Translator: Kurehas.h.i.+ Aiko
PART 3
(Eh? Now look at Miss Unexpectedly Fas.h.i.+onable……)
And strangely enough, Masumi had somewhat of a mischievous face. It was probably for the first time this week that she saw an age-appropriate expression on her face. At that moment, Mikoto"s heart even skipped a beat.
"I am a Disciplinary Committee member. That is why I won"t forgive s.e.xual hara.s.sment. If night activities weren"t prohibited by the teachers, I would patrol the corridors myself."
"Ah……"
So that how it is.
Under the mask of elegance, this adorable little angel was hiding a strong sense of justice. She probably wanted to end the matter of hara.s.sment herself, and had a likewise opinion on the matter as them.
(I guess you shouldn"t judge people based on their appearance.)
Mikoto thinks like that while Masumi gives her a quiet nod and walks away, at the same time thinking that she"s not really the one to talk here about things like that.
And although her sister"s advice was right, at this rate they were going to make next to zero progress. Masumi could help them, even if it was as simple as collecting information from students --
(Yeah, I should talk about this with Takeru later!)
Mikoto, having regained her normal mood, purred and stretched her back just like a cat.
That night --
(Uhh, of course I know this was my fault, but…… I knew it, I don"t feel good at all.)
While waiting for the demons in the courtyard, Mikoto was feeling rather gloomy. She consulted the idea of having Masumi help them out with Takeru, and as a result she was scolded soundly.
"With Kayamsan, at first we were talking only about information collecting, too. No matter how many times we are going to go through with this, Sis, I"m always going to get mad!"
Takeru was super scary when she was mad. Her green eyes would emit that ruthless light, that felt like it would burn a hole through your chest. Right now Mikoto just couldn"t bring herself to say anything, being too scared of her sister"s threatening att.i.tude --.
(The situation is just like that the last time, but Fujisawsan is different from Kayamsan, I know this better than you. If we and up being useless we will have to retreat for sure…… Takeru know this as much as I do. If I can talk with her, maybe she wouldn"t jump to conclusions so soon!)
Just like that, they separated from each other, and all this time Mikoto"s thoughts were all something like this. The only thing that she really hated about Takeru, was that because of her vast knowledge she was often p.r.o.ne to getting ahead of herself. To know your own limitations, it is sometimes necessary to become humble -- Mikoto heard thoughtful things like that time and time again,
"Here they come! Are you ready!?"
Takeru"s voice could be heard, shouting through the Guiding Voice.
"Eh!? Ah, yeah!"
With a sigh Mikoto goes back to herself, holding a stuffed black cat toy hanging on her wrist in a hurry.
(Not good! Not good! I dozed off!)
Impatiently suppressing her own feelings, she closed her hand tightly on black cat, concentrating.
"Oh, thou that connects the valleys of dimensions, mirror of the world. My Lord, evening of life, open!"
Spreading her fingers while invoking words of power,
Paaaaaa--------!
A surge of dazzling light. The black stuffed cat dissapears, opening the corridor between dimensions. From it, Mikoto"s [ki] overflows -- [Raikou].
"Listen to my word, originating form the blood of s.h.i.+ratori, Sword of Exorcisms!"
As if responding to the clear [ki], magic energy spread all over the school began to gather in front of her and swirl. Gla.s.s shaking in windows, earth trembling beneath her feet.
(So fast! Just how many……!)
As usual, from a place that connects with the corridor, black fog came springing. Mikoto wiped off the beads of sweat forming on her forehead, imagining a sword in a red sheath in her mind and continuing the spell.
"Answer to my call! Answer to out covenant! My name is Mikoto……"
Crus.h.!.+
Magic barrier broke, a white shadow jumped out of it.
"……! Mikoto!?"
Looking at the yet-to-materialize Sword of Exorcism of her sister, Takeru"s usually unchanged expression becomes pale in an instant. Splashes rolled with remaining momentum, jumping over Mikoto from behind. Following to the back, black fog rose from there, with overflowing and swelling tentacles.
(I won"t make it in time!)
There was no time for regrets.
"In the name of s.h.i.+ratori Mikoto!!Manifest, Sword of Exorcisms -- [Raikou]!!"
Gah!
Fueled by magic, thunder strike roared, illuminating the whole courtyard. In her left hand appeared Sword of Exorcisms. Mikoto drew the sword almost instantly, not even waiting for the sparks dancing throughout the sheath to disappear.
Hyun! Shupan!
Sword was drawn, and with it"s flicker tentacles are cut and send in the air. At the same time there is a s.h.i.+ne of dazzling light. Slashed demons are wrapped in pale sparks, screaming, evaporating, defeated.
But, unlike the other night, this time there was no explosive power. She wasn"t concentrating enough on the sword. She only managed to take two of them down. There was still a large group of demons which didn"t got burned, and their sheer numbers could become a threat if she was to idle even for a moment.
"Kishyaaaaaa!!" "s.h.i.+gyaaaaaa!!"
Demons that emerged from the black fog behind her divide themselves into two groups to avoid the sword of lightning, running all over the lawn and shaking their obscene bodies. Fast. Some are diving underground, others are clinging to the walls, while another ones are going after Takeru, who has finally regained her composure.
"Kuh!? Born in the Heavens, splitting the Earth, Lightning Bolt!"
Mikoto turns around to her left, right against the demons, making a quick cross sign. From the palm of her hand, there came shooting a blinding white light, formed just like a snake.
Bachi, bachi, bachi!
Faced with a shock that falls nothing short to a real thunder, the demons evaporate in the blink of an eye. However, it was not possible for her to take down both groups at the same time.
"Wind Killing Flower!"
Takeru followed by shouting a spell and throwing a dozen of talismans into the air at once. White talismans filled with Wind magic turned into a sharp light, dividing the ugly bodies of chasing demons into small pieces. Wind blades then changed their trajectory like a boomerang, slas.h.i.+ng at the demons at the wall with a popping sound.
(Alright! At this rate, Takeru and I are going to crush them!)
Gripping tightly on [Raikou], Mikoto tried to run towards her sister, who just landed near the back of the courtyard.
Dodododonnnn!
Suddenly the lawn beneath her feet started to rumble, the walls of dark soil appeared in front of her eyes. Demons that hid themselves in the ground jumped out, wiggling their long bodies.
"Kuh!"
Swinging [Raikou] in a hurry, she didn"t even put a single scratch on the mud wall, bouncing off of it with a dry sound. Earth beats Lightning -- [Raiko"s] element has been stopped, it"s power nearly cut in half.
"Mikoto……"
She heard Takeru"s voice coming from the other side of the wall. It was blown off almost instantly, the shattered fragments of soil raining all over the place with a roar. Wind conquers Earth, and Takeru"s charms that emits Wind [ki] were grinding the earth walls down.
"Takeru!"
There was a thick cloud of sand surrounding Mikoto. The enemies of her sister were Earth demons, but she had a bad feeling about this.
"Where are you, Takeru!? Hey! Answer me…… Ah!?"
The sand cloud disappears, walls of school building appear in front of her eyes. Takeru is nowhere to be seen. Instead, from where she was standing, she could see burn marks on the chalk walls, such as tongues of flames would left.
(Dragged into the magical barrier--!?)
Mikoto was losing her mind. When the demons caught their prey, they would create a magical barrier and drag their victim inside, as to not being disturbed. It is a different dimension, slightly resembling normal world but with different phases, where they would toy around with their victim.
Right now, there was a possibility that Takeru jumped into the barrier on purpose, prepared in advance to break it from the inside. But if she was overwhelmed during battle and dragged inside by force by the tentacles, even with using force getting out would be very difficult. Although they were small, demon possessed more powerful magic than humans.
She could only be rescued by breaking the barrier from outside, but right now Mikoto"s magic was heavily depleted and wouldn"t be nearly enough to destroy it.
(It"s all my fault……)
Her whole body broke into a cold sweat.
Because she wasn"t paying enough attention to the work at hand, Takeru had been taken away. Always wise and calm, scolding me for not thinking, my irreplaceable twin sister -- And it"s all my fault.
Her knees felt weak. Despair and regret crawled all over her.
"……It, it"s not over yet!"
Mikoto pitched her own cheek with a *pan*, focusing her mind,
"Answer through the Guiding Voice, Takeru!"
Focusing her spiritual energy in her ear, she called out to Takeru, who has to be here somewhere. If she could only s.h.i.+ft the power of her Sword of Exorcisms, she could be able to cut the barrier down. Also, there was a possibility that on the other side Boss would await her, because ordinary demons couldn"t pull of something like that.
But Takeru was still close. She was certain of it.
(Don"t give up, myself!)
Gripping [Raiko] tightly, she gave it a few swings.
"……It looks like you are safe, Mikoto."
A voice sounded in her head, together with an image of a wry smile. She couldn"t see her, but it looked like she was safe. Feeling relieved, a calm sisterly voice conveyed her situation.
"Right now, I"m in the main school building. Seems like near the east side of the stairs. These demons are slow."
"I understand! I"ll come and rescue you soon!"
Holding [Raiko] close to her body, Mikoto ran into the school building.