No, there is no need for that. She doesn"t need to join us over here.""No! Please let me join in."Even faster than G.o.dou"s refusal, Shizuka furiously declared.In a manner inconsistent with the spirit of the tea ceremony, she hadrapidly approached and plopped herself down right next to G.o.dou, andcreated a face-to-face situation opposite Ena and Yuri.As things began to take an increasingly odd development, G.o.dou openedhis mouth to question."So this... how should I address you? You"re a student from anotherschool, right, so why are you borrowing the tea ceremony club"s room?""Just use my name directly. I requested to use this place from the clubpresident over there."Ena glanced towards the club member over in the distance.She seemed rather kind but timid, and was smiling in a slightly awkwardmanner."If you just wanted to speak with me, some other place will do.""That would be a waste of this rare opportunity, so let me serve you sometea I personally brewed."Ena looked back at the electric thermos and iron kettle behind her.Not exactly the most tasteful tea implements, but it could not be helped inan amateur school club."Anyway, what is the nature of the relationship between Onii-chan and thisperson..."Shizuka interrupted with an unhappy expression. This was rather rudetowards someone from another school, especially one who was older thanshe was. G.o.dou sighed at his sister"s lack of manners, but it seemed likeEna did not mind."Yes, both I and Yuri here have something to discuss with your brother. Tosum it up, it concerns the date of Ena and Yuri"s marriage into theKusanagi household."Crash! Shizuka had fallen forward in a most exaggerated manner.It was not just her, for even G.o.dou was so surprised that he sat straight up.The rest of the tea ceremony club members who had been drinking teawhile leaning their ears over to the conversation also stopped all theirmotions in shock. Only Liliana sat back silently with a matter-of-factexpression."E-E-Ena! You and I marrying G.o.dou-san, what are you talking about!""Hopeless. You"ve always been like this."Ena admonished Yuri who was shouting with her face all red."Ah, Kusanagi-san, please don"t mind Yuri, whose emotions were unstableyesterday. Actually, what Ena has been saying to this child was, the earliershe prepares herself to be taken by Kusanagi-san the better. So sheseems to have become a little too self-conscious towards you — perhapsyou have begun to tire of Yuri?""Nothing like that at all! But...""Excellent. No matter what happens, we will entrust ourselves to you. Yuriwill definitely become a great wife, and Ena should also be useful toKusanagi-san. Yes, though it feels strange for me to say this, butKusanagi-san is truly someone who reaps what he sows, how admirable.""Ena! Please watch your words, shame, shameless!""Even if it is shameless, this is important so there is no other way aroundit — Kusanagi-san, please have some tea."Placing the tea powder into the utensil, she added boiling water and stirredit with the cylindrical bamboo whisk.Ena proceeded to hand the container towards G.o.dou. This appeared to bethin tea.The series of motions were performed in a simple flowing manner and didnot seem to adhere to any rigid conservative ritual.This contrasted with the cautious motions of the rest of the tea ceremonyclub.To use an a.n.a.logy from calligraphy, it would be the difference between theregular script practiced by a clumsy novice compared to the free flowingcursive of a true master.Accepting the tea, G.o.dou brought the cup to his lips.He was not clear on the details of the ceremony, but this was not the timeto be hung up on them anyway. Shizuka was frowning beside him. Let"snot say anything and try it for now — but wow, the flavor of this tea hasbeen carefully fine-tuned and tastes really good.Ena used the same motions to serve tea to the others. Though foreignersoften disliked the taste of powdered tea, Liliana finished her tea in acomposed manner. Then she turned her sharp gaze towards the one whoserved her tea.Yuri was enjoying her tea in an elegant manner but with a worriedexpression on her face.The younger sister Shizuka"s displeased demeanor remained unchangedeven after savoring the tea."Anyway, back to the topic of marrying, it should be fine even if we don"tofficially update the family registry™ right? Since marrying two people atonce const.i.tutes the crime of bigamy. But then again, it would betroublesome to explain to the children..."Ena made another shocking statement.This woman is a troublemaker, perhaps even more so compared to Erica.The shocked G.o.dou, the terrified Yuri, the calmly listening Liliana, thesister Shizuka who was glaring severely at her brother, as well as the restof the girls of the tea ceremony club who looked somewhat awkward...All the girls, apart from Liliana and Yuri, stared daggers at Goudou."Onii-chan is the worst!" "l-ls this the so-called adult relationships!?""Kusanagi-san and her brother, it"s really like the rumors..." "Those rumors,could they all turn out to be true..."G.o.dou wanted to escape this place. Why is everyone looking at me withsuch eyes!?"Yes, it"s like this. I have discussed with Yuri. For tasks like making loveand having kids, Yuri will come first and Ena will just be backup. DoesKusanagi-san think this is fine? Or perhaps, you like Ena better?""Wait wait wait, wait a minute. This conversation seems to have taken astrange drift. This is too weird!""Nothing like that. In fact, this is the most important point, so the questionis — what type of girl do you prefer. The withdrawn type or the lively type,which do you like better?"Ignoring his request for reprieve, Ena casually continued her questioning.G.o.dou began to realize he must resolve to face Ena"s willfulness withdeathly resistance."I won"t answer you! I have no reason to answer such a question!""Fine, let"s put that question aside for now. Then let"s talk about what kindof special interests you have, such as hidden fetishes? I once read amagazine article that said "problems in s.e.x life will cause break ups inrelationships, so even if the man has abnormal fetishes, you mustproactively enjoy themiV Kusanagi-san, do you have such secrets, too?""Don"t change the subject, listen to me properly!"Resisting this girl seemed to require a properly prepared iron will.G.o.dou spoke to Ena as she took out a women"s magazine that was notvery thick."No matter how you change the subject, neither Yuri nor you will form thatkind of relationship with me. This is the first point that needs to be clearedup.""You already have three consorts, what are you talking about at this point."Having spoken, Ena began to count on her fingers."Ena knows everything, there is Erica, Yuri over there and Liliana. See,that"s already three people... Ah, and a local wife as well.""All of them are just my ordinary friends. Stop talking like I"m some sort ofenemy of all women!"The girls of the tea ceremony club were watching G.o.dou as if eyeing acriminal.G.o.dou ignored those stares, and declared strongly to defend himself."Yes, because Yuri is a very shy person, but I am not like her. Don"t worry.Ena will work hard to become your qualified concubines. So Kusanagi-san,you don"t have to be shy.""M-Mariya, is this actually okay with you!? Please help deny this."Unable to reverse the situation, G.o.dou turned to Yuri who had been silentall along."That I am just ordinary friends with Mariya, and not some sort of strangerelationship like she said, please.""Yes, yes. There is nothing between G.o.dou-san and I...""Yuri, if you say that one more time, you cannot take that back."Yuri"s self-p.r.o.nounced friend spoke quietly, but her att.i.tude was subtlydifferent from her previously casual demeanor."Then just take Ena alone. If Yuri opts out at this point, then it"s fine even ifI serve Kusanagi-san alone. Our relationship will be very close, and we willmost likely marry and have children. And then even if Yuri regrets it, I willignore it.""Eh? Ena...""If you choose to give up, I will not stop you at all. But in return, I won"t giveyou a second chance. Being shy is very cute, but if you cannot be decisivethen it"s no good. Unforgivable. If you want something, you have to acquireit with your own hands.""...With my own hands.""Correct. You have to create the life you want to live, right? If Yuri hasthose wishes, then Ena will take on the responsibility to support you. Howwill you proceed? Make a decision now. How about it?"Failing to respond to her friend"s advice, Yuri lapsed into silence.Watching the profile of that beautiful face in hesitation, G.o.dou felt anxious.It was a long silence, very long. What could she be hesitating about!?"...Yes, I understand."At least she gave an answer. Yuri gazed directly at G.o.dou"s face, the firsttime today since yesterday.Like that, Yuri shyly spoke in broken words."I... cannot completely agree with what Ena has said.""Uh, yes."Though abashed, Yuri"s eyes and words carried a strong will.Suppressed by the strength of her spirit, G.o.dou could not help but fallsilent."However, I believe that the future that she described cannot be deniedwith complete certainty. Anyway, I have no idea what my relationship withG.o.dou-san will be like in the future, and we have already done things thatno ordinary friends should have done in the first place!""And, and that is to say...!?""Hence, I cannot declare that we are just ordinary friends! P-Perhaps it willturn out just as Ena said, but it could also end up being nothing!"To the unexpected response, G.o.dou went "Eh?" in surprise.Then Yuri gazed at him with her very sorrowful but very clear pupils."Is it possible... not to deny it? Perhaps you and I were just a mistake ofthe moment...""Ah, no, I never felt taken advantage of, just a little shocked..."The memories of the "ritual" performed with Yuri during that storm in Juneresurfaced.G.o.dou frantically shook his head.At this time, his sister Shizuka was going "Onii-chan is such a big idiot, willhe finally be won over by Mariya-senpai right now!?" while the teaceremony club president was noisily exclaiming "M-Mariya-san is sodaring-"Then Yuri immediately escaped from G.o.dou"s presence.She hid behind Ena"s back, shivering in embarra.s.sment."Now, may I have a word?"G.o.dou, who was in a state of shock from the unexpected events, suddenlyheard a stern voice.Liliana Kranjcar.The blue and black knight was glaring sharply at Ena."What are you planning on doing? Why are you disrupting my master"speaceful life?""I am not aiming to disrupt, besides Kusanagi-san has been surrounded byno lack of rowdy events for some time already.""If you put it that way, it is true after all. My apologies, I have misspoken."Don"t reach an understanding in that kind of area. However, before G.o.douhad a chance to interject his despair, the conversation continued."However, if you approach Kusanagi G.o.dou with any ulterior motives, donot expect any mercy from me. Remember that.""Of course not. How could Ena have any ulterior motives, Number Two?"Liliana gave off a dangerous presence as sharp as a blade, but Ena struckback with a casual tone."Number Two?""Yes. ...Since you are the second strongest in that group of people. Theblonde is Number One and you are Number Two, Liliana-san. I understoodafter meeting you two last time.""...Meaning that Erica is above me?"Liliana narrowed her eyes. A knight would respond to a personal insult witha challenge for a duel. But even though the atmosphere reached such alevel of tension, Ena continued to smile mischievously."If it is a one on one duel then you are roughly equal. But based on yourinfluence within the group, it is clear who holds the greater power. That iswhat Ena thinks."G.o.dou could not help turning his attention once again towards theHime-Miko who called herself Yuri"s friend.Though it was conveyed rather untactfully, she did a.n.a.lyze the opposingsituation between the red and blue knights perfectly."It is not as you think, I must make this correction.""Yes yes, but for now I"m just giving advance notice. After all, taking care ofNumber One was the original plan. Ena has always had the habit of eatingthe best things first."Having casually exchanged instigating words with Liliana, Ena turned hersight to behind G.o.dou."Ah, Erica-san, there is nothing wrong with Ena"s judgment, right?"She was looking straight ahead — to the entrance of the tearoom, where aglamorously eye-catching female student has appeared.Blonde with a tint of red, and carrying an extremely rare sense of glamor, itwas Erica Blandelli of course.Part 4"Since I couldn"t find G.o.dou I went searching... But it looks like everyone ishaving fun here."Erica elegantly greeted.Ignoring the panic in the surrounding people, she kept to her usual style."A pleasure to meet you for the first time, Erica-san. My name is SeishuuinEna, and I am Yuri"s friend.""Ah, but it seems like this is not our first meeting."To Erica"s subtle smile, Ena grinned like a prankster."Well, this kind of conversation is our first. Let"s just leave it at that. Great,today"s goal was to meet the girl who is Number One, and I was worrying Ihad missed my chance.""I hope I have not failed your expectations.""...Erica, may I be this woman"s opponent?"Liliana interrupted their conversation.But Erica thought for a short while, then simply denied her request with aquick "no, not accepted.""I wish to make that woman pay the price for insulting me. Do not hinder aknight"s vengeance.""I don"t want to hinder you, but it can"t be helped. I plan to have a politicaldiscussion with that woman. If you wish, Liliana, you can subst.i.tute for me,but I know you hate that kind of task, right?"Erica smiled generously as she spoke.Shizuka and the rest of the tea ceremony club were frozen with surprise,but who could blame them?But G.o.dou could sense the meaning behind his companion"s words.Erica wanted to interview this strange intruder in order to clarify herintentions and reach a binding agreement.This course of action required great intellect and political ac.u.men.To be honest, this would have been somewhat difficult for the slightly crudeLiliana. If Erica were to enter into a dialogue, would things end peacefully?G.o.dou nodded to the [Diavolo Rosso]."Then I leave the matter in your care, Erica. Don"t make things go out ofhand.""Of course, then let Liliana stay by G.o.dou"s side?"Liliana felt unimpressed by the orders and turned her face aside, but didnot complain, presumably because she realized the difference in suitabilityto the task."I can"t come along?""It"s not necessary this time. It would be more troublesome to negotiatewith that woman in your presence. Why don"t you and Yuri stay here toclean up, is that fine, Yuri?""Yes, yes. I understand."Erica answered G.o.dou neatly, and then gave Yuri directions.This was the kind of situation where Erica could exert her prided socialskills.Ena also stood up and took the bag that was leaning against the wall. Thiswas the same bag slung over her shoulder, and seemed to be one of thoselong and narrow bags made of cloth used to carry a bamboo sword or thelike.With a smile at the corner of her lips, it was as if Ena specifically wantedothers to know her happiness, a smile devoid of darkness."Have you made your decision? Then let"s go outside?""I see. It would be troublesome to bother our friends of the tea ceremonyclub any longer. — Then everyone, we will take our leave first. Let uscarefully enjoy what is to come next."And then Erica left and walked outside like a n.o.blewoman excusing herselffrom a party in progress.With relaxed footsteps, Ena followed behind her.G.o.dou watched with worry as the Hime-Miko and the Great Knight left.As they reached the outside of the j.a.panese block, Erica began to run inthe woods.Following closely behind her was the Hime-Miko named Seishuuin Ena.The martial arts level of that woman was at no ordinary level. Erica couldsense that level of power from the motions of her body.Footsteps that were virtually silent, and moving about with an extremelystable center of gravity. Even if you hung a bell on her ankle, this womancould probably walk around without making a sound.Amakasu Touma. The special operative of the History CompilationCommittee.That man also had similar motions and manner of walking, though to beprecise, they are on two completely different levels."Actually, there is something I would like to apologize to Erica-san first."Ena suddenly spoke."The incident several days ago? To be honest, that kind of present did giveme a bit of trouble."Erica took out the piece of metal from the pocket of her uniform.It was the manji (Ft!) shaped blade fragment that attacked her on the roadthat night.Erica tossed the fragment at Ena"s feet, and the sharp piece of metalswiftly embedded itself into the soft ground."Ah, this? No no, that"s not what I was referring to. I"m sure a little trinketlike that would have been easily handled by Erica-san. Should I bring outsomething a little stronger?"Laughing at the metal fragment, Ena"s casual smile admitted that she wasthe culprit of that attack.A very perfect smile that conveyed the consistency between her outwardexpression and inner thoughts."Given that the level of j.a.panese manufacturing techniques should beabove this, amuse me.""Oh, is that so? Then let me show you this."The black-haired Hime-Miko took out from her pocket several pieces ofpaper.Long narrow rectangular pieces of paper, covered with many different kanjiof various sizes.Due to the severity of their tattered condition, Erica could hardly make outthe words and the only character she barely recognized was the one for"sword" — was this some sort of spell?"Actually I wanted to apologize, because Erica-san wanted politicalnegotiations, right?""Is there a problem?""Yes, a great problem. To be frank, Ena is not very good at those kinds ofconversations."Ena"s curled lips expressed a fearless smile from the depths of her heart.The five "sword" spell charms in Ena"s hand were waiting to be deployed."Come to think of it, neither is Yuri very suited to such negotiations.""Correct. Those issues are all managed and handled by the Committee,and have nothing to do with the Hime-Miko."The five "sword" charms were surrounded by green flame, and Ena tossedthem high into the sky towards the distance.In an instant, the charms were consumed by the fire, but out of the fireemerged pieces of metal — in a manner reminiscent of swords being pulledout of sheaths."Thus, let"s do something easier to understand! Like this!"The metal pieces born from the charms, were those manji (Ft!) shapedblades.Sword familiars that could fly.As the five weapons flew towards her, Erica shrugged her shoulders as iffacing a tiresome ch.o.r.e."If this is the way things turn out, I should have left it to Lily. — Father andMother, Baphomet who boasts of victory, grant to me the power of thewords of extinction!"Most likely too disappointed, Erica did not even have the mood to draw hersword.Though these familiars were far beneath the martial prowess of a knight,using magic to defeat them would be far more efficient.Erica chanted the spell words and released the magical power. Thetechnique of [Pulverization] was high level magic that could causeinorganic matter to explode and shatter into dust.Originally, this spell was not very effective against objects protected oranimated by magic, but —"Not working eh? Looks like simply increasing the quant.i.ty won"t beenough."Watching several of her manji blades shattering at the same time, Enamuttered.Erica skillfully employed her spells. Creation, transformation, destruction,and reinforcement were her areas of expertise. In these areas, it could besaid that Erica surpa.s.sed everyone at her age. Even Liliana was faroutcla.s.sed.Erica infused temporary life into the metal fragments of the familiars shejust shattered, causing them to expand, transform, and meld together.Virtual intelligence was bestowed upon them, and granted them mobility.— Using the blade remnants as ingredients, a steel wolf was born beforeErica. Though it was in the form of a wolf, the meager raw materials leftvisible gaps between the bone and skin in its construction.Roar!!!The cries and motions of the steel wolf were like those of a live beast.For a creation improvised on the spot, it was quite an accomplishment.Should her beloved sword Cuore di Leone be added to strengthen theconstruct? With the protection of the magic sword of the lion, strength andferocity will definitely rise to a completely different level."How about it? If you want to manipulate iron, let me show you the properway right here?""Amazing, amazing. That kind of delicate spell is very difficult for Ena.Erica-san"s moves sure are full of finesse."Ena continued to smile.She did not seem like she was putting up a front, and Erica decided not tounderestimate her."Did you mention made in j.a.pan just now? Yes, showing foreignersj.a.panese techniques would be a nice service. Please wait a moment."Ena took down the bag from her shoulder and opened it, exposing thesword in the jet-black sheath. The blade alone was already one meterlong.Drawing out the sword revealed it to be a straight blade with no curve."Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi. Let me give an introduction. This is theone truly made in j.a.pan, Ena"s partner."The black-haired Hime-Miko stabbed the blade of the sword into theground.Just this motion created wind.Centered on the sword, calm winds gradually swirled to form a vortex.Blown by that gust of wind, the created wolf shattered into pieces on theground, as if shyly fleeing away from steel of a higher-grade existence.Driven by her defensive instincts, Erica summoned Cuore di Leone.But even for the magic sword of the lion, taking on that sword as anopponent will be difficult.Magic sword, holy sword, spirit sword, cursed blade.Perhaps surpa.s.sing all these, an even more threatening magical item,could it even be something like a divine artifact?"Hmm... looks like I pulled it out too early eh?"Ena began to speak to herself and immediately re-sheathed her sword.Why did she stop if she was skilled enough to move that ma.s.sive blade aseasily as if it were her own limb?As Erica suspiciously puzzled over her behavior, Ena made an awkwardsmile and replied, "Too bad, it"s over.""Yuri"s footsteps are approaching. That child"s spirit sense will immediatelynotice if I draw this thing. Since she will definitely scold me for unsheathingthe sword so rashly, I decided to stop right here.""Footsteps? You can hear them?""Ena"s ears are very good, and it"s not just one person, there"s a manfollowing behind... Most likely Kusanagi-san."Ena cupped her hand to her ear as she spoke. Erica, however, could nothear anything.Furthermore, being able to tell people apart from their footsteps like a dogcould only be described as superhuman hearing.An unexpectedly troublesome opponent had definitely presented herself.Erica dispelled Cuore di Leone. It would be imprudent to battle and seekvictory against such an enemy without proper preparations."Anyway, which G.o.d did that sword come from?""I already said, it is the Ama no Murak.u.mo no Tsurugi, which I borrowedfrom grampsy. If you really want to know then try investigating it.— Anyway, see you again in the near future."Waving her hand affectionately, Ena turned to leave.As she watched her opponent depart, Erica was determined to startgathering intelligence immediately.Part 5It was after Erica and Ena"s figures disappeared.The three people left behind began to gather the used tea implements inthe room and take them to the sink for washing.Yuri suddenly showed a worried expression just as G.o.dou and Lilianastarted preparing the sponge and detergent for washing up."What is it, Mariya?""Ah, no. There is just something that is causing me concern. I am sorry,but I must go out for a while."After Yuri left the sink, G.o.dou suddenly thought of something."Excuse me, Liliana, but I leave the rest to you.""Yes, sure. Kusanagi G.o.dou, where are you going?"G.o.dou did not answer as he left to chase after Yuri.Yuri had just exited the j.a.panese building and was about to walk into thewoods. With a surprised expression, she questioned G.o.dou who hadsuddenly caught up to her."G.o.dou-san why have you followed!?""Yes, I felt that Mariya was acting a bit strange... Perhaps, you havethought of something about Erica and Seishuuin Ena?""Not really, but somehow I just feel something is off in the atmosphere."The two of them made their steps towards the depths of the forest with Yuriin front and G.o.dou following behind."Uh, so what kind of person is that Seishuuin Ena? She mentioned shewas one of the Hime-Miko.""That is correct. She is the heir to one of the Four Families — the house ofSeishuuin. She is the top Hime-Miko protecting Musashino, and also mychildhood friend."The Four Families. A term he had never heard before."Seishuuin, Kuhoudzuka, Renjou, Sayanomiya — these are the four ancientfamilies that have been using their magical powers to serve the emperorsover the ages. Amongst them the Seishuuin were distinguished by battlestrength and political power, while the Sayanomiya has formed the corethink tank of the History Compilation Committee. ...It would take a longtime to explain everything, so let us leave the rest to another time."Yuri answered fluently, but stopped with a forced smile.Noticing G.o.dou was getting lost in the jargon, she decided to pause inconsideration for his confusion."I understand better now. So over in Mariya"s faction, there are all sorts ofcomplications as well.""Actually this was Amakasu-san"s suggestion, that I should not disclose toomuch information to avoid confusing G.o.dou-san too much.""That sounds about right. In fact, I am still very confused."The two of them conversed as they ventured into the depths of the forestand came across Erica."Are you fine, Erica-san?"Yuri had located Erica using her spirit vision, and she ran towards Ericawith a relieved expression.However, Ena was nowhere to be found, did she leave first?"You can"t be worrying about me just because of that woman, is she reallythat dangerous a person? If it came to a fight between the two of us, I,Erica Blandelli would be at a disadvantage — is that what you predicted,Yuri?"Erica suddenly questioned the Hime-Miko who approached her."Ummm, that...""Seishuuin Ena"s partner, I have taken a great interest in that object. Willyou allow me to ask about its details?"To this question, Yuri lowered her head.In other words, she could not answer even if she wanted to. Erica sighed atsuch a situation."Fine, it"s okay even if you cannot answer, I just thought it was worth ashot. Don"t be concerned. Same for you G.o.dou: don"t question Yuri aboutthat girl. I think there are many things she will find difficult to answer."Erica was speaking in a friendly manner as if worrying about a youngersister. Presumably, she was being considerate of Yuri"s status as amember of the Hime-Miko organization.It was during such a time that the [Diavolo Rosso] showed a sense ofcompa.s.sion unbecoming of her moniker.G.o.dou nodded in agreement."So, where did Seishuuin go?""We chatted for a bit, and then she bid her leave, asking me to look afterYuri, that"s all.""You two did not come into any conflict?""Of course not, please don"t talk about me like some rabid dog. I sure don"thave a problem with randomly biting people regardless of the situation."G.o.dou nodded at Erica"s report and decided to go home.Leaving Yuri to return to the Nanao Shrine, G.o.dou went to the j.a.paneseblock to meet Liliana.The silver-haired knight was naturally quite miffed, and G.o.douapologetically accompanied her to the school gates."Anyway, a lot sure happened today, I hope I can take a casual stroll backhome."As G.o.dou complained to himself, Erica and Liliana exchanged glances andlooked at him in a subtle manner as if he had said something wrong."Just spit it out if you want to say something. This is making meuncomfortable.""Then I will go ahead. Kusanagi G.o.dou, it is a shame that what you justhoped will not materialize.""Haven"t you noticed that this incident will be one of your greatest trials?"Being talked to like that by the blue and red knights, G.o.dou felt his furyrising.Both of them are talking like I was some kind of idiot — but as his angerrose, G.o.dou finally realized.What a fool I am, how could I forget that particular individual?Ten meters outside the school gates.A pet.i.te girl was standing very upright against the red glow of the sunset.She was Kusanagi Shizuka, the one dressed in the middle school uniform.The younger sister who had heard the conversations at the tearoom justnow.Backlit by the sunset, her facial expression was not visible. Then again,there was no need to see it. After all, there was no other possibility but aface full of fury."Little sister Shizuka, forgive him no matter what excuses he makes,please? No matter what, one day G.o.dou will show you the truth. ...By theway, Lily and I will be taking another route today, so we"ll let you twosiblings get along, no problem — "A truly diabolical smile.G.o.dou felt his body weighted down by Erica"s softly spoken words as shemade that expression.References1 . t Izumo: refer to the legend of the j.a.panese storm G.o.d Susanooand the slaying of the Yamata no Orochi.2. t Shubo(±¥): the shubo is a size unit used for rooms or buildings inKorea, j.a.pan, China and Taiwan equal to 40O121 square meters(3.3058 m 2 ). In this case, the tearoom is six shubo in size.3. t Seiza(IEM): literally "proper sitting," the j.a.panese term for thetraditional formal way of sitting in j.a.pan, first kneeling on the floor,folding their legs underneath their thighs, while resting their bottom onthe heels.4. t Koseki(plf): the j.a.panese family registry. j.a.panese law requiresall households to report births, acknowledgements of paternity,adoptions, disruptions of adoptions, deaths, marriages and divorces ofj.a.panese citizens to their local authority.