Tasogareiro no Uta Tsukai

On the first floor of the branch school, not a soul could be seen in the lounge. Other than the occasional footsteps pa.s.sing in the corridor, the lobby was quiet like a lake in midwinter.

……Well, it was cla.s.s time at the moment, so it couldn’t be helped.

At the far end of the lounge, with her elbows on a table and resting her chin in her hands, Ada gazed beyond the gla.s.s-paneled wall at the scenery outside.

“—I’m supposed to be doing self-study, but……”

She flipped through the textbook lying on the table and skimmed the contents written on the pages. But that lasted no more than a dozen seconds. Letting out an exhausted sigh, Ada put her head down on the table.

For her, the act of staring at a book on the table felt impossible. That’s right. Moving her body around outside was much more comfortable. Holding onto her GilExorcist Spear was much more—

“Ah, no, no!”

……Geez, what was she thinking?

She was no longer an GillsheExorcist, but a student studying at a Recitation school.

That’s right, she didn’t need an GilExorcist Spear. ……Well, she shouldn’t need it.

‘But if that’s so, why are you still practicing like this with the GilExorcist Spear?’

“……Yeah, I wonder why?”

Lying sprawled on the table, she turned only her gaze toward the lights on the ceiling.

The question that Neight asked her yesterday had left her at a loss for words.

She had practiced until the feeling of the GilExorcist Spear seeped into the marrow of her bones. She had also joined the spear-wielding club. She had thought again and again that she wanted to quit, but when she came to her senses, she always found herself swinging a spear.

If she was asked that question once again, how should she reply?

Feeling exhausted, she closed her eyes for a few minutes—

Suddenly, faint footsteps echoed through the lobby. In any case, it was probably just the school janitor. Arbitrarily deciding that, Ada closed her eyes once again.

However, those footsteps did not pa.s.s by, but instead stopped right behind her—

“Hey Ada, what’s wrong?”

Huh? This voice is…?

Hearing the familiar voice, Ada raised her head. In her field of vision that was still fuzzy with drowsiness, she saw a female cla.s.smate peering down at her.

“What about you, Kluele? It’s cla.s.s time right now, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, that’s true. But I ended up doing some self-studying.”

Carrying her self-study textbook and a drink in a paper cup, Kluele sat down across from Ada. As she waited for Kluele to settle down, Ada opened her mouth.

“……Hey Kluele, I was curious about it before, but you get along well with Chibi-kun, don’t you?”

“By Chibi-kun, do you mean Neight?” Raising the paper cup to her lips, she tilted her neck.

“Yeah, yeah. I heard from Chibi-kun that you two spent the entire summer practicing Recitations together?”

“It wasn’t the entire summer, just when I had time,” Kluele replied casually with a nonchalant expression.

Just when I had time— Knowing Kluele, that meant the same as ‘during all of the free time I had’.

……You know, that’s what we call ‘entire’.

“Were you playing the role of an older sister?”

“It wasn’t like that. I just couldn’t leave him there by himself.”

“Well, he’s only thirteen years old. And he’s quite a hasty, scatterbrained person as well.”

Imagining Neight’s hurried manner, Ada let out a small wry smile. It still remained fresh in her memory how on the day Neight had transferred in, his Recitation in the lab had accidentally turned into black smoke.

“That’s true as well. But…….there’s various other reasons too.”

What exactly these various other reasons were, Kluele didn’t mention. But just by looking at her expression, Ada could tell that they weren’t simple matters.

“Well, Chibi-kun’s also a handful, isn’t he?”

“’Chibi-kun also’?” Her sharp-eared friend asked, repeating back a part of what she had just said.

“……Um, you see……”

Ada lowered her gaze slightly.

“Let’s say for example that there was a student in the cla.s.s other than Chibi-kun who was alone. If that were so, what would you do, Kluele?”

“……For example, who?” With her eyes reflecting the tense atmosphere, Kluele asked in a quiet voice.

“For example, people like me.” But as soon as Ada finished saying those words……

“Ah, it’s fine. That’s not true,” Kluele said lightheartedly, waving her hand.

“Eh? ‘It’s fine’, meaning?”

“Honestly, I was wondering what you would say! The day when someone sees you depressed, the entire school will be in an uproar, you know. The student council will hold a special meeting, the newspaper club will mobilize to gather information, and the mystery investigation club will also start investigating the origin of the uproar.”

……Eh? Wa-Wait a second, that’s too crue—

“In the first place, asking that sort of question isn’t like you. You’re usually using your strength to foolishly cause commotions and get teachers angry. And on top of that, aren’t you ‘Ada the Demon of Lateness’?”

“……Wh-Why you!”

Although her facial expression twitched, she somehow kept calm. Yes, she should be staying calm. She was calm. She definitely wasn’t clenching her fists under the table.

“—But……”

Kluele deliberately changed her expression to one different from her teasing look before.

“If there really is something troubling you, I wish you’d talk to me about it. If it’s just listening, I think I can do that for you.”

……Consulting her? It would be good if she could do that, but……

Within her heart, Ada shook her head.

It was a problem she couldn’t tell her parents or her teachers about. Telling her to consult someone about it was simple, but for the troubled person herself, she needed the utmost courage. If she could do something like consult with someone—

“’If I could do that, then I wouldn’t be so troubled.’ Ada, could it be that you were thinking something along those lines?” Without any prior notice, the girl sitting across from Ada bluntly declared.

Her voice sounded unusually strong, like she had absolute confidence in her words.

“…….Why do you think so?”

“Because I was like that just a little while ago.” Ada’s cla.s.smate solemnly informed her.

“……You were?”

“Yeah. Even though I seem like this right now, I’ve been feeling lost for quite a while. You might think it’s strange of me to say this, but there were times when I felt so lost that it was a nuisance just to come to school.”

She didn’t act like that at all in the cla.s.sroom, but was instead always a bright and helpful girl. Other than that cheerful image, Ada couldn’t imagine Kluele any other way. ……But surely she wasn’t lying. If she was, there was no way that she could have read Ada’s feelings.

“But because of that, I think I can empathize with others who feel the same way.” Kluele calmly placed her hand on her chest.

“That’s why it’s fine for you to come and tell me if something happens. It doesn’t need to be a formal consultation. We can even discuss it casually in the dorms. If you’re fine with telling me, I’ll be there for you anytime. After all, we’re friends, right?” Resting her chin in her hands, Kluele smiled.

“……”

“Huh? Ada? What’s wrong?”

“……It’s nothing.”

Ada nonchalantly turned around so that her back faced the girl who was staring at her.

Kluele would listen to what she had to say. Naturally, Ada was grateful to hear those words. But— Although their worries were different, there was someone who had felt lost like her, but continued to work hard despite that. Knowing that made her feel very happy.

“Well, I should thank you for that. But don’t worry about what I said, it was just an example.”

Quietly standing up, Ada stretched a few times.

“Ah, by the way, why are you resting here at a time like this?”

“Apparently Enne-sensei, who’s in charge of my lectures, isn’t feeling well so the lectures for students of her specialty are canceled.”

That morning, it had been suddenly announced that the lectures were cancelled. Because Ada had nothing to do in her room, she ended up strolling around aimlessly in the school building. But she had gotten bored of that as well, so she took a rest in the lounge.

“Ah, it’s the same situation I’m in. My teacher has a cold.”

“Kluele’s specialty is in [RedKeinez], right? Who’s your teacher?”

“He’s named Zessel. Apparently he usually teaches students in higher grades.”

……Zessel-sensei?

After hearing Kluele’s answer, in her mind, Ada frowned.

How strange. If she were to believe what Enne-sensei had said, Enne and Zessel had joined the summer camp in the place of two teachers who weren’t feeling well. But now they had gotten sick as well?

“Hey Kluele, your [RedKeinez] lecture yesterday was taught by Zessel-sensei, right?”

“Yeah. He seemed fine yesterday though.”

He had taught a lecture like usual yesterday. It had been the same with Enne. And if Ada remembered correctly— there was something in common about the two of them yesterday.

“After cla.s.s yesterday, when I walked past Zessel-sensei, I remember he was wearing formal clothing. But on the first day, he wore a casual T-shirt on the train.”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true. Other students have also been saying how unusual it is.”

Although Tremia Academy provided teachers with a blazer to wear, what the teachers usually wore everyday was up to their own discretion. For Zessel, he seemed to be the type who liked light and convenient clothing.

But oddly, he had been wearing formal clothing. And moreover, at this time in midsummer?

Some general ideas that Ada could think of were— He could be attending an important meeting, or maybe someone was coming to visit the branch school, or conversely, he could be going to visit someone important.

First of all, attending an important meeting here was hard to imagine. This was a branch school instead of the main campus, and there couldn’t possibly be an important meeting in the middle of summer holidays.

Also, there was no need for visitors to come specifically to the branch school. If they had a really important task, then they should go to the main campus instead. Contrarily, if there was something minor to attend to, then sending something like a letter should be fine. Realistically, there was no chance that an important guest would come during summer vacation, to a branch school in the middle of summer camp.

Therefore, by process of elimination, the only remaining option was that Zessel had gone to visit someone important.

……Ada thought back to Enne’s lecture yesterday.

Enne had given the students a practice test and allowed the students who finished to leave immediately afterward. Actually, other than Ada, all of the other students should have left the cla.s.sroom before cla.s.s had been officially over.

—Was there a reason why Enne had ended cla.s.s early?

Furthermore, that time, Ada had pa.s.sed by Zessel in the hallway. She had pa.s.sed by him after leaving Enne. In other words, Zessel had been walking in the direction of the cla.s.sroom that Enne taught in. Which means after that, did Zessel and Enne have plans to go somewhere together?

Go somewhere…… And now, for some reason, the two of them were in a situation in which they couldn’t teach cla.s.s.

Supporting this theory was the cla.s.s that had been cancelled abnormally. If the teachers had known beforehand about the cancelled lecture, they should have a.s.signed someone to be subst.i.tute. In short, there was a high possibility that this cancelled lecture was unexpected.

“Hey Ada, don’t you feel like it’s a little unnatural?”

Holding her self-study textbook in one hand, Ada’s cla.s.smate stood up. Since Kluele seemed to feel the same doubts, should she tell her what she was thinking?

“Yeah, it feels strange. Kluele, what will you do? Do you have time?”

“I do. The lecture’s cancelled, and I’ll just get more confused if I stay here like this, so I’ll go along with you.”

The two of them made eye contact, then turned around so their backs faced each other. What they needed to check was — whether the two teachers who weren’t feeling well were actually in the branch school right now.

The two were probably not inside the school.

If that was the case, then for what reason did they suddenly leave?

“Kluele, can you go check the nurse’s office on the first floor? I’ll take a peek in the second floor staff room.”

There was a knock on the door of the small cla.s.sroom.

Neight looked up from the blank exam sheet he had been working on. After opening the door, he saw a tall girl with black hair.

“Hey, Neighty. What are you doing alone in this cla.s.sroom?”

“Ah, Serges-san. Good morning.”

Serges held some paper and writing utensils in both hands. In the hallway behind her, for some reason, a few dozen students were moving around as a group.

“Are you going somewhere?”

“Yeah. Everyone specializing in [YellowSurisuz] is gathering at the beach. The teacher’s going to show us a demonstration. After that, it’ll be free time.”

“A demonstration? Sounds fun.”

No, just watching will make us sleepy—After saying those words disinterestedly, the girl shrugged.

“Neighty, if you’re interested, do you want to secretly come along?”

“……I still haven’t finished a history cla.s.s yet. I’m taking it while there’s time for summer supplementary lessons, and Kate-sensei has been teaching me the whole time.”

“Oh? So then, where’s the essential Kate-sensei?”

Looking around the cla.s.sroom restlessly, Serges tilted her head.

“Apparently she had something urgent to do this morning. She said, ‘For this morning, do the quiz from the section you learned yesterday,’ and then left.”

“Oh, I see. Well then, good luck, kid!”

After saying that, Serges swiftly turned around, making Neight think she would exit through the closed door.

“Ah, that’s right.”

With her back facing Neight, Serges suddenly said.

“Neighty, I told you before to go take a look on the roof… How did it go? Did you meet her?”

“Yes. Ada-san, right?”

“What did you think?”

Hearing the complicated question, Neight looked up at the ceiling.

“What did I think…… ‘It’s amazing’. She’s also in the spear-wielding club, and…… um, an GillsheExorcist, was it? She seemed to have had a lot of practice.”

“I see. So that’s how you think of it?”

Serges nodded. The action seemed like she was agreeing with him.

—Practice…… It doesn’t seem to be…… that simple—

“Eh?”

The words of the girl with her back facing Neight were said in such a quiet voice that Neight couldn’t hear the end of her sentence.

“U-Um.”

Before Neight had time to ask, Serges turned around to face him.

“I share a dorm room with her, so I’ve heard various things. ……Neighty, don’t say anything to other people about her!”

“A-Alright.”

He didn’t ask why, because the girl’s tone of voice sounded extremely sad.

“Well, until she can say it aloud herself.”

“Until Ada-san can?”

“Yeah. She’s really conscious about being ‘different’.”

—Different? What did that mean?

Not noticing Neight’s bewilderment, Serges leaned against the door. Her eyes that seemed to have turned weak looked beyond the window of the cla.s.sroom, gazing at a place even farther away.

“She’s such an idiot, wondering if she’ll become distant from her friends because she’s that, and if she’ll be hated one day. She can’t help but always worry about it…… Even though there’s no way that would happen.”

“U-Um. What do you mean? I don’t hate Ada-san at all.”

“No, she just selfishly convinced herself of that. It’s not something Neighty should worry about. ……But hey, Neighty, just remember this.”

Once again, Serges turned around so that her back faced Neight.

“Although it was because of different reasons than Neighty, a long time ago, she was alone as well.”

In the communications room of the branch school, facing the radio equipment, Kate tried her best to keep calm.

“Has there really been no message from…… Zessel-sensei or Enne-sensei?”

“The main campus hasn’t received any.”

The person she was talking to bluntly stated the truth.

“Kate, can you confirm one more time? Zessel and Enne left for Kelberk Research Inst.i.tute after one o’clock yesterday. After that, their regularly-sent reports stopped.”

“—That’s right.”

The clock on the wall showed that it was currently nine-thirty.

Twenty hours had already pa.s.sed since the last time that the two had been seen inside the branch school.

“They are out right now on a special task for the headmaster, which means I can’t personally give you instructions on what to do…… How are the students doing?”

“We’re treating it as cancelled lectures. All of the lectures have been cancelled, so the students are probably also feeling suspicious, but all of the other lectures are going as planned.”

For a few seconds, there was silence from the other side of the connection.

Mirror Kei Endurnce.

He had become a teacher at the same time as Zessel and Enne, and was also a knowledgeable person in Tremia Academy’s information department.

“You should also have cla.s.ses this afternoon, right?”

“Yeah. Starting this afternoon, all of the teachers have lectures planned.”

Right now, she had her hands empty. But once afternoon came, there wouldn’t be a teacher who could go support the two who they had lost contact with. In the beginning, they should have organized an emergency support team.

“……Even without your saying, their disappearance is suspicious.”

The quiet voice coming from the wireless radio agreed. It was natural to think that something had happened in Kelberk Research Inst.i.tute.

“I’ll—”

“You can’t!”

I’ll go look around. But before Kate could finish speaking, she was cut off.

“Those two should have been cautious when going inside. Even though they were completely prepared, they ended up getting involved in some unknown situation. It’s too dangerous for you to go alone. You should go in a team of at least two, no three people.”

That….. I know that.

She was still a new teacher. She understood more than anyone that she lacked experience and knowledge.

“If we still don’t hear from them until seven tonight, then I’ll head over on the eight o’clock train. Wait until then. Have faith in your colleagues.”

Mirror cut off his side of the call.

Kate glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. There were less than ten hours left until seven o’clock at night.

But…… She couldn’t wait until then.

If it was just a temporary accident, then Enne and Zessel should be able to call out something to deliver a message. But if they were under circ.u.mstances where they couldn’t do even that, then just how serious was their situation?

—Sure enough, she should go take a look around the research inst.i.tute.

Kate headed towards the lockers a.s.signed to teachers and took out manmade gemstones and catalysts that she had created herself. She hid the catalysts that she was most accustomed to using in the pockets sewed into the lining of her shirt.

“……You two, please be safe.”

The teacher wearing a pale green suit left the communications room and walked down the hallway with quick steps. The sound of her footsteps overlapped with Ada’s, who was quietly following from behind.

—Kate-sensei, where are you going?

There was no hesitation in the teacher’s gait. She descended from the second floor to the first, then walked through the entrance hall and exited the school building.

……Oh no.

The teacher’s movements were faster than Ada expected, making Ada scowl.

When she had been eavesdropping with her ear pressed to the room’s outside wall, she could barely hear Kate’s voice talking. No, the teacher had purposely lowered her voice so that n.o.body outside could hear.

The one thing Ada knew was that her homeroom teacher was heading somewhere.

Ada peered out from the door that was open a small crack. Kate seemed to have been in such a rush that she left her locker open. It seemed like she had been carefully choosing what catalysts to take out.

—It was a bit too strange.

The anxious look on the teacher’s face was clearly different from her usual expression.

Well then, what to do?

Right now, there was no time to contact Kluele. Ada had thought that the teachers would start making their move this afternoon, but they had already started right now.

It couldn’t be helped, Ada would just have to trail her alone—— Huh?

Feeling a presence behind her, Ada suddenly turned around.

“Eh, Ada-san?”

There stood a boy with young-looking features and deep night-colored hair.

In the research inst.i.tute, holding her breath in the small, dimly-lit room, Enne searched for the presence of living things on the other side of the door.

She pressed her ear to the door for a few seconds— There was no sound of the creatures coming closer. Ten seconds…… twenty seconds. She listened carefully for over a minute, but she heard no change in the silence outside.

……Whew. Enne finally let out the breath she had been holding.

“For now, it seems safe here.”

They were in a small room beside the straight hallway. The room contained a few sofas and an elliptical table, so it was probably a lounge.

“How’s your arm?”

Enne turned around to look at Zessel, who was sitting on a sofa. With a bitter smile, Zessel used his movable right arm to tap his left arm, which had turned to stone.

“Well, it doesn’t feel painful or uncomfortable. It’s just that no matter how much I try, I can’t move anything below my shoulder.”

The grey snakes and lizards were hiding in the entrance hall. Also, the majority of the researchers who had been turned to stone were around there. They had definitely been attacked by the snakes and lizards.

“It probably wasn’t just a single person who called out all of those Recited creatures.”

Turning his gaze to the table, Zessel stayed silent. That was also something he had been wondering about.

—But right now, there was something more important to think about.

“For now, we need to think of a way to cure your left arm.”

Right now, it was better to think of those things as Recited creatures, like Zessel had said.

What they had discovered so far was that all of those creatures were grey, without exception. Also, there were large amounts of ash everywhere in the research inst.i.tute, as well as creatures with grey skin. It was hard to think that those two facts were not connected.

Snakes and lizards were hiding inside those piles of ash. But instead of being just a hiding place, could the ash be the catalyst that was used to call out the Recited creatures?

“Using ash left over from fires as a catalyst? I’ve never heard of such a Recitation.”

“We don’t have enough evidence yet, so it’s difficult to understand. For now, let’s a.s.sume those things are Recited creatures. If we think of it like that, then we can make some sense of this situation. Also, there’s an additional benefit to thinking like that.”

“An additional benefit?”

Zessel repeated like a parrot. Enne stared down at his left arm.

“If that was caused by a Recited creature, then there’s a way to cure both your arm and the researchers who were turned to stone. We just need to take away the Recitation effect that’s turning your arm to stone.”

“—A Reverse Song?”

Among Recited creatures, there were some species that had poisonous fangs. The poison didn’t disappear when the Recited creature disappeared, but had to be treated in a way that sent back the poison itself. It would be worth trying the same method on Zessel’s arm.

“I wish we had a specialist GillsheExorcist here. If I were to do it, it would probably take a lot of time.”

From a pocket in her suit, Enne took out a flask containing a liquid catalyst.

“There’s no point being impatient in a situation like this. Take your time.”

Zessel said philosophically and casually to his childhood friend.

“……Where’s Kate-sensei going?”

In a quiet voice, Neight asked Ada, who was walking in front of him.

“We’ll know if we follow her.”

The girl shrugged her tanned shoulders.

Holding the test papers that he had filled out, Neight had been in the middle of heading to the staff room.

‘Chibi-kun. Come with me, just in case.’

Ada had whispered as she continued to follow Kate. Just how much farther would they walk? Ten minutes, or perhaps a few dozen minutes? The tension and weariness of not being used to tailing someone numbed her sense of time.

The teacher headed down the one-way road going away from the beach. The road was spa.r.s.ely bordered by thin trees, so there were only a few places to hide as Ada and Neight tailed her. Furthermore, the ground was sandy. Sand flew up with each step, making a small noise.

That should have been the case, but— The only footsteps Neight heard were the teacher’s and his own.

The footsteps of the girl who walked slightly ahead of him were so quiet that they were nearly silent.

Ada walked in a silent way that left even no footprints on the sand. Neight remembered when she had been practicing with her spear on the beach. That time, she also hadn’t left any footprints in the sand.

……Was this also part of an GillsheExorcist’s training?

GillsheExorcists— Those who sent back Recitations. They were people who completely contrasted Reciters.

‘Neight…… What do you think a Recitation is?’

That was what his bedridden mother had said.

‘These things called Recitations are used to call out yourself. That’s what I think. A true Reciter is one who gives form to his heart and calls it out.’

If he were to believe his mother’s words from that day— If a Recitation was the same as calling out one’s heart, then why was there a need to send it back?

……Mother, perhaps I still don’t understand it.

He had decided that he wanted to believe in the words of n.o.body but his mother. However, the fact that there were people giving it their all to live their lives as GillsheExorcists was an undeniable truth.

“Ah, um, Ada-san.”

“Hm? What is it, Chibi-kun?”

“N……No, I’m sorry. It’s nothing.”

Letting the lump stay in his chest, Neight closed his mouth.

He didn’t understand. Hey, Ada-san, do you feel like that too?

Neither Reciters nor GillsheExorcists were unneeded. Was Ada suffering like this because she was trapped, unable to move between those songs and spears?

The girl stayed silent. Neight moved a single step closer to her, shortening the distance between them.

He believed that he could shorten the distance between her heart and his, if only by a little bit.

—Kelberk Research Inst.i.tute, Fidellia branch.

Farther down the road, a signpost engraved with those words came into view.

On the surface of his arm that had turned into grey stone, a crack appeared. A fissure. It extended from his fingertip to his elbow—

“Hey, this—”

Wasn’t this bad? Before her colleague finished speaking, Enne placed a hand over his mouth.

“It’s fine. Don’t move.”

While saying that, her gaze was focused on his shoulder.

……Alright. A pale white light leaked out from within the crack. Like steam rising up, the particles of light slowly floated towards the ceiling. It was evidence of the Reverse Song’s effects.

Along with the particles of white light, pieces of grey rock peeled off Zessel’s arm. And then……

“So, how do you feel?”

Breathing a sigh of relief as the color returned to Zessel’s left shoulder, Enne wiped away the sweat that had formed on her forehead.

As Enne spoke, Zessel put some strength into his left shoulder.

“……I can move it. It doesn’t feel painful or uncomfortable.”

His arm looked the same as it did before it had been turned to stone. Honestly speaking, both of them had been prepared for some aftereffects to remain after the healing process.

“This is a bit of luck in all our misfortune, huh?”

“Hey, where’s my thanks?”

His childhood friend showed an oddly innocent smile.

“When we get back, I’ll buy you a new swimming ring.”

“I’ll be expecting it!”

After loosening up for a second, Enne’s solemn expression quickly returned.

“There’s one thing we know about it so far. I tried [YellowSurisuz] and [GreenBeorc], but those two Reverse Songs had barely any effect. The one that worked was [WhiteArzus]. If I had to categorize this Recitation, I’d say it’s closest to [WhiteArzus].”

“……What do you mean by ‘closest’?”

[WhiteArzus] certainly had an effect on it. But in reality, it was somewhat different from the [WhiteArzus] that Enne was familiar with. A subdivision of [WhiteArzus]…… No, a Recitation derived from it and then altered?

Academically, within the five colors, it would be cla.s.sified as a White Recitation because it was unmistakably that Reverse Song which had worked. But it would be risky to cla.s.sify it completely under White.

“For convenience, perhaps we should call it [GreyIsa] for now.”

That’s right. In other words, Grey Recitations.

It wasn’t a Recitation just called out grey things, but also turned the opponent into grey stone. By making that a.s.sumption, most of the unusual circ.u.mstances could be explained.

“Grey Recitations? Can we acknowledge such a color so hastily?”

Enne’s colleague spoke with a doubtful expression on his face. Enne understood his disbelief. Altogether, there were only five colors of Recitations that existed in the world. There were no exceptions. Enne had believed that also.

“But we know of an exception to the five colors.”

The exception was called Night Color Recitations.

They had seen with their own eyes the Night Color’s singer, its song, and its True Spirit.

“……Well, I guess that’s true.”

With a discouraged expression, Zessel quieted down.

“If you don’t want to think of Night Color Recitations as an abnormality, then let’s consider Grey Recitations as an abnormal variation of [WhiteArzus]. And moreover, an astoundingly aggressive variation.”

There should have been only a few creatures in White Recitations that were offensive in nature, yet Grey Recitations was an aggressive color that managed to defeat the whole research inst.i.tute by itself.

“You seem disgusted.”

“Because this isn’t the true way that a Recitation should be used.”

If this was a subdivision of [WhiteArzus], then all the more reason so.

That horrible Recitation shouldn’t be used like that, for no matter what reason.

“Hey, does that mean you can also cure all of the researchers?”

……Although Enne wanted to do that, it would take too much time and effort.

“We don’t have any time to spare right now.”

They hadn’t made contact with the school for quite a long time. The branch school and possibly the main campus were probably in a state of confusion about the situation right now. They needed hurry and contact the schools, but a large number of Recited creatures were currently still blocking their escape route.

“For now, let’s head farther into the research inst.i.tute. This is a large inst.i.tution, so there should be one or two emergency escape pa.s.sages. Or we might be able to find an exit not blocked by a group of those annoying things.”

Zessel rotated his left arm around to return some body heat back into it. His colleague stood up from her place on the sofa.

“I’m not too eager to do this, but we have no other choice.”

With a tired expression, Zessel nodded. Placing her hand on his shoulder, Enne nodded back. This was the only thing they could think of doing right now.

—Let’s hurry. Our strength is reaching its limit.

Kelberk Research Inst.i.tute? What business did Kate-sensei have in there?

Looking at the unfamiliar words carved on the signpost, Ada frowned inwardly. Ahead, she could clearly see some sort of large inst.i.tution. That was probably the research inst.i.tute.

Chibi-kun, be careful. Just when Ada mouthed those words, Neight tripped on a rock protruding from the road.

Ah…… The boy let out a quiet shriek.

“Who’s there?”

Kate, who had been walking in front of them, suddenly turned around.

Oh no, this is bad. Ada quickly hid behind the nearest tree.

“I-I’m sorr— Ugh!”

No, be quiet! Ada forcefully covered the mouth of Neight, who had been about to apologize loudly. But it was too late. The teacher ahead of them raised her voice.

“Over there, who are you?!”

Did she have a feeling that she was being followed? The teacher’s words weren’t a question, but had the tone of a command.

“A-Ada-san. What should we do?”

……What should we do, huh?

“I’ll wait five seconds. You’d better show yourself by then!”

Hey Sensei, if you say it like that, who would—

“If you don’t come out, I’ll use a Recitation to pelt every tree in this region with large pieces of hail—”

“Wha…… W-Wait, time-out! Sensei, don’t act hastily! Look, it’s only me. Sensei’s cute, cute student!”

There was silence.

After a moment, the teacher spoke in a tone of disbelief.

“If you’re the true Ada, then I think you should show yourself to your teacher right away!”

‘If you’re the true Ada’…… So she already knew who it was.

Letting out a loud sigh, Ada stepped forward from behind the tree and onto the road.

“Okay, I get it. We lose! Hey Chibi-kun, you come out too!”

“A-Agh! ……Ada-san, it’s not nice to suddenly kick me!”

“Neight-kun as well? Just what are you guys doing?”

Their homeroom teacher gazed at them with a look filled with half amazement, half surprise.

“No, Sensei, it’s just a chance meeting. We were just taking a stroll.”

Ada tried as hard as she could to show a deceptive smile.

“U-Um. Ada-san was curious about where Kate-sensei was going, so—”

“Ah, Chibi-kun, you traitor!”

Losing to pressure, the innocent boy beside her quickly spat out the truth.

“Hmm. Ada will always tell me the truth, right, Ada?”

“U……Um…… How should I put it……”

—Sensei, you look too scary holding a catalyst and threatening us.

“So this is the research lab?”

Glancing around the room, Zessel crossed his arms.

It was a gigantic research laboratory. All kinds of lab equipment could be seen around the room. There was also a translucent tank filled with a chemical solution. One thing they all had in common was that each single thing was damaged in some way. Furthermore, there were also the figures of a few staff members who had been turned to stone.

Staff members who had turned to stone could be seen everywhere around the research inst.i.tute. In other words, this situation had affected the entire inst.i.tute.

Had it been a dispute between staff members? Or perhaps—

“So it was an attack by a person we don’t know about.”

Enne muttered in a quiet voice. Without blinking, she gazed steadily at the words written before them.

Lastihyt ; miquvy Wer shela –c-nixer arsa

A white limestone pillar towered in the center of the main room. On the monument that was built with expensive stone, engraved in scarlet paint were distorted words in the Serafeno Musical Language.

“Lastihyt. Is that something’s name?”

—No, this is……

“A person’s name.”

Zessel quickly ran closer to the stone monument and brushed his fingers over the stone like he was rubbing it. A few flakes of paint peeled off. No, it was something that had been used to replace paint.

It was dark red. So it’s blood, huh?

“Two years ago…… No, it was earlier than that, more like three years ago. Xins was searching for someone with this name.”

“Xins was?”

Narrowing her eyes, his colleague turned to look at him with an uncomprehending face.

“I never heard the reason why. In fact, I didn’t know anything about it other than this mysterious name.”

He looked away from the words written in blood that was turning darker.

The hallway continued farther inside the inst.i.tute. According to a floor plan taped on the wall, beyond here seemed to be innermost, most s.p.a.cious room.

“Let’s hurry. We shouldn’t linger for too long in here.”

Leading the way, Enne walked quietly down the hallway. Zessel, who had been about to follow after her, suddenly stopped his footsteps.

A mechanical noise echoed several times throughout the laboratory.

“The door buzzer?”

Someone was coming. It was probably a teacher from Tremia who had come looking for them.

“……That’s not good.”

Hiding in the entrance hall with baited breath were dangerous Recited creatures.

“—So because you were suspicious as to where I was going, you followed me.”

After hearing Ada’s confession, Kate exaggeratedly covered her eyes.

“But I was curious! Both Enne-sensei and Zessel-sensei aren’t inside the branch school, so I thought you were going to look for them.”

Ada lied confidently. ……Honestly…… Whether it was a lucky guess or a good sense of perception, she was sharp only during troublesome times like this.

“So, what’s so special about this place, Sensei?”

Ada pointed casually at the Kelberk Research Inst.i.tute ahead of them.

“It’s the research inst.i.tute of someone I know.”

“Yeah, I already know that much. What I’m curious about is the reason why Enne-sensei and Zessel-sensei aren’t at school. I was thinking that Kate-sensei coming to a place like this must mean this place is connected somehow.”

Whether there was a special reason— Ada spoke in an indirect manner that feigned ignorance.

“Honestly, even I’m not too sure about that.”

Kate turned her gaze back to the road ahead. The inst.i.tution surrounded by dark grey walls was clearly visible.

Kelberk Research Insit.i.tute, Fidellia branch. It was the research inst.i.tute that had manufactured the and brought it to Tremia Academy.

Zessel and Enne should be here. It would be dangerous for Kate to allow the students to accompany her any farther. But…… Since they had already come here, what should she do? Even if she told them to go back right now, she had the feeling that they wouldn’t leave.

Also, there was one more thing. In case the worst situation occurred inside the facility, there was a possibility that someone would be needed to relay the situation back to the branch school.

“……Promise me one thing, you two. When I tell you to leave, no matter what happens, you must follow my instructions.”

Both students nodded. After confirming that, Kate stepped onto the property of the research inst.i.tute.

“Um, is it okay for us to just enter like that?”

“The inst.i.tute is affiliated with Tremia. Tremia’s teachers and Kelberk’s research staff are allowed to come and go freely in both facilities.”

……But even so, what was with the silence?

Not a single person could be seen around the inst.i.tution. The unnatural silence made the three of them feel like their ears hurt.

—Were Zessel and Enne really in there?

Kate pushed the buzzer by the inst.i.tution’s front door. Through the door, she could hear the sound of the buzzer echoing inside.

“……Is n.o.body there?”

“That’s kind of hard to imagine.”

As if responding to Neight’s doubt, Kate pushed the buzzer once again.

A few seconds. A few dozen seconds. There was no response from inside. In fact, they couldn’t even hear the sound of staff members talking inside the research inst.i.tution.

“Hey Sensei……”

Ada continued speaking while peering at the door’s keyhole.

“The door seems to be unlocked.”

Placing her hand on the door handle, she twisted the handle and pushed. With a creaking noise and a small puff of dust, the door moved.

“Just like that.”

Kate let out the breath she had been holding. Although she sighed at losing her last chance to tell the two students to go back to school, another part of her felt differently. Was it determination? Or maybe anxiety?

“I’ll open it.”

Those words weren’t directed at the two people behind her, but were meant for Kate herself.

Slowly, with a screeching sound like things rubbing together, the door opened. The three of them stepped into the dim entrance hall.

A strange scene lay ahead of them.

“……What are these?”

Lined up in the entrance lobby were about a dozen oddly-shaped stone statutes. Her face distorted with astonishment, Kate walked forward. Stone statues. And not just one or two. What all of the statues had in common was that they all wore some sort of pendant around their neck.

No, that wasn’t it. Those were the nameplates worn by the staff of the research inst.i.tute. Why were these statues wearing the staff’s equipment? It was like——No way.

The chilling thought that crossed Kate’s mind made gooseb.u.mps rise on her back.

“You two, stay away from the statues!”

“Eh?”

“Sensei, what’s wrong?”

Ada, who had just been about to touch a stone statue, and Neight, who was walking down the hallway leading out of the left side of the entrance lobby, spoke simultaneously.

“It’s dangerous here, so return to the school right away! Neight, come back here!”

Although he had a doubtful expression on his face, Neight jogged towards Kate.

But as if it intended to block him……

Something grey fell down from the ceiling. It was something long and thin that wriggled back and forth. In front of the boy, it reared its head—

“A snake?!”

The boy’s footsteps stopped in front of the two-meter-long grey snake. Why was such a thing in this inst.i.tution? No, this wasn’t the time to wonder about that.

“Sensei!”

From behind Kate came Ada’s shriek.

“I know! Neight-kun, step back!”

The snake eyed the boy, about to attack. Would she make it in time? From her suit pocket, Kate took out a manmade sapphire. A blue Recitation light shone from the catalyst she held in her hand.

But before she could finish her Recitation……

“No! Sensei, behind you!”

The girl behind her let out a scream even louder than her shriek before.

……Eh?

Kate felt a slight pain coming from her legs. At the same time, both of her legs became unable to move, as if they had turned to stone.

Only the one who stood farthest in the back— Only the one who stood closest to the exit, Ada, could completely understand what had just happened.

—The mysterious grey creature that had fallen from the ceiling was a single, large grey snake.

Neight and Kate’s attention had naturally been drawn to that one snake. No, Ada had been like that as well. Her gaze had been focused on that one snake. But right now, there wasn’t just one grey creature.

Ada heard the sound of something crawling on the ground. That sound came from beside the teacher’s feet.

……Eh?

Large amounts of ash were piled up on the floor of the research inst.i.tute. Those had moved. Or more accurately, the things hiding underneath them had moved.

Lizards?

These lizards had sharp claws and limbs that were longer and thinner than those of the lizards she normally saw. Moreover, it wasn’t just a single creature.

Two, no, three? With clearly hostile looks in their eyes, the grey creatures crept up beside the teacher’s feet.

Kate-sensei was— No, she was too focused on the large snake.

“Sensei!”

“I know! Neight-kun, step back!”

The teacher responded, holding a catalyst and focusing her gaze on the large snake.

No! That snake is just a decoy! The true danger is—

Ada regretted not bringing her GilExorcist Spear, but quickly dispelled that thought.

No, she wasn’t an GillsheExorcist. Right now, she was a student studying to become a Reciter, so she should use some sort of Recitation. But……

……But, what should she call out?

Thinking about her a.r.s.enal of Recitations, Ada was speechless. She specialized in White Recitations, which contained few offensive creatures. But that didn’t mean none at all. However, none of the offensive creatures was within her power to call out.

……She couldn’t do anything with her Recitations.

“No! Sensei, behind you!”

All she could do was shout at her teacher. The teacher hastily turned around, but Ada’s warning was too late. In the blind spot beneath Kate’s feet, a lizard brandished its claws, aiming for her ankles.

The instant those claws struck Kate’s feet, the teacher’s feet changed from how they looked before.

Without even the faint sound of dust floating in the air, Kate’s feet instantly turned grey and froze in place.

“Kate-sense—”

But.

Before the situation turned like this, the teacher had probably foreseen the chance of being turned to stone. She didn’t seem to be surprised that her feet had been deprived of their ability to move.

“Don’t come this way!”

Kate immediately stretched out a hand in Ada’s direction. In her other hand, the gemstone catalyst emitted a radiance that lit up the dark entrance hall.

——[Blue SongRuguz]——

The teacher threw the catalyst at the floor. Instantly, from that spot on the ground, a large sheet of ice rose up in the entrance hall. It separated her from the group of grey creatures. Ada was fine, but Kate had also separated the pet.i.te Neight on the side with the creatures.

“S-Sense—”

“Ada, go report this to the teachers at school! Hurry!”

“B-But!”

“I’ll do something about Neight-kun. While the wall of ice is up, those creatures shouldn’t be able to chase you. Take this chance and distance yourself from this research inst.i.tution!”

But there was no way that Ada would be persuaded by such a plan.

—Couldn’t she do something?

Was that truly the right thing to do? She couldn’t even be sure that it was the best option, but pressured by the teacher’s desperate manner, she ran away.

“Sensei, Chibi-kun! ……I’m sorry!”

Ada ran through the entranceway and fled outside. Was it a trick of the wind, or had it been planned by the teacher? The instant after she ran outside, the door that had been open now slammed shut. She couldn’t see the situation inside anymore and couldn’t hear any screams or other sounds.

“I’m sorry…… I’m sorry…… I……”

—I’m an idiot.

I’m a hopeless idiot.

The girl fled through the entranceway. The safety of one student had been secured for now, making Kate feel at ease. Only one more student remained.

Turning to face the remaining student, Kate yelled loudly.

“Neight-kun, head down that hallway!”

The boy who was confronting the huge snake hurriedly raised his head.

“But Sensei…!”

“I’m—”

I’m fine. I’ll be safe. I’ll definitely follow behind you. Kate could only think of those clumsy words. Those words of consolation definitely wouldn’t be able to urge the boy forward.

Therefore, instead of nodding, Kate took out a lidded flask from her pocket.

“Neight-kun.”

At the very least, she could show him a smile. He was someone who aspired to be a Reciter and she was his teacher.

“……I’m sorry I was such an unreliable teacher.”

Once again, Kate threw the catalyst at the floor. The drops of liquid sparkled as they scattered over the floor and turned into a blue ChannelRecital Gate. A wall of ice that reached as high as the ceiling— It separated the boy from the area where the large snakes were gathered.

With this, he should also be safe for now. But in return, all of the grey creatures’ gazes turned towards her. ……That was fine. She was……fine with this.

“Kate-sensei!”

“Run toward the inside of the inst.i.tute. I don’t know when the help that Ada went to ask for will come, so stay quietly hidden until then!”

“But—”

“……I’m truly sorry for being so unreliable.”

She wanted to protect her student, but it was all she could do right now to become bait.

Like I thought, I’m still…… not qualified to be called a teacher.

……It happened again.

Her own powerlessness made Ada purse her lips.

The scenery constantly streamed by. How long had she been running for at a full sprint? The lack of oxygen gave her a headache. Her heart felt painful and her lungs were screaming. But even so, she continued to run.

Right now, the only thing she could do was run.

—Once again, she didn’t do anything. She only ran away.

During the school’s recital contest, when the chimeras had attacked, she had run away.

She wanted to be a Reciter and not a GillsheExorcist, but she had always been scared of that part of herself. ……No, she had been pretending to be scared.

As a Reciter, she couldn’t do anything. If she had been an GillsheExorcist at that time and swung her spear— At least she wouldn’t be the one being protected. She should have been protecting them.

But she had wanted to try living as a Reciter. As a result, her friends had gotten seriously injured.

‘For Chibi-kun, it’s because of that, right? You want to become a Reciter because you want to complete the Recitation that your mother left you.’

‘……Chibi-kun might get angry, but I can’t do something like that.’

‘For just a little while, I wanted to try going down a path other than what my heritage decided for me. The truth is, my mother has qualifications as a Reciter, so I was interested in Recitation schools ever since I was young.’

But if that’s true, then why was she practicing with the GilExorcist Spear even now?

‘……Because I don’t want to regret it.’

During the recital contest, she had felt a sense of powerlessness. This time, she didn’t want to have the same regrets.

She didn’t want to have that dream anymore.

Therefore, even now, she hadn’t discarded her GilExorcist Spear.

—But now, she was……

She had left behind both Kate-sensei and that young boy, then ran away by herself.

……Dad— I—

I…… What should I do?!

“Hurry, Enne!”

Zessel ran at full speed down the dim hallway.

The light fairy’s radiance lit the path ahead of him.

They had heard the sound a few minutes ago. If a teacher from Tremia had come to this inst.i.tution looking for them, then that teacher should have naturally stepped into the entrance hall.

……But, it’s strange.

They should already be getting close to the entranceway so they were prepared for an attack by the grey Recited creatures. However, they hadn’t seen even one yet.

Leaving behind the whirlpool of doubt in his mind, Zessel turned the last corner that led to the entrance hall.

“—!”

The first thing he noticed was a gigantic wall of ice that stretched up to the ceiling. Beside that were countless lumps of ice scattered and rolling around. Trapped in those blocks of ice were the familiar grey Recited creatures.

And mingled in with the blocks of ice was— The figure of a person lying on the floor, completely still.

The person wore a familiar suit that Zessel had seen many times around the campus.

“Kate!”

While thinking of the worst case scenario, which sent chills up his spine, Zessel ran to his colleague’s side.

He quickly lifted her up. Placing a hand on her shoulder, Zessel felt not the material of the suit, but the feeling of stone.

“…………Ah……”

With her eyes closed, Kate let out a small sigh. The fact that her shoulders, back, legs, and half of her body had already turned to stone made Zessel extremely concerned.

“Enne, hurry!”

“I’m already doing it!”

Particles of light rose up from the large area from Kate’s shoulders to her back. Color faintly returned to her body.

“…..Hey, this is……”

The feeling of coa.r.s.e stone disappeared. But what remained afterward was— a cold, slippery feeling. ……No way.

Zessel lifted his hand from Kate’s back. Stuck to his palm was a large amount of blood. —Oh no.

Now that the stone that had been stopping her bleeding was gone, her bleeding became worse.

“Sorry, but I’m going to take off your suit.”

Zessel took off Kate’s suit jacket and pulled up the back of her shirt. The wound was small but deep. Was it the large snake’s fangs that had injured her back? The problem was, the position of the wound was close to her heart.

Using some cloth to stop the bleeding, Zessel then wrapped a bandage over the wound and around Kate’s shoulder to fix it in place.

“You’re well-prepared, aren’t you?”

While conducting the Reverse Song, Enne glanced at Zessel.

“For Red Reciters, if the situation becomes desperate, we can use our own blood as a catalyst. But the bleeding that results isn’t something to joke about, so I always carry medical supplies with me.”

But for this wound, would such a simple emergency treatment work?

“……There’s……”

Faintly, with her eyes closed, Kate moved her lips.

“There’s…… still…… more.”

More?

Zessel reflexively looked around at his surroundings. The hallway was scattered with ash. Underneath the burnt cinders, something was wriggling.

—Did it hide because we were coming?

“d.a.m.n, we don’t have time to deal with you right now!”

Zessel ground his teeth at the fact that his partner, the Blue Reciter Mirror, wasn’t here. Airtight places were a Red Reciter’s weak point. If he were to call out a large flame to defeat the enemy, he would be caught in it as well. In the worst case, the whole inst.i.tution could burn down.

—So it’s forcing us to go farther into the inst.i.tution? A group of Recited creatures blocked the entranceway, their escape route.

“Zessel, what do we do?!”

“I’ll carry Kate on my back. Run in the direction of the emergency pa.s.sageway!”

The path they ran down led to the large room in the very center of the research inst.i.tute.

Something was in there. Zessel was almost completely sure of that.

Standing at both sides of the school’s main gate were teachers who Ada recognized.

“Ada, where did you go? You can’t just leave the school whenever you lik—”

“Sorry, Sensei! We can talk about it later!”

“Wha…… Wait, Ada!”

Ada forcefully shook off the hand that had grabbed her shoulder. With that momentum, she ran inside the school building.

—Although Kate-sensei had wanted her to report the situation, she couldn’t just do that.

On the third floor of the branch school was the dorm room a.s.signed to the girls in her cla.s.s.

Ada rushed over to the corner of the empty room. Her baggage had been casually thrown on the floor, and leaning against the wall was something long and narrow wrapped in cloth.

……So in the end, there was only this?

Right now, this was the only way she could help the teacher left behind in the inst.i.tution.

That’s right, she didn’t want to have any regrets.

“It’s not like I’ve decided to be an GillsheExorcist or anything, Dad!”

She ran down the hallway. The sight of her carrying such a large object drew curious glances from students and teachers.

……Ahaha, how nostalgic. When she had entered Tremia and came out of the entrance ceremony holding her GilExorcist Spear, she had also been stared at like this.

Speaking of which, how had she made her very first friend?

Back then—

What crossed her mind was the image of a tall girl with black hair. It was the girl who was her roommate in Tremia Academy’s female dorms. The girl had spoken to Ada first and by chance, they had been put in the same cla.s.s. From there, they had gradually become friends.

She was the first friend Ada had made among the students in the Recitation school.

Ada turned the final corner leading to the lobby. Just before she turned, she spotted someone wearing a whit