1 - Someone’s After Someone

Akuto woke up feeling annoyed.

—Jeez, did I really need to remember something so unpleasant?

He had an attractive face, but a nasty glare. When he was frowning, nobody wanted to get close to him.

Not that anybody who wasn’t his friend particularly wanted to get close to him anyway.

Constant Magical Academy was on a long break, and there weren’t many people left at the door. Akuto had been taking a nap under a tree in the back yard. He looked up and saw the clouds clearing out of the sky and a single bird flying through it. —It feels like nothing bad could happen on a day like this. If I’m remembering something like that on a day like this, there really must be something wrong with me.

Akuto laughed at himself just as he heard a distant voice.

“Ackie! There you are!”

Keena Soga ran up to him with a brilliant smile on her face. It was the expression of someone without a care in the world. The red tuft of hair at the top of her head waved as she walked. Watching her, it was impossible to feel serious about anything.

Keena sat right down next to Akuto.

“I didn’t have anything to do, so I decided to spend some time outside.”

“I see.” Keena looked like she wanted to say something, so Akuto pressed her.

“What’s up?”

“Well, Um.... Ackie, do you know when your birthday is?”

“I was an orphan, so I’ve got one they just picked for me. It was the day I was abandoned, December 25th,” Akuto said, and then remembered that Keena was an orphan too. It was hard to talk about something like that with someone who wasn’t an orphan, so it was easy to talk to Keena.

“I see. I didn’t know what mine was, so I picked my own birthday,” Keena said, and started to fidget.

“What is it?” Akuto asked again. Keena blushed and laughed.

“Um, if my birthday comes, will you celebrate it with me?”

“Of course.” Akuto nodded. Keena’s shoulders relaxed in relief.

“I’m glad. I mean, it’s a birthday I picked myself. I mean, I’m the type who just gets all kinds of weird ideas, right? So I thought you might think it was ridiculous.”

“I’ve always thought you were ridiculous, from the first time we met.” Akuto shrugged.

“Huh? How mean!”

“I mean, you just decided that you were my observer.”

“I was so lonely until I met you though! And... it’s true that I was watching you...”

“What day is it?” Akuto asked.

“Huh?”

“Your birthday.”

“U-Um... It’s almost time for it. I’ll let you know.”

“But then I might not be able to be with you.”

“Just stay with me every day then!”

“There you go, being selfish again.” Akuto sighed, but Keena shook her head.

“Hey, hey, Ackie! The weather is so nice today! Let’s play!”

Akuto felt like he couldn’t turn her down. No, maybe he would’ve refused before, but now he felt a strange sense of peace when he was around Keena.

“We can do something, but I’m not really the having fun type. I guess we can play a game though. What do you want to do?”

“Let’s take a nap!” Keena answered cheerfully.

“Huh? A nap? I was just asleep.” But by the time he said that, Keena was already leaning up against him and snoring.

—In a sense, it’s an amazing talent.

Akuto decided to stay quiet so he wouldn’t disturb Keena. He took out his student handbook and called up the library function, then projected the mana screen in front of his chest and started to read. He thought he might get some kind of inspiration from the ancient religious texts. But even if they gave him some food for thought, they didn’t provide him with a way to force people like that rich gentleman from the past to use their brains and think. —If thinking only benefits yourself, maybe it’s better not to think at all. Like Keena.

Akuto looked up from his book and started to play with Keena’s hair as it waved near his face.

“No, that’s not appropriate for planting the stalks. Instead...” Keena was talking in her sleep.

Akuto didn’t know why, but he felt like a moment like this may never come again. His mind went numb with a premonition that he would look back and miss a time that had only passed five seconds ago.

—I can’t pray to a god, so it’s like I’m worshipping Keena instead, almost.

○

The God Suhara was, in the broadest sense, a god of nationalism. There were two major organs of defense for the country: the knights and the imperial army. Only believers in Suhara were allowed in the latter.

Suhara emphasized noble blood, pride, and order, and granted permission to use powerful attack magic to those who performed brave feats. For that reason, Suhara’s believers were often considered to be polite and familial, but also uncompromising and violent.

The High Priest, the most important of the believers, was currently a man named Keizo Teruya. He was the father of Eiko Teruya, the girl who’d caused so much trouble for Akuto before. The Teruya family’s specialty was spying, and in an era where there had been no external wars for years, they’d gained military power by plotting the downfall of the noble families which ran the army.

The Hattori family, whose job it was to provide bodyguards for high-ranking officials, had managed to compete for the role of high priest until the end, but since they had already been given the honor of directly serving the emperor, de facto power was given to the Teruya.

Keizo Teruya was a rare man who could do cowardly and evil things with pride and dignity. Even those whose lives he’d ruined were forced to admit that. He stole and assassinated without the slightest hesitation or conscience, though he never lost himself in the pleasure of such deeds. Even after becoming high priest, he’d killed people with his own hands more than once or twice.

Eventually an evil shadow began to appear on his face, which everyone who looked at him could sense. But as the years went on, his expression became pleasant and relaxed. Now, as he sat with perfect posture wearing a kimono, he was clearly evil, but also strangely had the air of a saint.

He looked nervous, which was rare for him. His always-laughing eyes were now raised and sharp.

He was in the temple of Suhara. It was a huge shrine in a quiet forest on the outside of the capital. Walk under the red tori gate, and you found a huge thatch-roofed temple building. Inside the sliding doors, you could see the divine tree that was the object of the Suharan’s worship. The tree was actually just a stump, about the size of a man, and Keizo sat across it on a straw mat. This divine tree was the device that connected Suhara to humanity. There was no one but Keizo in the shrine now. He was speaking directly to the god.

“Are you sure this is her?” Keizo said searchingly.

Two priestesses walked out from behind the tree. They both had identical beautiful faces. One sat in front of him on the right, and one on the left.

“This is the judgement of Suhara.”

“We leave the final decision to you.”

They were artificial humans. When humans struggled to communicate with the god, they were there to act as aides. In terms of rank, they were bishops, ranking higher even than the high priest. But that was only in theory. The high priest was the only one allowed to make changes to the god’s program settings. Thus, the high priest was actually more important than the god itself.

But Suhara was different than the others.

“You really want me to assassinate her?” Keizo asked again.

Those who were guilty of treason had their information given to the high priest by Suhara. The gods used the mana in the atmosphere to observe the deeds of mankind. For this reason, those who were certainly guilty of treason had the corresponding evidence and their location sent to the high priest.

Of course, normal people didn’t know about this system, and it was heavily criticized even among the high-ranking officials who knew of it, but even they had to admit its effectiveness. It made it possible to stop treason against the empire before it reached a large scale.

“We are not telling you to assassinate her.”

“But her treason is clear.”

The priestesses spoke in unison.

“But there’s no proof.”

That was what made Keizo nervous. The location of the traitor had been sent, but there was no indictment, and no evidence.

“The evidence cannot be revealed.”

“Even to the high priest?”

Keizo was well aware of how strange this statement was. Once you reached the level of high priest, you knew better than anyone that the gods were just a system.

—Should I use the unlock code?

Keizo wasn’t sure if he should use his authority as high priest. If he did, he would be able to rewrite the god’s program. If Suhara had somehow gone mad, he would be able to deal with it quickly.

—But if I overrule the will of god, the other priests may criticize me. And if the system is discovered to be acting incorrectly, then the other assassinations I’ve performed will have been wrong as well.

The god only gave information on the traitors. Whether to kill or arrest them was left up to the high priest, and Keizo was a fan of assassinations. Before he’d become high priest, he’d deceived his political enemies into committing treason, and used that evidence to get them killed. If it was revealed that the system was wrong, it could lead to his own destruction.

—Normally I’d use the military’s special forces... but I suppose I’ll just use my own personal army.

“I’ll take this data, then. I will be the one to make the decisions from this point,” Keizo said.

The priestesses nodded.

“Understood. Thank you. But...”

“Depending on how you use that data, even a high priest may be found guilty of treason. Do not forget that this is possible.”

The priestesses said as they walked around him in a circle.

—What?

He’d never been threatened like that before. No, it was impossible for the divine system to behave that way. The only possibility he could think of was that it had developed some kind of will of its own.

“Wait, you can’t threaten me like that...” Keizo said, but the two had already vanished behind the tree. And Suhara said nothing further.

“Either way, I’m going to kill her. That was my plan,” Keizo said to the god as he rose.

—It has a will of its own? No, that’s impossible... Either way, once this is done with, I’ll reveal to the other priests that Suhara is acting strangely. In the end, it’s just the life of one girl. It will be over soon.

Keizo flicked at the mana screen floating in front of him, marking the data displayed there as top secret. It was a photo of a girl with red hair and a bright smile, and a name.

“Keena Soga. I’ve never even heard of her. She must be my daughter’s age. I do take pity on her, but...”

○

The Hattori family were the enemies of the Teruya. And their eldest daughter, Junko, had a big problem.

—What do I do? This is a problem I may never be able to solve...

In her hands was the student handbook, a device which could be used as a method of communication. The screen had a message from her family on it. The subject was, “Preparations for the arranged marriage meeting are complete.”

—If preparations have been made, that means that Father has given his approval, and there’s no turning back now...

Junko was lurking out in the woods behind the dorm. She’d put a mana screen in front of her to blend in with the trees, concealing herself in a way that made sure no one would find her.

In front of her, Keena was sleeping and Akuto was reading a book.

The “arranged marriage meeting” was to be with Akuto. Junko had done nothing herself, but Korone had already discussed things with the Hattori clan.

Korone was an artificial human sent by the government to observe Akuto, who was expected to become the next Demon King. She was well aware of the complicated political situation, and had decided that one way to protect Akuto from the hard-liners in the government who would have him assassinated was to marry him off to the politically influential Hattoris.

—From the way he wrote in the message, Father seems very excited. It’s a political marriage, but Hattori women are usually fated to a worse fate in love. Compared to that, he wrote that it would be better that I achieve some measure of happiness... My little sister seems happy, as well, to be relieved of her duties. Now that the family’s future depends on me, she can go back to the carefree life she’s used to living. And I, myself, don’t mind the idea... There’s one problem, though...

The problem was that Akuto was completely unaware of this. The day of the meeting was coming. And it was Junko’s job to tell him.

—Wh-What do I do? Tell him that the date’s been decided? No, what happens if I do that?

“The date of the arranged marriage meeting has been decided.” “Huh? Whose?” “Yours and mine!”

“Does that mean that you decided all this without asking me? Don’t act like I don’t get a say in this. I thought that was one thing you’d understand about me...”

—That’s what he’d say, of course! Then what do I say? Maybe this?

“Marry me!” “W-Wait a second. We’re not old enough for that yet. Are you making fun of me?”

—That wouldn’t work either. Bringing up marriage first is a bad idea. Th-That’s right. First I need to find out how he feels.

“Do you like me?” “Of course. You really have your act together, and I can always trust you.”

—That’s right. That’s the kind of person he is. That wouldn’t work either. So what am I supposed to say? Wait, maybe my feelings are the problem here!

“I like you. I love you. Please be my husband.”

—No no no. I can’t say that! And do I even think that? How do I feel about him? Do I want him by my side? Do I want to watch over him? Wasn’t that all this was? And even if he likes another girl, I’m fine with...

“If you’re that worried about it, should I help you?”

—No, there are some things that you need to do yourself. That wouldn’t be right.

“I see.”

—That’s right. Wait, why is someone interrupting my thoughts...!

“You were saying them aloud. Hiding didn’t help you.”

“I-I was? How much did you hear?”

“Since you started saying all that weird stuff to yourself.”

“Huh...?”

Junko turned to the side and saw a stunning beauty standing next to her. It was Korone. She was looking at Junko expressionlessly.

Instantly, Junko’s mind went numb. She turned red and dropped to her knees.

“Wh-Who reads somebody else’s mind? What humiliation...”

“You were saying it aloud, though. Don’t worry. I’ll keep the information secret. It has to do with the mission, for one thing.”

“R-Really?” Junko looked up, relieved.

“Really. I’m well aware that it’s the nature of humans to want to hide their sexual desire,” Korone said calmly.

“S-Sexual desire? D-Don’t be stupid! Marriage is a holy... A-And anyway, this is a political marriage!”

“If that’s the case, it should be easy to talk to Akuto. Even if he refuses, if you tell him it’s a political decision, he’ll rethink things.” Korone was right, so Junko said nothing. At this point, she had no choice but to tell him. She’d been backed into a corner.

“Th-That’s right. Yeah. I was just about to go over there.” Junko removed her disguise and started to walk.

But there was no one in the place where Akuto had been a moment ago.

“Wait... he’s gone. I-I guess I’ll just have to wait until tomorrow. Yeah, don’t have a choice. I’ll do that,” Junko said in a monotone voice, and spun around.

Korone was waiting for her.

“It seems that Keena woke up and was hungry, so they went to the cafeteria. My Akuto Sai locating device tells me he’s still there.” Korone showed her a strange machine.

“That’s a really convenient machine to have...” Junko whispered. But Korone was probably telling the truth.

“The cafeteria.” Korone brought her head up closer to Junko. Her lack of expression only made it worse.

“I-I get it! I’ll go! Fine!” Junko yelled, and headed towards the cafeteria in the dorm.

There were barely any students left in the cafeteria, and it wasn’t even lunchtime, so the place was empty except for Keena and Akuto. Akuto was sitting in the middle of a long table, reading a book on a miniature screen. Keena was in the corner getting rice from one of the rice maker machines. If she wanted to talk to Akuto, now was the time.

She walked loudly so that Akuto would hear her as she crossed the cafeteria. She was too embarrassed to look at him directly, so she looked at the tables to the side instead. When she figured she was close enough, she spoke.

“H-Hey, can you come with me in two days? It’s something simple. I’m just going home for a while. I just mean come with me, nothing more. Nothing weird. I-It’s purely a political thing. My father and relatives want to meet you. My house is a long way away, and they’re preparing a banquet, so I’m sorry but you’ll have to stay the night. It’s a big house, so it won’t be a problem.”

“Hang on. What’s going on here?”

“Um, you’ll understand when you get there. It’s political. But potentially very important. So it’s fine. You won’t regret it. I’ll make sure the banquet is worth your while. Food in my home of Iga is very good.”

“Huh... That’s nice, but I really just can’t see myself going, ya know?”

“No, this is important. If you don’t come...”

For the first time, Junko looked to her front. It was her classmate Hiroshi who was standing there. He was small and still had the air of a mischievous kid.

She looked around. She hadn’t realized it, but Hiroshi was sitting next to Akuto now.

“You’re talking to the boss, right?” Hiroshi grinned as he realized her mistake.

When she saw the look on his face, she couldn’t bring herself to admit she was wrong.

“Th-That’s true. I’m talking to Akuto Sai. But what I said wasn’t a lie. You come too. You’ll make things more exciting,” she yelled as she pointed at Hiroshi.

“Don’t say that. I’m busy, you know.”

“Don’t lie to me. We’re both students, so I know you’re not busy,” Junko said sullenly, and Hiroshi scratched his head.

“Yeah, you’re right. You’re right about that. Haha. I’m not really busy.”

“What? You’re weird. Now, do you get it?” She turned to Akuto.

Akuto seemed like he’d been listening too, and while he didn’t seem to understand what she was talking about, he must’ve realized that arguing was a waste of time. He looked up from his book and nodded awkwardly.

“W-Well, that’s fine. But the day after tomorrow? That’s sudden.”

“A-Actually I knew before this, but I didn’t get a chance to tell you... No, that doesn’t matter. I have an air bus coming to pick us up. It’ll be here on the morning of the day after tomorrow, so be ready. Hiroshi, you too!” Junko said quickly.

“N-No, I really don’t think I have anything to do with this...” Hiroshi didn’t seem happy, but she glared at him.

“Th-This is because I’m not just inviting Akuto!”

“I-I get it... You don’t have to be so stubborn...”

“What was that?”

“No, never mind. I get it,” Hiroshi said in resignation as he sat back down next to Akuto.

“That’s good. Two days, okay?” Junko said, and then she left the cafeteria.

She told herself in relief that at least she’d done the bare minimum of what she needed to do.

Korone, who’d been watching her from the entrance to the cafeteria, whispered to her as she passed by.

“As his observer, I’ll be going with him. That’s all right, yes?”

Junko turned away without a word.

○

Meanwhile, an eerie scene was unfolding under the school. Fujiko Eto was holding an orange mana light in her hand, shaking at what she saw.

On the surface of an endlessly black pool of liquid floated what looked like a mat of some kind. It must’ve seen the light, because it sunk into the blackness as if to escape from it. In its place, a hairy pole-like thing came out of the depths, followed by a scaly, clawed hand. Giant creatures seemed to be lurking within; it seemed to be a mix of insects, mammals, and lizards.

“Demon beasts... and so many!” Fujiko brought her hand to her lips in surprise.

Demon Beasts had appeared in large numbers before, causing great damage to human society. They were nonhuman creatures that absorbed mana inside their bodies and grew to incredible strength. In many cases, they were fated to be exterminated as dangerous beasts. Some research labs would artificially create them, but of course keeping them as pets was strictly forbidden.

The way most people saw it, your average demon beast, no matter how weak it was, was a horrible thing to be avoided and hated. The monsters coming out of the black muck, one after another, were giant centipedes and human-like monkeys with long fangs, the kind of things that would end up securing a place in your nightmares the moment you saw them. And to find them in the basement of a place of storied traditions, like Constant Magical Academy...

“...How wonderful!” Fujiko’s face was full of joy, and her eyes were practically heart-shaped.

Just like her long black hair and sharp, intelligent eyes suggested, she’d sworn a vow as a black mage.

The reason she’d come here stretched back to a week ago. Fujiko had learned during the incident at the seaside retreat that the mana waves within Akuto’s body were causing the demon beasts to become more active. What’s more, the beasts that were affected gained a limited form of intelligence. Fujiko, who was devoted to him more than anything, decided to keep this fact a secret.

—He’s so kind. If he knew this, he would use his powers to strengthen the demon beasts all over the land to protect them, and put far too much stress on his body! Before he does that, I’ll find a way to control them!

That was her decision. In fact, Akuto would’ve actually blamed himself for whatever happened as a result of the demon beasts, but that wasn’t any concern of hers.

“If I can find a way to control them, Akuto will be so grateful that he’ll say, ‘Come with me, and we’ll rule the world together!’ And then he’ll hold me close... yes... like this...”

Fujiko realized there was, in fact, something reaching out to hold her close, and was pulled back from the world of her fantasies. A slimy tentacle had wrapped itself around her body.

“Hyaaaah! It’s slimy!”

The whole tentacle was wet with some kind of pink slime. It seemed to be some kind of shelled demon beast. The tentacle was stretching out from a giant shell, where she also saw many smaller tentacles and two eyestalks. A tentacled snail? So it must use the thick tentacle as its leg.

“W-Why are you trying to get inside my clothes?!”

The tentacle had crawled up her body and snuck inside her clothes.

“No! Don’t undo the hooks! S-Stop it! Don’t go around to the front!”

Fujiko reached out a hand to rip it off. She managed to grab it, but the slime meant it quickly slipped out of her grasp.

The eyestalks on the tentacle’s owner seemed to be laughing at her. The demon beast had more intelligence than was usual for its sort, but it seemed to have evolved along a bad direction.

“Ahh...ah... no!”

The tentacles wrapped themselves around her and lifted her up, and one tiny tentacle started to go up each of her legs.

“H-Hey... that’s going too far...!”

The tentacles forced her legs wide apart, locking her in mid-air in that position.

The look in the giant snail’s eyes got even naughtier as the tiny tentacles all headed for Fujiko’s skirt.

And then Fujiko changed.

“Knock it the hell off! I said that’s going too far!”

With a demonic expression on her face, she grabbed a bottle from her pocket and flung it at the snail. One of its tentacles quickly knocked it out of the air, but when it touched the ground, it exploded.

It was a small explosion, but it was enough to scare the snail into drawing all its tentacles back in. The instant she was free, Fujiko moved to a position where she could look down on the giant snail.

“You’ve got guts trying to go for hentai when you’re a hermaphrodite! Stay right there, ‘cause I’m gonna fry you and eat you with garlic bread!”

There were several tiny vials held between her fingers.

The snail’s tentacles shrank as it looked up at her in fear. It seemed less afraid of the exploding vials than of the look on Fujiko’s face. The tentacles rubbed together as if to say “Sorry” as the eyestalks drooped.

Fujiko put one leg on the giant snail’s shell and began to press into it.

“As long as you understand,” she said.

But for some reason, the giant snail seemed happy to be stepped on. This might have been because the two eyestalks were looking up at Fujiko from under her skirt.

She realized what it was doing.

“You still don’t get it?!”

She kicked it away, and this time, it truly surrendered. It lowered its head and waved its eyestalks up and down at her.

Only then did the fierce look on her face fade.

“It still looks weirdly happy,” Fujiko whispered. It seemed the giant snail was happy to be kicked by a pretty girl.

“Are all demon beasts like this?” she asked as she turned around.

A voice answered her from the darkness.

“Not all of them. This one has special fetishes, probably.”

The giant snail was suddenly plucked from the ground. It didn’t seem to realize what was going on, but panicked when it turned around.

A giant, 15 meter long dragon was staring at it with a bored look.

Its body was covered with metallic black scales, and its claws and fangs were made for battle.

Peterhausen, the black dragon, flung the giant snail back into the pool it came from.

“You know, if I weren’t here, the only one of these you’d be able to handle is the giant snail.”

Peterhausen pointed to several of the demon beasts that were trying to leave the pool. All of them seemed to be longing for a fight. Fujiko understood instantly that the only thing keeping them back was Peterhausen.

“What’s this...?” Fujiko asked Peterhausen.

“They don’t attack anything stronger than they are. They’re animals, essentially.”

“And why are these animals here, in such numbers?”

“This pool is filled with liquid that cuts off the influence of mana. It’s the perfect place to put demon beasts who are unfortunate enough to have long life spans.”

“Long life spans...? So the last Demon King left them here?”

“That’s right. Several of them have awoken in the past, but with their present lord beginning to awaken, they’re all starting to become active for real.”

“So I was in danger, then?”

“You were lucky that this one was the first one to attack you.”

Peterhausen pointed to the giant snail, which was trying to leave the pool again.

“Then I’ll be grateful to it, and make good use of it,” Fujiko said.

She had to rejoice in her good fortune. The demon beasts that appeared in the underground labyrinth were famous, and she’d hoped that she could find some clue about them on the bottom floors, but this was better than she could have imagined. Peterhausen seemed to know this from the start, but he also seemed to be avoiding interfering in things too much. He wouldn’t explain anything unless she took action herself. It was dangerous for anyone, even Fujiko, to go down to the lowest depths without Peterhausen’s protection, but it was worth it.

“All of them except him, though, look like they’d be really useful.” Fujiko smiled.

“What do you intend to do with them?” Peterhausen smiled as if he already knew the answer.

Fujiko’s smile became even more wicked.

“Akuto hasn’t managed to completely master the demon beasts, yet, right? So I’ll find a way for him to do so.”

“Nobody but the Demon King has ever been able to command the demon beasts.”

“That’s because no one like me has ever served the Demon King. And the reason the research hasn’t gotten anywhere is that they assumed that the demon beasts were just a mana bug. Now that I know that they’re caused by Akuto’s particular wavelength, the research will go much faster. Also, you’re going to help, right?”

“Heh. Why do you think that?”

“You’re only avoiding interfering because Akuto needs to awaken on his own, right? You’ll want to limit your involvement with the people around him to a level that doesn’t interfere with his free will.”

Fujiko and Peterhausen exchanged smiles.

“You’re almost completely right. But that’s not the only reason I avoid getting involved. Of course, I can’t tell you the other reason yet.”

“Do you like conspiracies? I rather enjoy them myself.”

“Hahaha. It’s a little too big to be a conspiracy. It may go beyond what you humans can understand.”

Peterhausen deftly raised a single eyebrow.

○

Keena was, as usual, loading up a bowl with rice from the rice maker. With Junko gone, Akuto and Hiroshi had nothing to do but watch her.

“Boss, how long is Keena going to keep eating?”

“No idea. That’s actually pretty slow for her. She’s capable of eating about three rice cooker’s worth of rice, so she’s taking her time with the one she’s got.”

“Wow...” Hiroshi nodded, impressed.

“...Anyway, what was up with the Class Rep? She really wants me to visit her house?”

“No idea. But she did say you could, whether she really meant to or not. I’d be glad to have you, instead of going alone. It’s some political thing, I guess... Anyway, is everything okay? You seem tired lately.” Akuto looked back at Hiroshi.

Hiroshi looked pale. But he wasn’t sick. It looked like he hadn’t slept, and had spent days working a physically demanding job.

“I-I’m fine. It’s nothing.” Hiroshi waved his hands dismissively, and then opened his mana screen and turned on the TV.

“If it’s nothing, then okay, but...”

Akuto looked at Hiroshi again. He looked very tired, but the way he talked and the sparkle in his eyes showed that he was feeling fulfilled. Come to think of it, Hiroshi seemed to have changed lately. He’d always been cheerful and friendly, but lately he seemed to be confident too.

“But something’s changed, right?” Akuto asked, and Hiroshi laughed, embarrassed.

“Nah, that’s not true. I’m just starting to understand how you feel a little.”

“How I feel?”

“You know. How you want to be useful to people.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Akuto laughed, and for some reason Hiroshi turned red and looked away, pointing to the TV instead.

“L-Look, it’s Yuri Hoshino, the idol.”

A tiny, pretty girl was smiling at them from the screen. It was a report from some event being held out in the countryside. Behind the idol named Yuri Hoshino was a big advertising screen and a series of tents. It was some kind of company exhibition.

“Is she popular?” Akuto asked. He didn’t know a lot about that stuff.

“That’s right. You’re a little behind the times, boss. She’s a singer, and an actress, and she’s also a popular guest on TV shows. It’s been barely any time since her debut and she’s at the top in all her fields,” Hiroshi explained, a little excitedly.

“She’s really amazing then. But I think I’ve seen her somewhere...” Akuto tilted his head. He didn’t recognize her face, yet he had a feeling that he’d met her somewhere.

“Aww, come on, boss. You must’ve seen her on TV without realizing it.” Hiroshi poked Akuto with his elbow.

“You might be right. Man, I’m silly,” Akuto laughed, and then he heard a scream from the screen.

He looked in surprise and saw people running and screaming. The cameraman must have been panicking too, because the screen was panning between the sky and the ground, and he could see short images of black shadows.

“Demon beasts?” Hiroshi said in surprise.

The next moment, the camera showed a huge bird-shaped demon beast. More than one of them, in fact. They were flying and attacking the tents.

“Oh no! Where is that?” Akuto asked. Hiroshi looked into the screen.

“It’s the floating island near the coast, I’ve been there before. It’s an event grounds that floats using magic. Unless you can fly, you can’t escape!”

“There has to be some kind of escape boat for accidents, right?”

“There is, but it’s for accidents. If they could line up and get on it, they could all escape in minutes, but the way they’re under attack, there’ll be a lot of casualties!”

“Where are the knights?”

“I think they’ll be there, but only the light knights can fly...”

As if to prove what he said, several knights rushed onto the screen. The people shouted in joy, thinking they were saved. But the knights’ magic and guns didn’t seem to work on the demon beasts, and they were easily knocked down.

“This is bad. Could the heavy knights do something?”

“No, it’ll take time for them to get there. They’ll have to get aboard a boat at the airfield...” Hiroshi said, and for some reason he looked at Akuto, upset.

“Um, boss, I... I gotta go.”

“Huh?”

It was a strange thing to say at a time like this, but Hiroshi was very serious. And then he said something even stranger.

“S-Something really brutal might happen after this, so don’t watch the TV! I-I’m gonna turn it off!” Hiroshi closed the mana screen and ran off.

—What was that?

Akuto shrugged. But he had a somewhat compliant personality at times, so he watched Hiroshi go without turning on the TV.

But it didn’t seem right to just do nothing. He stood up, and told Keena he was leaving for a minute. Then he went to talk to the student council president, who probably hadn’t left for home yet.

○

Hiroshi ran outside, and after making sure no one was around, put the bracelet on his wrist up to his face. And then he said one word:

“Brave.”

A mechanical voice sounded from the bracelet.

“Command received. Activating unit. Dimensional fault activated. Removing any material within five centimeters of user.”

Then there was a loud bang as Hiroshi’s body was surrounded by light.

“Welcome, Brave. Transferring unit. The transfer will require 0.2 seconds. Transfer complete. Electrical systems functioning normally. Life support systems functioning normally. External air circulation mode selected. Please use thought input to activate nuclear reactor engine.”

Before the voice was done speaking, Hiroshi’s body was completely covered in the suit. The suit was form-fitting, except for the helmet which exposed his mouth.

It didn’t use mana for its power source, which was rare these days. It was an anti-magic combat suit that had been passed down in Hiroshi’s family for reasons he didn’t fully understand. It acted according to his will, and gave him incredible powers.

“Display the map. Show me my current location,” Hiroshi whispered, and an image appeared on the screen.

“I want to get there in one minute, no, 30 seconds.”

With the suit on, he was able to float off the ground with just a small jump. He accelerated quickly into the sky, and then leveled off. The light on the map got closer and closer to the floating island.

Ever since he’d learned that Akuto’s existence was causing the demon beasts to become active, he’d been working in secret to eliminate them. He didn’t expect it to benefit Akuto in any way, but if he kept it up, he felt like it might make things better somehow. And even though he’d only been doing this for a short time, the mysterious hero who fought the demon beasts was already the talk of the people, and he’d heard the rumors too. It gave him an indescribable pleasure to realize that he was helping others, and being a real hero.

Fortunately, no one had identified him. This suit was illegal. If he wanted to keep doing this, he’d need to hide who he was. And he wanted to keep this a secret from Akuto and his friends, no matter what.

A moment after he’d seen the floating island, he was already in the sky above it. He could see several people below him in the plaza. Instead of running, the majority seemed to simply be in shock. They may have been waiting for their turn on the emergency escape boats, because they were just forming little groups, seemingly watching and praying that the demon beasts didn’t come close.

The light knights were fighting back as best they could, but they seemed fully occupied with protecting themselves. Despite that, they were still getting close to the demon beasts and then falling back, hoping to draw their attention away from the people.

“ID and track the location of the demon beasts. I’ll use the high-frequency blade,” Hiroshi said.

A claw-shaped blade stretched out from the gauntlet on his right wrist. He gave it a quick shake, and then let gravity take him down. Accelerating at an incredible rate, he slammed straight into one of the demon beasts.

It was a large, bird-like creature, and it had just been about to crush the face of a light knight in between its claws. But when Hiroshi flew by, it stopped moving.

The knight’s face changed from a look of fear to confusion. The claws that had been covering his vision suddenly fell away.

The demon beasts’ body had been sliced apart vertically in three straight lines. Without even time to scream, it fell apart in a storm of blood and feathers.

The people quickly realized what had just happened.

“That’s...!”

“It’s Brave! Brave the Demon Beast Slayer!” someone screamed, and the people began to cheer.

Hiroshi waved at them, and the men and women below, much older than he was, waved back with faces like children. He shook with joy at the exhilarating feeling, but he knew he had to focus.

Hiroshi checked the locations of the demon beasts, which were shown as shining dots on his map, and got behind the nearest one of them in an instant, ripping it apart with the high-frequency blade. And before it hit the ground, he was on to the next. He was so fast, and his cuts so clean, that not a single drop of blood made it onto his suit.

The Demon Beasts must have decided that he was the biggest threat, because they began to gather around him. By the time he’d taken out two or three of them, he was surrounded. About a dozen meters away, the bird-like demon beasts began to circle him.

“I’m surrounded. I can’t use any explosives or I’ll hurt the people below. I don’t know if I can dodge when they all attack at once...” Hiroshi muttered.

The beasts’ animal instincts must have sensed his plight, because they all started to circle closer. Sharp claws and beaks attacked him from every angle.

“Summon particle cutter.”

“Roger. Summoning particle cutter.”

A dull light surrounded the left hand of the suit. At the same time, the demon beasts all lunged at him, so many that you couldn’t see him through the mass of feathers.

The people below began to murmur in fear and surprise. But a moment later, they saw something unbelievable.

The ball of demon beasts surrounding him split open in the middle. It looked just like the round capsules used for prizes and medicine that split open from the inside.

“Particle cutter... I’ve never used it before, but...” Hiroshi’s voice shook with surprise and a little fear.

Beams of light were stretching out from the fingers of his left hand. At the end of them was a tiny device floating in the air, that looked like a claw separated from its fingers. Between the claw and the fingers were fine wires that were like sharp blades.

That’s what he’d used to rip them apart.

“The molecular cutter’s strength has degraded due to absorbing other material. If there are no further orders, it will be discarded,” the suit’s cyberbrain said.

The weapon was sharp, but it seemed that it dulled easily.

Hiroshi dodged the pieces of demon beast that were falling from above him like rain and he looked around to see if there were any more. There was just one.

He ordered the cutter discarded and it vanished immediately — he didn’t know to where. The main unit of the suit itself seemed to be located in another dimension, and it transferred all his weapons and power to this one. Discarding seemed to work the same way.

He couldn’t see the last beast at first glance. As he tried to hurry to the point on the map, he heard cheers from below. The people below him didn’t realize that there was still one left.

The last dot was at the end of a row of tents for advertisers. He ran through them quickly and found the reason why he wasn’t able to see it. At the end of the row was a warehouse, and the demon beast must’ve been inside.

It was a large building, with room for exhibits inside as well. There was a big door for bringing materials in and out. It was shut. There was also a door for people to go in and out, but he decided it would be faster to break the window while flying than go inside that way.

He made sure there was nobody below him, and then broke through the window as he leapt inside.

He immediately saw what had happened: someone had run into the warehouse to escape, only to be discovered. His eyes looked past the piles of boxes and saw the monster trying to break down a door. The door was made of iron bars, and there was a person inside. It looked like a room for the warehouse’s security. They’d managed to escape, but they were completely visible from the outside, and there was nowhere for them to run.

Hiroshi got close to the demon beast, and before it even noticed, he’d sliced its wings off its torso. Since it was a bird, it was using its wings for balance even as it rammed the door. It lost its balance and felt to the floor, screaming. Hiroshi put it out of its misery with the blade.

“Whew.”

He stepped over the body and went to open the door, but was met with unexpected resistance. The person inside was still panicking — he could hear a frantic voice inside, seemingly that of a young girl. Hiroshi tried to calm her down.

“It’s okay. The demon beast is gone. I defeated it.”

The resistance on the door suddenly stopped. He turned the knob and a girl came running out. He looked at her and was shocked. It was Yuri Hoshino, the idol from the TV.

Yuri Hoshino started to sob in relief when she saw him.

“U... Uwaaah! I was so scared!”

She was sobbing incredibly loudly. Hiroshi had to turn down the volume on his helmet. But even then...

—She really is cute...

Hiroshi saw her and instantly fell in love.

She stopped crying after a while, and then looked up and down at him.

“You saved me! Thank you! I really hate demon beasts! So, you’re the famous Brave, right? You really are cool!”

She suddenly jumped on him. And even more shockingly, she gave him a little kiss on his uncovered lips.

—Uwah...

Hiroshi stood up straight in surprise. He took a step back and looked at her.

She was smaller than he was, and looked a little childish, but there was something grown-up about her; a kind of aura she gave off that came from within and made others kneel to her. She had a mischievous look, and there was a sense that you had to be on guard around her, like she might try something at any minute. It all came together to make you feel like wherever she was, the whole room would revolve around her.

“Keep this a secret,” she said as she put her fingers to her lips and winked.

And then the big door to the warehouse burst open, and the knights stormed in. Hiroshi saw it with his visor, without turning around, so he decided to show off a little for Yuri.

“Then keep what you know about me a secret, too. The knights are probably going to want to know who I am.”

“Really? But tell me! I’ll keep it a secret! I want to go see you!”

Hiroshi was honestly tempted, but he managed to remain silent. He waved towards Yuri and then leapt up and turned to face the knights. They leapt up to catch him too, but they couldn’t match his speed. In an instant he was out the door. He circled in the sky to the applause and cheers of the crowd, then flew up higher to dodge his pursuers and vanished.

○

After Akuto left, Keena finished her rice. Now that she was sleepy, she left the cafeteria to take a nap in Akuto’s room.

Then she stopped. She saw a young man in white clothes standing in the dorm hallway.

He was tall and very handsome. His hair was a little long for a man’s, and he had a statuesque face and a calm smile. He was the kind of guy who’d make any girl’s heart skip a beat. He looked the same age as Keena, or maybe a little older.

When he saw her, he bowed a little and walked over.

“Hmm?” Keena seemed confused. She didn’t know him.

“Hello,” he bowed politely, and Keena bowed back.

“Hello. Who might you be? What can I do for you?” Keena asked, and he frowned a little. But then he smiled, as if he thought she must be confused, and took out a handbook from his pocket.

“I’m with the Cabinet. I’m here on business with the school, but I got lost.”

Keena looked at the badge displayed inside the handbook. It was really elaborate, so it must be real, she thought.

“Where do you want to go? I’ll take you there, sir.”

Her tone was different than usual. The man seemed upset by that as well.

“I’d like to meet whoever’s in charge of security.”

“I see. At our school, the student council handles that job instead of a dedicated staff. I’ll take you to the student council room... Is something wrong?”

Keena peered at his face. He looked back at her, and narrowed his eyes like he was looking at something very bright.

“No, but when I look at you, it just feels like I know you.”

“That’s such a wonderful thing to say, sir. But have we met?”

“I couldn’t say. My name is Boichiro. Boichiro Yamato.”

Keena seemed confused again.

“I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“I see.” Boichiro suddenly sighed. “As long as you can tell me where the student council room is, you don’t need to take me there. I’ll go there myself.”

“Oh, I see.”

Keena explained where it was, and Boichiro bowed and started to walk.

“Thank you. Until we meet again, then.”

“Huh? Will we meet again?” Keena’s voice returned to normal. It was like a different aspect of her personality emerged when she was talking to him.

Boichiro turned around and smiled.

“As long as you are you, we will.”

○

When Akuto knocked on the door of the Student Council Room, Student Council President Lily Shiraishi was inside, working at her desk. She raised her head and welcomed him inside.

She was a small girl in a classy hat. She wore a mischievous and strong-willed expression, and didn’t seem like what you’d expect from a student council president, but she had a commanding air about her.

“What is it?” Lily asked with an easygoing smile as she flicked the rim of her hat with her finger.

“It’s nothing that important, but...”

Lily’s face grew tense as he told her about the demon beast attack. She knew that he was essentially creating them, but she’d decided that right now it wasn’t the right move to tell him. “I’m sure the government has some reason for not taking action. But I’ll find out what that reason is,” was her private decision.

“Just look at the all the local news broadcasts here. My hobby is watching all the different stations at once,” she said, sliding her hand across the desk.

A flood of mana screens appeared, each tuned to a different channel. Lily limited her search to only channels reporting on the attack, and several disappeared, leaving around twenty. The stations were all reporting on the heroics of Brave (Hiroshi), though neither of the people in the room knew who Brave really was.

Still, ever since Akuto had encountered him at the Seaside Retreat, he’d suspected something was going on. But Akuto was the kind of person who wanted to believe in his friends, so he was doing his best to avoid bringing up Hiroshi’s strange behavior.

“Is this person in the suit popular?”

“Yes. He’s defeating demon beasts all over the land. The mana cost for teleportation is heavy, so the knights can’t do it. They can’t get there as fast as he can. They’re frustrated because he always steals the glory just as they’re about to arrive. So the civilians love him, but the knights say he’s violating the law and want to arrest him. For some reason, there are no records of his actions, and they can’t trace his mana. That suit must be equipped with a mana canceller. That thing’s illegal, and it’s a felony for an individual to possess it.”

“It is?”

“Yeah. But what worries me is that his equipment is specialized for taking down demon beasts. He’s working to help the people now, or at least he thinks he is, but I’m worried about what happens next. People like this can easily turn into vigilantes.”

“Vigilantes?”

“Their sense of justice can get too strong, and they start passing judgement on others by themselves. I myself have the same tendency.” Lily laughed.

“Then why is that a bad thing?”

“It’s not that bad. But when there are two people like that, it means a big fight.” Lily smiled brightly.

Akuto fell silent for a moment. Then there was a knock on the door. It was someone neither of them expected.

“May I come in?”

The man who came in had a white beard and white hair, and it was clear that there was no point in even trying to guess his age. Even in this era, where long-lived people were common, he was probably one of the oldest. It was clear that he was a century old at least, which meant he’d fought in the last great war. He was the Headmaster of Constant Magical Academy.

“Headmaster.” Lily stood up straight, which was rare for her. Akuto did so as well. “What brings you here today, sir?”

Normally the headmaster never showed himself in person — he just used the communicator. He didn’t have many reasons to talk to students to begin with.

“I was just passing through. No, that’s a joke. Actually, I had a feeling that an old acquaintance might come here. I saw it in a dream. No, that’s a joke too.”

The headmaster laughed. Lily and Akuto didn’t. They didn’t feel like they should say anything.

Suddenly his eyes, almost entirely hidden by sharp eyelashes, grew sharp. He turned towards the door, where a man was now standing.

Both Akuto and Lily tensed. They hadn’t sensed him coming at all.

The man was just standing there. And his face was relaxed. He was handsome, in a way that made it easy to open yourself up to him. But there was an almost visible pressure in the air around him.

“Nice to meet you, I suppose,” the man, Boichiro Yamato, said. His eyes were clearly looking at Akuto, who looked right back at him.

Akuto bowed, a little uncertain what was going on. There was too much calmness in the man’s eyes for there to be animosity, but there was no warmth in them either.

Then Akuto realized that he knew that face. He wasn’t sure, but when he’d met Peterhausen, he’d seen a strange image that could’ve either been a hallucination or a mana communication. It was the man who’d killed Fujiko’s brother — he didn’t really remember the face, but the man’s aura seemed to be the same.

Lily must’ve felt it too, because she went pale. She’d been there when it had happened as well.

“I see this is a group of very non-average people,” Boichiro said with a smile.

And in the next instant, Lily punched him. She hadn’t moved her body from the desk. She’d used mana to alter the structure of her arm and reach out to the door. The fist traveled toward him with the speed of a bullet.

The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed throughout the room.

But Lily’s fist had landed on Akuto’s palm. “Landed” may not have been the right word, actually. The moment she’d launched her punch, Akuto had moved next to Boichiro and grabbed her fist.

“At least let my hand slip,” Lily said with a laugh. There was a smile on her face.

“If anybody’s allowed to show up here without warning, it means they’re with the government, right? I don’t know what’s going on, but have you lost your mind, just punching someone like that?” Akuto said.

“I’m quite sane. I know from the badge on his collar that he’s with the Cabinet Government. I’ve just got a problem with hand slipping when I see bureaucrats. And look at his face. There was no need for you to do that ‘faster than a speeding fist’ trick.”

Akuto turned to look at Boichiro’s face. He hadn’t moved an inch from where he was standing, and his expression hadn’t changed at all. The only thing that had moved was his right hand. At some point, he’d put it into his jacket pocket.

“It’s like he moved his hand without moving his center of gravity. And the reason his hand’s still in his pocket is that he saw you move and realized there was no need for him to draw,” Lily said.

If that was true, Boichiro had known everything Lily and Akuto were going to do. There’d been less than a fifth of a second between Lily’s punch and Akuto’s block.

“I’d rather you not do that in our first meeting. If I don’t respond with anger as well, it would send the wrong impression,” Boichiro said with his smile. His voice was still calm, but the air around him seemed to grow tenser.

“Don’t get too cocky, bureaucrat.” Lily’s tone dropped. She was smiling, too.

The tension was too much to bear, and it was clear that something was about to happen. Akuto looked at Lily and squeezed down tighter on her fist.

“There’s no reason for you to fight,” he said.

“Do you need a reason?” she answered.

“That’s not what I’m saying. We haven’t heard what he has to say yet.”

When Akuto finished his sentence, Boichiro gave an exaggerated shrug and smiled.

“I just came to warn you. I wanted to know if your security was up to par.”

“The student council runs it. We don’t need your advice.”

“Is punching people you’ve never met part of the security system?”

“You bastard...!” Lily shook off Akuto’s hand. His face went pale as he tensed up.

“If you’re going to get in my way, then I’ll fight you both...” Lily put her hand on her hat and warned them. Boichiro saw this and smiled assuredly, then took his hand out of his pocket.

The next minute, a violent storm broke out... or it should have.

But the only sound in the room was a “pop.” And then there was a light crunching sound as dozens of small objects hit the floor. It was the crunching of potato chips.

The headmaster had tried and failed to open a bag of potato chips. He’d pulled too hard and torn the bag open, and the contents had spilled everywhere. Potato chip crumbs fell everywhere, onto Akuto, Lily, and even Boichiro.

“I’m sorry, this bag was just really hard to open...” The headmaster scratched his head and looked at the group.

“The snacks in the basket are the treasurer’s private property, they don’t belong to the student council. Please replace them.” Lily said, too exasperated to fight.

Akuto took a step away from Boichiro and breathed. The bag had exploded just as Lily had been about to attack. Otherwise, nobody would’ve cared.

“You’re a crafty old man,” Boichiro said as he popped a potato chip into his mouth.

“Don’t say that. I was looking forward to those chips,” the headmaster laughed as he moved in front of Boichiro.

“If you’re worried about our security, you don’t need to be. We’ve gotten by just fine. Anyway, it’s been a while. What is your position now?”

Boichiro took a notebook out of his pocket. He opened it and showed the headmaster a badge. Lily’s eyes widened in shock when she saw it.

“The Cabinet’s Magical Information Officer...”

The post was one that you could only get after rising to the highest rank of the knights, and then working as the headmaster of the knight’s training school. It was mostly an honorary post, but because of what you had to do to get it, it gave you massive power over the knights. Normally, no matter how talented, a young man like Boichiro would never be able to get it.

“Oh, the head of the Magical Information Investigation Department, huh? It’s an honor to have someone like that come to warn us directly.”

The Headmaster talked as if he were speaking to an old friend. Meanwhile, Boichiro still seemed to be on his guard.

“I’m warning you about your security systems. If something happens at this school, I may need to get involved.”

Akuto took that as a warning towards himself.

“Are you saying I’m going to do something?”

“No, you’ll be the victim.” Boichiro waved his hand.

“You’re the ones who won’t leave me alone. I don’t have any ambitions of my own. But there was that strange thing that happened at the island. Given that guy’s position, it’s obvious he worked for you. The report on the incident got shut down somewhere, though.” Akuto narrowed his eyes, but Boichiro ignored him.

“You people are too naive. You think I’m your enemy, don’t you? That’s true, in a sense, but who is the real enemy?” Boichiro asked him.

There was an edge in Akuto’s voice as he answered.

“Enemies? I don’t have any enemies. The very idea shows your lack of thought. Evil is something in the hearts of each of us. It’s not something you can fix by denouncing someone.”

“If the evil is human, yes. But haven’t you realized who the real enemy is? You, and you too.” Boichiro looked at Akuto, and then the headmaster.

“What?” Akuto was confused. The headmaster didn’t move.

“I came here because I thought we’d be able to talk. What I need to realize is where my position is, right? And it seems to me that your position is as part of an evil empire. You probably disagree, though,” Boichiro said to no one in particular.

“I am me. I’m the one who decides where I belong,” Akuto said.

Boichiro laughed.

“That’s childish. That’s fine. If you don’t get in my way, you’ll simply be overtaken by events and disappear. That would be best for me, since I don’t have to fight you then. I’d rather not hurt anyone.”

“Who are you, anyway?” Akuto asked.

Boichiro looked back at him, but then quickly turned away.

“...You can take this as one last warning,” Boichiro said, and he left the room.

“Who is he, Headmaster? You seemed to know him,” Akuto asked.

“I don’t,” the headmaster said.

“You don’t?” Both Akuto and Lily raised their voices at this.

“No, I mean I don’t know who he really is. He’s been like that ever since I was young.”

“Like that?”

The two of them both seemed skeptical, but the headmaster went through the basket of snacks like it wasn’t that important a question.

“He always has the same face when I see him. He’s always the same age. About a hundred.”

“A hundred...?”

“But he always has a different job. I’m not sure if it’s one person, or a bunch of people. But every one of them remembers me, so unless they share memories, it’s easier to assume they’re the same man.”

The headmaster stopped going through the snacks. He looked at Akuto.

“Sai.”

“Yes sir?” Akuto stood up straight, thinking he was about to be lectured.

“Why does the treasurer here only have such strange flavors of snacks?”

“I think... she just has bad taste.”

“I see.” He nodded.