Aria the Scarlet Ammo (novel), Volume 2

by Chugaku Akamatsu

  From over Aria’s shoulder, Shirayuki then blew on the right hand in which Aria was holding her pistol.

  “Uagh!” cried Aria, flinching as if she had been scalded by a hot iron. She dropped her prized Government, and when the silver pistol fell on the ground, the area around it became covered in ice.

  “Aria! That’s not her!” I screamed. “That’s not Shirayuki!”

  Shirayuki proceeded to blow on Aria’s left hand as well.

  “Aaah?!”

  She flinched again, this time releasing her jet-black Government and bringing both hands in front of her chest. There was ice attached to her hands as if a hard frost had set in. Seeing that unnatural spectacle caused an instinctive sense of fear to run through my spine.

  Shirayuki … did that just now? Using supernatural abilities?

  “A mere human,” her voice was no longer Shirayuki’s, “trying to oppose a Stealth? Such foolery.”

  I did have a hunch that something wasn’t right. The Shirayuki before me hadn’t done what I told her to do. I told her to take out her sub-edge, but she was lying on the floor coughing and unarmed. That’s why I asked if her lips were okay—to see how she would respond. If she had been the real Shirayuki, who I had kissed when we were under water, there was no way she would have calmly just said something like “they’re fine.” Not only that, but I hadn’t seen her injure her mouth at all. Yet, she answered in a way that suggested she had. This fake Shirayuki was so well disguise that I had to go through such lengths to confirm my suspicions. She was the exact splitting image of Shirayuki. If I hadn’t been in hysteria mode, which increases my senses by many times greater than usual, even I, Shirayuki’s childhood friend, would have been completely fooled and fallen at her hands.

  “…Durandal …!” Aria, finally perceiving the imposter’s true identity, cried out her name while trembling in pain from her frozen hands.

  “…Don’t call me by that name. I’m not partial to names people arbitrarily label me as.”

  “You … remember my name, don’t you?! I’m Aria Holmes Kanzaki! One hundred and seven years of my mom’s prison sentence come from the crimes that you pinned on her! You’re going to have to make amends for what you did!”

  “Is that the kind of statement one makes in your situation?” Durandal sneered at the captured Aria. “And regarding your name, it’s laughable for you to be so proud of a name with only one hundred and fifty years of history. My name is much more ancient than yours. It has a history of six hundred years—a proud history of light.” She narrowed her eyes in amusement using Shirayuki’s face and brought her lips close to Aria’s ear. “I see. So you’re the Quadra. It’s just like Lupin the Fourth said.”

  Lupin the Fourth’s name was just mentioned. She was referring to Riko.

  So she is allied with the “butei killer,” Riko Mine, Lupin the Fourth.

  I was just thinking that that a disguise this perfect couldn’t have been possible without her skills.

  “Aria, you very much resemble my great ancestor, Joan of Arc the First. You have a beautiful and lovely appearance, but you also have a courageous heart …”

  “Joan of Arc …?!” Aria repeated the name.

  Did she just say …Joan of Arc?!

  I knew the name as well. I learned of it in the world history class that was part of our general education. She was a saint of France who led her country to victory in the Hundred Years’ War between England and France in the fifteenth century. Does Durandal mean she‘s a descendant of that Joan of Arc? … But …

  It was impossible for this girl right in front of me to be a descendent of Joan of Arc. The reason being that the woman known as “The Maid of Orléans” met her end by …

  “That’a a lie!” cried Aria, “Joan of Arc was burned at the stake …before the age of twenty! She has no descendants!”

  “That was a double,” Durandal said, snorting with derision. “Our clan is a clan of strategists. We can feign to be saints, while out true identity is that of a sorceress. We have concealed our true identity in the shadows of history while passing on our pride, name, and ingenuity to our heirs for generations. I am the thirtieth in our line—Joan of Arc the Thirtieth,” said Durandal—or if one were to abide by her claim, Joan of Arc.

  “It’s just as you say. My ancestor, the first Joan of Arc, was nearly executed by burning. But following that, we have been studying this power for generations.” Like a poisonous snake, Joan extended her hand to Aria’s thighs and Aria wrenched her body in immense pain again.

  “Aaah!”

  Before my eyes, ice formed over her small kneecap. There was no longer any doubt. This girl had an unbelievable power that was different the abilities of we buteis.

  “Follow me, Aria. Lupin the Fourth failed to bring you back with her, but I’ll be taking you as well. Or … would you prefer to die? I’ve accounted for the possibility of that scenario as well.”

  “… Aria!”

  I switched my Beretta to semi-automatic and threatened Joan by pointing it at her head … but I couldn’t fire. Butei Charter, Article Nine: Under no circumstances shall a butei kill another person while operating as a butei. I only realized it when I fired at her earlier, but the priestess garbs she was wearing were bullet proof. The only other part of her body that was exposed was the hand that held the katana, but if were to shoot at it, I would hit Aria’s neck. Joan knew the advantage she would have with Aria as her shield. She had it planned all along.

  What do I do?

  Joan looked me in the eyes as I stood there with furrowed brows and smiled at me presumptuously with Shirayuki’s face.

  “Having seen though my disguise, I’m pretty sure you aren’t the usual Kinji Tohyama. I unquestionably need to be on my guard … but in your current state, your weakness is having a girl taken hostage, isn’t that right?”

  She certainly deserves her title as a strategist. She had done a very thorough investigation.

  “Tohyama, if you move Aria will turn to ice. Aria, don’t you move either, or I’ll freeze any part of you that so much budges.”

  I cursed in the back of my mind. Just as she said, in hysteria mode, I prioritized the safety of women over all else.

  “Kinji … shoot her!”

  Where exactly, do you suggest I shoot her at? I can’t just shoot through you. In my current state, I’m utterly incapable of doing that!

  “You just spoke, didn’t you Aria? You moved your mouth. You don't need that troublesome tongue of yours.”

  Using the hand she held the katana with, Joan grab Aria’s chin and forced it to the side where she restrained it. She then brought her own lips towards Aria’s. She’s going to blow that freezing breath into Aria mouth!

  “Stop!” I shouted, but was powerless to do anything—not with Aria taken hostage.

  “Aria!” echoed a voice that didn’t belong to me. But the voice didn’t have its usual reserved and somewhat frail tone. It had become something more valiant and powerful. From above a three-meter high computer behind Joan, a chain with a weight attached at its end sped towards Aria and wrapped itself around the sword guard of the katana in Joan hand, which she had relaxed her grip on while she restrained Aria’s chin. The blade’s sharp edge, which had been pressed against the nape of Aria’s neck, was being pulled away.

  “?!”

  Joan looked up with Shirayuki’s knitted brows, and on top of the computer …

  “Kin-chan, rescue Aria!”

  . . . was the real Shirayuki! She yanked on the chain and pulled the katana out of the hand of her imposter. Atop the computer, Shirayuki then caught the katana that she fished up. Aria saved Shirayuki’s life a little while ago, but this time Shirayuki saved Aria’s. Butei Charter, Article One: Believe in your comrades and help one another. Normally, the two of them couldn’t even do a simple fortune-telling together peacefully, but when situation called for it, they saved each other’s lives.

  Aria. Shirayuki. You two are remarkable buteis! Excel
lent job!

  The real Shirayuki jump off the computer and swung her katana downwards, aiming to separate Aria from Joan of Arc. Joan responded. She gathered the long sleeves of her blade-proof priestess garbs and attempted to catch the sword with her kimono. In doing so, she released Aria, who interfered. When Aria got away, she used her remaining functional leg to deliver a kangaroo kick into Joan’s knee. Joan almost completely lost her balance and was forced to fall back. My hysteria mode eyes captured the entire process, which happened in little more than a second. Aria came rolling in front of my feet and stood up on one knee. Shirayuki stood in front, guarding her. She held the hilt of her sword vertically with both hands at position diagonal from her shoulder.

  “Shirayuki,” Joan said, “to think you would forfeit your own life to save Aria. …” A cylindrical shaped object dropped out from underneath the hem of the hakama she wore to disguise herself as Shirayuki. It produced a white smoke that quickly spread all around her.

  A smoke bomb…! She’s trying to blind us!

  The sprinklers on the ceiling sensed the smoke and began showering water one by one. Shirayuki backed up little by little, avoiding coming in contact with the smoke Joan used to conceal her whereabouts. “Sorry, Kin-chan. I thought I had her just now … but I let her escape.”

  “You did great. I would have expected no less from you. You okay, Aria?”

  “S…She had me completely fooled. I never thought there would be two Shirayukis. …” Aria said, still kneeling and repeatedly opening and closing her hands. Her grip had lost nearly all of its strength. She probably wouldn’t be able to participate in the battle any longer, which was likely to be exactly what Joan’s planned for. In addition … I had the slight feeling that it was getting colder inside the room.

  “Shirayuki, would you recall to memory a couple of things for me?”

  “Sure.”

  “Do you have any recollection of setting up piano wire inside Aria’s locker?”

  “Her locker …? I swear that I haven’t done anything like that.”

  “One more thing. The other day, did Shiranui see you in the greenhouse pulling petals off flowers?”

  “Huh? Ah, yeah …” Shirayuki answered somewhat bashfully, and I clicked my tongue.

  “I came across another Shirayuki at that same time. That girl has been lurking in Butei High disguised as Shirayuki, the entire time. That’s how she was able to observe us so closely … and split us apart. Aria, the one who set up piano wire in your locker was probably Joan as well. You remember the piano wire that was set up in the floor beneath us, don't you? As they say, the best place to hide a tree is in a forest. Joan’s death trap was mixed in among the all the harassment you were subjected to by Shirayuki.”

  Aria’s camellia-colored eyes grew wide as I speedily stated my deductions.

  “Kinji … you … changed into ‘that’ again, didn’t you?!”

  I did. I’m currently in hysteria mode—that “awakened” state as you call it. By not saying anything, I answered Aria’s question in the affirmative. Confirming her suspicion must have emboldened Aria because she exposed that fang-like cuspid of hers and started to holler.

  “Durandal! You’re Joan of Arc, you say? You’re a coward! You don’t resemble your ancestor in the least!”

  Beyond the smoke and a fair distance away, Joan responded to Aria’s taunting voice.

  “The same applies to you, doesn’t it, Holmes the Fourth?”

  Her voice came from a distance. It originated somewhere by the elevator hall. We turned in that direction … and it donned on us. It wasn’t just a slight feeling. The temperature in this room was rapidly dropping. On the other side of the smoke, the water that fell from the sprinklers turned into ice crystals and danced around like snow. It was the phenomenon called diamond dust. It was a mystifyingly beautiful scene akin to dancing jewels. But paradoxically, it created an indescribable sense of fear. She was a diamond dust sorceress.

  “Kin-chan … defend Aria. She won’t be able to fight for a while.” Keeping her katana in her right hand, Shirayuki backed up towards us and kneeled down on one knee. She gently took Aria’s right hand into her own left hand. “A sorceress’ ice is similar to poison. The only one who can purify it is a Sister . . . or a priestess. But this is a strong form of ice ranging from grade six to grade eight. Even if I use my powers to heal her … I think it will take five minutes before she’s back to normal. So you protect her until then. I’ll defeat our enemy on my own.”

  “… What are you saying, Shirayuki? I can’t let you fight alone.” I step in front of the two, preparing myself in case Joan went on the offensive.

  “Kin-chan … I’m happy you feel that way. But for just right now, leave this to me, a choutei. Aria, I think … this is going to sting quite a bit. But it’s going to help you heal. Please bear with it,” said Shiruki, and she started to softly whisper some kind of incantation. She was probably gathering her concentration. Power invisible to the human eye transferred from Shirayuki’s hand to Aria’s.

  “… Agh ...! Ngh!”

  Pain seemed to accompany the treatment Shirayuki was performing, but Aria muffled her voice so as not to be discovered by the enemy. Being in hysteria mode, I couldn’t keep myself from looking behind me when I heard the pain in Aria’s voice.

  “Nggh!”

  Aria was stifling her voice by biting the sleeve of her uniform, all the while flinching in pain. Her bangs whipped upwards, and I caught a glimpse of the X-shaped scar she hid underneath them. It was from the wound she received when she shielded me with her own body last month—a scar that would remain on the face of a girl for the rest of her life. I felt a pain run deep inside my chest. Beside me, Shirayuki finished administering Aria’s treatment and pulled out something resembling wax paper from her kimono. She affixed it to the wall-like computer, and the area around us began to grow warmer. Taking a closer look, I saw that it was a rectangular shaped charm made of Japanese paper, and written on it were red symbols and Chinese characters. My vision became clearer, and I saw Shirayuki spring to her feet. The mixture of ice and smoke surrounding her drifted away like evil spirits being exorcized. I hadn’t realized it, but at some point, our clothes had also been dried. So this is a supernatural ability too, is it?

  “Shirayuki …” I whispered.

  Looking at her, I made up my mind. I didn’t want to let her fight alone. I couldn’t. However … I couldn’t leave Aria on her own, either.

  … I’ll leave this battle to Shirayuki for the most part since she’s an esper. That’s what she desires as well.

  Seeing me back up towards Aria, Shirayuki addressed our adversary.

  “Joan,” Shirayuki said, taking a step forward in the opposite direction towards the enemy and turning her back on Aria and I, “let’s … put a stop to this. I don’t want to hurt anyone—not even you.”

  Shirayuki made herself heard loud and clear, and from beyond the smoke came a short derisive laugh.

  “Don’t make me laugh. A raw ore such as yourself is incapable of hurting me. I have been thoroughly refined at IU.”

  “I’ll have you know I’m a grade seventeen Stealth.”

  This time, Shirayuki’s words didn’t meet with any laughter. I wasn’t very clear on the matter, but apparently, what Shirayuki just said was a substantial threat to an esper.

  “…You’re bluffing. There is only a handful of grade seventeen’s in this world.”

  “You should be able to feel it yourself. It’s forbidden by the Hotogis ... but when I released the seal on my garments …”

  “…Even if that were the truth …” This time, there was a bit of tension in Joan’s voice. “You can’t betray the Hotogis—not if you understand what betraying them would mean.”

  “Joan … you’re a strategists who’s fallen prey to her own strategy.” Shirayuki’s voice became stronger. “You refer to the person I normally am—the person I’ve been until now. But at this moment, I have next to me the
single being who can bring me to break any of the Hotogi’s rules. Your foresight didn’t account for the strength of those feelings.”

  Joan didn’t have any reply for the curious statement Shirayuki made. Those who concoct schemes are weak against unexpected developments. And right now, our enemy was being made aware of a miscalculation in her plans—all due to this Shirayuki who was a different person than before. The temperature in the room was already reverting to normal. The smoke from the smoke bomb was also disappearing, and the sprinkles shut off one after another.

  “… Give it your best shot,” said Joan. “I anticipated the possibility of direct combat. The higher their grade, the more quickly chouteis lose their stamina in battle. If I can hold out, then I win.”

  It sounded as if Joan had strengthened her resolve, and at long last … her figure appeared from behind the dissipating smoke. She had cast aside the red hakama and white kimono, and as I suspected, what had lain beneath them was western style armor covering sections of her body.

  “The disguise Lupin the Forth provided me with was difficult to move around in, but that’s over now.”

  Joan peeled off the thin mask she was wearing on her face, and behind it were long and narrow sapphire eyes as piercing as blades. Her hair, two French braids worn up around the whorl of hair on the back of her head, was a silver color like that of ice. Unlike the descriptions of Joan of Arc mentioned in old-fashioned Japanese textbooks, this Joan of Arc was exactly the kind of beautiful Caucasian that you would expect to see in a western historical film.

  “Kin-chan … don’t look at me from here on,” said Shirayuki in a slightly trembling voice with her back still facing me.

  “… Shirayuki?”

  “Starting now … I’m going to use a technique that’s forbidden by the Hotogis. But if you see it … I’m sure you’ll become afraid of me. You’d think you were seeing the impossible. You may … come to hate me even,” Shirayuki said as she placed her hand on the white ribbon she always wore in her hair. Her fingers were also trembling to a small degree.