Shirona bit her lip as she endured Nagisa’s groping. Her face was awash with embarrassment, but Nagisa was only getting more and more into it. She’d unwittingly put more energy into fondling Shirona’s breasts than intended, but their firmness rebuffed her fingertips. That feeling of utter bliss left Nagisa heaving in ecstasy.
“Haaah… That was close… My mind was in a really far-off place…”
Having drank deep from the well of euphoria that was Shirona’s breasts, Nagisa pulled her hands away with visible reluctance. Shirona was now glowing red, unable to meet Nagisa’s eyes.
“A-are you satisfied now…?”
“Yeah. Wow… That was incredible. Thanks.”
“I see… However…”
Shirona finally looked back at Nagisa with teary eyes. Then suddenly, an ominous smile crept over Shirona’s lips. Without warning, her right hand gently grasped both of Nagisa’s hands.
“Now it’s my turn.”
“Eh…?!”
Nagisa let out a yelp when Shirona suddenly pulled her close. When Nagisa tried to flee, Shirona embraced her from behind, pressing her own flesh against Nagisa’s.
“Tee-hee… Nagisa, your back is so pretty.”
“Sh-Shirona, hold on a sec…!”
“I will not. You can’t be the only one who gets to touch others.”
“Eeep!” went Nagisa, her entire body going rigid at the gentle whisper into her ear. A sensation like an electric current crawled up her back, sapping her limbs of strength.
“B-but, um, my body’s small, like a little kid’s, especially in the chest, not amazing like yours, Shirona, plus I ate too much for breakfast, so my tummy’s all bloated, and…”
“No, no. Even budding flowers have their beauty. You should have more confidence in yourself.”
Against Nagisa’s desperate, rambling explanation, she received only a “Heh” in response. Shirona spoke with a dominant tone that made her seem like a completely different person from the fainthearted girl from before. Her voice became ruthless. The phrasing, reminiscent of a much older person, made Nagisa second-guess Shirona’s age.
“Sh-Shirona… Th-this isn’t the place for… Hyah?!”
“It’s okay. You are but a young, vivacious, unripe fruit. I simply must respond in kind.”
Nagisa let out another yelp when Shirona touched a particularly sensitive spot on her side. Nagisa’s innocent reaction brought a sadistic expression over Shirona’s face.
Shirona had become a different person altogether. Perhaps it was dissociative identity disorder, or perhaps possession—the exact mechanism at work was unclear, but for whatever reason, her personality had undergone a dramatic change. It was even possible that this Shirona was her true personality.
Either way, the abrupt change in Shirona left Nagisa completely at her mercy.
“Heh-heh… Your body is so fun to play with. How does it feel…here?”
“Ah… Shirona, n…not there…!”
“Ohhh, resisting, are you? That’s adorable. Well then, how about this, and this?”
“Nnngh?!”
Shirona gently stroked the insides of Nagisa’s thighs. Drained of strength, Nagisa was half in a daze as she floated faceup on the water’s surface. With Nagisa in this position, Shirona’s tongue slithered toward her neck. Shirona’s white hair was moving as if it had a will of its own, slowly coiling around Nagisa’s flesh.
“Shirona, you’re—!”
Nagisa looked at Shirona with wide-open eyes. Nagisa’s once-limp body tensed in fear. Nagisa was not looking at Shirona herself, but at the nature of the soul resting within her.
“That is Hisano’s granddaughter for you. To think you could discern my true nature so easily.”
Shirona stated it in a tone not unlike admiration. Nagisa flailed, trying to break flee from her clutches—
“There is nothing to fear. I may resemble a demon, but in truth, I am no such thing. If there is a demon present, it would be you… Avrora, the twelfth Kaleid Blood.”
“N-noo…!”
As Nagisa continued to resist, Shirona leaned in closer and peered into her eyes. In that instant, Nagisa’s mind was sent reeling. Her vision went white from the massive influx of information.
“Ah—”
Her strength seemingly at an end, Nagisa fell into a slumber. The only sounds echoing throughout the bathhouse were the “Haah, Haah” of her short, even breaths.
Shirona gazed down at the girl as she licked her own lips.
With Nagisa now unconscious, Shirona picked up the girl’s body with one arm, then made her way out of the bath.
With a single flash of her left hand, two brand-new white priestess outfits appeared out of thin air. Shirona laid Nagisa down and pulled one of the outfits over her shoulders, clothing herself in white as well.
As if that was some kind of cue, the golden radiance vanished from Shirona’s eyes.
Returning to her normal timid demeanor, Shirona gasped when she noticed Nagisa laying right in front of her.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”
Shirona gently whispered to Nagisa’s sleeping face and gently closed her own eyes.
Shirona Kuraki possessed two wills. One was the will of Kuraki, passed down generation after generation. The other was a girl acting as a vessel for the power of darkness.
It was Kuraki who decided how that power would be used, but it was she who actually controlled it—
Once again, she was unable to escape Kuraki’s original sin.
“I’m sorry,” Shirona murmured once more. Tears coursed down her cheeks.
Whether she said it in search of forgiveness, even she did not know.
3
The only parking lot with a scenic view of Kannawa Lake was packed full of Self-Defense Forces vehicles.
Most were supply trucks and command vehicles for aerial reconnaissance drones, but they included lightly armored scout vehicles and even APC’s with large-caliber weapons. There were enough reinforcements to occupy a small city or two.
They belonged to the Self-Defense Forces’ Special Attack Mage Regiment, operating directly under the Minister of Defense—an offensive special forces unit specializing in countering magical disasters.
A tent deployed at the center of the grounds analyzed surveillance data gathered by the drones without pause. The operators’ faces were thick with traces of fatigue, no doubt feeling the strain of their endless vigil.
Even so, they maintained focus, for the surveillance data they were analyzing had picked up on the strange presence at the bottom of Kannawa Lake.
Sensing the atmosphere inside the tent, Yuiri Haba’s face hardened in turn.
Yuiri, serving under the Lion King Agency, was a complete outsider at that command post. Furthermore, the incident was the apprentice Sword Shaman’s de facto first battle. Under the circumstances, remaining calm was hopeless. Feeling out of place, all she could do was bite her lip and stand in a corner of the tent when—
“Calm down, Yuiri Haba. What will happen if even a specialist like you becomes tense?”
Hisano Akatsuki, wearing her dougi uniform, spoke gently in an effort to bring Yuiri to her senses.
In contrast to Yuiri, Hisano, who had worked as an instructor for many of the Special Attack Mage Regiment currently on duty, was accustomed to the atmosphere inside the tent. She was also the recipient of trust from the Self-Defense Forces’ officer corps.
And yet, notwithstanding the cold impression she gave off, she showed concern for Yuiri, who was little more than excess baggage at present. Yuiri could understand why Hisano, already retired from her Attack Mage career, was still revered by so many.
“I—I am sorry. This is my first time, and I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to do—”
Yuiri lowered her eyes and haltingly conveyed the truth. She not only viewed herself as a hindrance, but she was also frightened of the military officers looking at her like she was a pest.
“The
n you should relax a little, I would say. You are a Sword Shaman of the Lion King Agency, so trust not in logic, but in your own senses. You are here because of your Spirit Sight, are you not?”
“Y-yes.”
Hisano’s words served to steady Yuiri’s mind.
A young girl like Yuiri was in that command center because much was expected of her sharp senses as a spiritualist. The officers, too, would surely accept Hisano’s explanation. Subconsciously or not, if felt like the wariness and opposition they held toward Yuiri had softened.
The change in atmosphere allowed the command post to finally regain its composure, whereupon Yuiri shifted her attention to Kannawa Lake beneath them. A light morning mist surrounded the lake; the quiet, gentle surface of the water was exposed to view.
To the naked eye, nothing was amiss. Its overflowing beauty made it a tourist attraction. However, Yuiri’s senses as a spirit medium caught the dense mass of power that existed at the bottom of the lake. It felt neither divine nor malignant; the collective mass of overwhelming spiritual energy was simply different.
The Self-Defense Forces’ underwater search devices had confirmed the mass’s existence as well. The object’s form, resembling the shellfish mother-of-pearl, wavered like a mirage, for which they had dubbed it Avalon.
It was surrounded by a black bulwark that rejected all, so they knew not what lay within. Even Yuiri’s Spirit Sight was unable to discern Avalon’s true nature. All she felt was a stirring deep in her chest—a portent of ill tidings.
“Avalon’s status?”
A new man in camouflage fatigues entered the tent, posing his request to the operator in an urgent tone.
The man was probably thirty years old, more or less. He was tall with a weathered face that resembled a hunting dog’s. He was Special Major Azama, the unit’s commanding officer. Apparently, he was just returning to the command tent after less than two hours’ rest.
Azama, noticing Hisano and Yuiri on standby, offered his respects. He showed no scorn toward Yuiri despite the girl’s young age, a sign of a young, capable commander.
A female officer sitting in the operator’s chair suppressed her emotions as she stated to Azama in a low voice:
“The rate of activity continues to rise. In the last forty-eight hours, pressure within the shell has risen 1.25 percent. Surface demonic energy density is seven hundred and seventy-four times its base value—it’s dangerous, sir.”
“Fast,” murmured Azama quietly.
“Yes,” said the female operator, her voice trembling. “If the demonic energy density continues increasing at the current pace, there will be substantial effects on life-forms in the vicinity within ten days. In the worst-case scenario, it is possible that urban areas may also suffer dam—”
“We’ll get this under control before that happens. Isn’t that right, Akatsuki-sensei?”
“Yes, of course,” said Hisano, responding to Azama’s call. “Since ancient times, Kamioda Temple took thorough measures to subdue the awakening houda whenever the signs presented themselves. This time shall prove no different.”
“Houda?” asked Azama, his brows furrowing. “That is the name of what sleeps inside Avalon?”
“It is the name recorded in ancient documents. The records were from before this crude puddle they call Kannawa Lake was constructed, but…it is said that houda are the prelude to calamity.”
“Calamity, you say,” Azama muttered. “I see.” He gave Hisano an impetuous smile. “So Kamioda Temple is the holy shrine founded to quell that disaster.”
“If that is how you wish to think of it, I shall not object.”
“In other words, the means to put a stop to Avalon’s abnormal increase in activity has been passed down to you?”
“It is because I know it that the Lion King Agency has accepted my participation in this operation……Shirona?”
Without warning, Hisano looked over her shoulder and called out to someone. That very instant, Yuiri felt the air sway behind her. In her surprise, all she could manage was an “Eh?”
A petite-framed girl with white hair had appeared. Even if she was only an apprentice, Yuiri, a Sword Shaman of the Lion King Agency, should never have let her approach that closely without her noticing.
“Of course, that is precisely how it is.”
The girl spoke those words to Hisano in a clear voice—but in a manner peculiar to an old woman.
“Lord Kuraki…,” Azama addressed the girl.
Shirona looked over her shoulder, her beautiful white hair fluttering as she smiled.
“It has been some time, Major Azama. I am glad to see you in good health.”
“Kuraki…of the Three Saints…?!”
Having drawn her sword in half a heartbeat, Yuiri took a stance, her entire body seized with tension.
Shirona Kuraki was one of the Three Saints of the Lion King Agency—and being at the top of the Lion King Agency meant being among the highest class of all Attack Mages in Japan. Even pointing a blade her way was asking for death, and no one would have been able to say anything if she killed Yuiri on the spot.
However, Shirona did not even glance Yuiri’s way, helping herself to a metal chair beside her as she said, “We shall make full use of the ceremony passed down through the holy shrine of Kamioda, Hisano. I take it you have no complaints? Originally, the task was yours, and it is also for the sake of saving your granddaughter.”
Shirona’s words, spoken in a challenging manner, were met by Hisano with a solemn nod. “Do the other Saints know of the details of the ceremony?”
“Shizuka knows not. Appearances aside, she is pure of heart, so it is best she does not know.” Shirona smiled wryly and shook her head. Her expression was like a mischievous child’s.
“…To be honest, the fact that you chose a drastic measure surprised me,” Hisano said with a deep exhale in a show of resignation.
The turbulent echo of her words made Yuiri’s body go rigid once more.
The ceremony Shirona was undertaking was likely a dangerous gamble, enough that even the Three Saints of the Lion King Agency would not see eye to eye. But even if Hisano said Yes, let’s stop this, Shirona was unlikely to be persuaded. Knowing this, Hisano’s expression seemed almost casual.
Hisano remained stoic up until Shirano said, “I briefly spoke to your granddaughter.”
It was like she was speaking about a girl far younger than herself.
“A very friendly child. She reminds me of you in your younger days. You were right around her age when we first met, were you not?”
“Shirona… You didn’t…”
When, for some reason, a pained expression came over Hisano, Shirona shot her a shameless grin.
“I am sorry, unlike the other Saints, I am not working on behalf of the government. I shall eliminate the menace of The Cleansing by any means necessary.”
“The menace of The Cleansing… A god-killing weapon, then…”
The sharpness of Hisano’s gaze increased. Then, she faced Yuiri, almost as if she had suddenly remembered something.
“What do you think of this, Yuiri Haba?”
“Huh?! M…me…?!”
Yuiri was flustered from the conversation suddenly being tossed her way. Yuiri, an apprentice Sword Shaman, could not possibly answer a question about The Cleansing, which was supposed to be top-secret. In the first place, no one had told her the core details of the operation, let alone Avalon’s true nature.
“Um… But I do think ‘menace’ might be a little off…”
Backed into a corner, Yuiri voiced her honest opinion in a fit of desperation.
Hisano’s eyebrows faintly twitched.
“What do you mean, a little off?”
“I mean… In other words, I feel like Avalon is not a calamity in and of itself. It feels like it’s just sleeping, like it’s protecting something… Er… So that’s why…”
Yuiri’s voice became fainter as her halting explanation continued. It wasn’
t like she had hard evidence to begin with. To be blunt, Yuiri would be hard-pressed to explain just why she felt that way.
However, Hisano did not reproach Yuiri. Her eyes remained trained upon the girl, silent as she contemplated something, whereupon the elder suggested, “Shirona… Would you mind taking her in my stead?”
“Oh?” murmured Shirona, seemingly delighted to hear Hisano’s words. Hisano naming an immature Sword Shaman like Yuiri to act in her stead was something of a surprise.
“How interesting. I do not mind.”
“Huh? Me instead of Miss Hisano? …What?!”
Indeed, it was Yuiri who was thrown off. Even if she hadn’t been told the essentials of the operation, Yuiri knew well enough just how important this ceremony was. Furthermore, the very life of Hisano’s granddaughter was at stake.
Yuiri couldn’t even imagine taking over the duties of a legendary Attack Mage like Hisano under such circumstances. Of course, Shirona did not spare the slightest concern for Yuiri’s bewilderment.
Clad in white priestess attire, Shirona declared, “Now then, shall we begin? Make the necessary preparations, Major Azama.”
In that instant, tension ran through the SDF tent as if someone had sliced it with a razor. Without a word, Hisano lowered her eyes; Yuiri clenched her hands out of nervousness.
“Let us begin…,” repeated Shirona once more, “…the ceremony to vanquish the former Fourth Primogenitor.”
4
Nagisa Akatsuki was floating in water. The transparent prison stretched as far as she could see. Everything around her was blue like the deep sky, and a flickering band of light seemed to trickle down from the water’s surface like gentle rain.
It was not hard to breathe. It was not cold. It was a strange feeling, as if she was floating inside a gemstone.
“Where…is this?”
Nagisa murmured as her gaze slowly wandered. Her untied hair was long, trailing her movement like the tail of a tropical fish. Also, there wasn’t a single scrap of clothing covering Nagisa’s body. The pale light shining from the water’s surface traced geometric patterns like waves on Nagisa’s pale flesh.
“What?! Why am I naked?! Come to think of it, I was in the temple’s bath—”
The Knight of the Sinful God Page 3
