by Ryota Hori
Prologue
On that day, the life of Asuka Kiryuu, who was enjoying her youth as a normal high school student, reached a sudden and decisive turning point, and that point led in the worst direction possible.
It happened when she escorted two detectives in charge of investigating her beloved cousin’s disappearance to the estate’s entrance. Suddenly and without any warning signs, Asuka and the two detectives could no longer feel the ground beneath their feet.
“Huh?”
The sudden change made a truly stupefied, comical exclamation escape Asuka’s lips. That was Asuka’s true face showing as the responsible mask she usually wore slipped away. If Ryoma Mikoshiba were to see her face now, he’d likely point at her and erupt with laughter, as if to get back at her for one petty jab or another she once pulled on him.
But her surprise was perfectly natural. She lacked the practice and discipline to react to such an unexpected situation with quick-witted decisiveness. True, Ryoma and her grandfather did teach her a thing or two about martial arts, but her skill was strictly that of a run-of-the-mill person.
By comparison, Tachibana and Kusuda, being professional police officers, reacted far more quickly. They quickly regained balance of their bodies and tried to reach their hands out to the rim of the hole that swallowed them.
Their quick-wittedness, however, went unrewarded. The hole continued expanding, and grabbing onto its rim wasn’t possible. Their hands simply cut through empty air.
“What the hell...?!”
“Tachibana!”
This phenomenon wasn’t possible to begin with. It might have been possible, however unlikely, for the ground to cave in beneath them due to land subsidence, but this situation they were in right now clearly defied the laws of physics.
There was no sound or sense of rumbling. The ground simply and quite literally disappeared from beneath their legs all of a sudden. Even if someone had set up a trap hole, there would have been some kind of sign that the fall was coming.
The sudden shift in the situation left Asuka completely helpless. All she could do was let out an ear-splitting screech as she fell and reached out for the moon above, as it grew ever distant.
“Where am I...?”
Asuka looked around, assailed by a sense of nausea and disgust that reminded her of motion sickness. The first thing that came into sight was a stone wall. Looking up at the ceiling, she saw a dome-shaped roof with a small window, from which moonlight poured into the room. It was only large enough to barely allow a baseball to pass through it. The room itself was fairly vast, and Asuka stood at its center.
What happened? Why am I...?
Asuka couldn’t fathom what happened that could have brought her to this place. Mere moments ago, she was at Kouichirou’s estate. That much was undeniable fact. But the scene before her eyes now was entirely different.
Asuka’s gaze fell forward, where she spotted Tachibana and Kusuda kneeling on the ground.
Thank God... It wasn’t just me...
She was in no way happy to see someone else fall into a plight like hers, but having been swept into this situation, Asuka was reassured to find two police officers were here with her.
“Kusuda, you all right?”
“My head hurts a lot, but... Yeah, I think I’m fine. But...” Kusuda said, looking around in shock as he cradled his head.
“You too, huh? I must have bumped my head at some point, because I have a terrible headache.”
“It feels like someone churned up the inside of my head...”
“Yeah, I’ve never felt anything like it...”
“Hmm, are you two all right...?” Asuka asked the two in concern as they squatted and held their heads in pain.
Her voice made Tachibana finally raise his face.
“O-Oh...” he said, slowly getting to his feet. “You’re the Mikoshiba’s girl... Still, I don’t get what’s going on... Weren’t we at Mr. Mikoshiba’s place? How did we get here...?”
“The floors and walls around here...” Kusuda replied, kneeling down and rubbing his hand against the floor. “They don’t look like they’re made from concrete or asphalt. It feels like actual rock...”
“You think so, too?” Tachibana replied, his face understandably filled with doubt.
If this was a case of the ground caving in beneath them, what should have been under their legs right now was earth, and the ceiling above them wouldn’t have a skylight. What they saw instead was a stone floor and walls. The hole they fell through was nowhere in sight. This situation was, for all intents and purposes, completely incomprehensible.
But as the three of them stood confused, a sudden voice greeted them from behind.
“Greetings, travelers who have passed the otherworldly gates. Misha Fontaine, assistant court thaumaturgist to the Kingdom of Beldzevia welcomes you with open arms... Indeed, with open, warm arms.”
It was a woman’s voice that was as fair as the chiming of a bell, but at the same time harbored a coldness that chilled anyone who heard it to the core. Asuka turned around, only for her eyes to settle on the sight of a woman clad in a black robe, guarded by several men. She stood some twenty meters away from Asuka.
Blond hair and white skin... She doesn’t look Japanese... Plus, her outfit is weird... But it does sound like she speaks Japanese...
As those thoughts crossed her mind, she was filled with incomprehensible anxiety. Finding more people here other than Tachibana and Kusuda was a positive development for her. They probably had more information on where this was than the three of them did. She called herself Misha Fontaine, which wasn’t a Japanese name, but thankfully Asuka could understand this woman clearly.
But that didn’t solve all the problems. No, if anything, there was an even bigger problem at play here. The Misha woman was still fine. The over-the-top decorations she had on were unusual to Asuka, who was a young woman of the modern age, but she did see some tribal outfits from other countries on the news here and there. If she assumed this woman was some kind of foreign priestess, her common sense could somehow fill in the gaps.
But the men surrounding Misha were dressed in a way that was too unusual. They were covered in full metal armor and gripped spears in hand, with swords sheathed at their waists. They were like knights taken straight out of a fantasy movie or TV show. And to top it off...
The way they shine... No way.
At first she couldn’t believe it, but after looking at it again and again, she realized the weapons those knights were holding looked real. Asuka wasn’t practiced in martial arts like Ryoma was, nor did she see every weapon in Kouichirou’s collection. But she did have enough knowledge and experience to tell the weapons these men were holding were the genuine article.
Realizing how dangerous these people were, Asuka took a cautious step back. But in contrast to her caution, Tachibana walked up to Misha and the others, saying something Asuka didn’t expect to hear.
“Hey now, what’s with those outfits? Are you shooting a movie? And you don’t look Japanese to me. What language was that just now? I can speak English, but... I’ve never heard anything like what you just said... Kusuda, did you recognize it?”
“No, doesn’t sound like anything I’ve heard before. Judging from her skin she’s white, but that didn’t sound like French or Italian either. Maybe she’s from a country in northern Europe? I think the symbol on their armor looks like a national coat of arms, but I don’t recognize that, either. I did pick up on what sounds like her name. Misha Fontaine.”
Asuka furrowed her brows in bewilderment at their exchange.
They didn’t understand what she just said...?
The woman’s words were perfectly un
derstandable to Asuka’s ears, and undoubtedly so. But that wasn’t the case for the detectives.
“My apologies, we’re police... Japanese policemen,” he said in English, mouthing the words loud and clear. “Do you understand?”
He took out his badge from his suit’s inner pocket and brandished it. Of course, he also stood in a position that would let him pull out the extendable baton connected to his belt swiftly if need be, which was proof that he was being cautious. Tachibana couldn’t tell the weapons the knights were holding were real, but as an officer, he had to be cautious since there was a civilian he had to protect present.
Those were only actions one would expect of him while adhering to his Earth’s common sense, and namely Japan’s, a small country that was peaceful compared to other developed countries. Most officers in other countries would draw their guns first and suppress the suspects.
“Mr. Tachibana, get away! Those weapons they’re holding are real!” Asuka screamed as loud as she could.
Hearing her warning, Tachibana and Kusuda froze in place. It was proof they were both suspicious. That only served to provoke the knights, though. They took a step forward, their spears aimed at the two officers. Their formation was without flaw.
“So the girl’s language unification is already finished,” Misha said. “The men will take a while longer... I thought we could take this a bit slower, but no matter. Capture the three of them.”
That moment, the five knights closed in on the two officers, surrounding them.
“Aah, what the hell is going on...?! Tch, fine. Kusuda!”
“We are police. Police. Stay back. Back! Do you think you’ll get away with this?”
Tachibana and Kusuda threw their badges aside and drew their extendable batons. The tip of the batons popped out with a light sound.
“I’m warning you again, stay back! We are police officers!” Tachibana said with a menacing growl in his voice, with his baton whistling as he swung it through the air.
Still, the baton was less than fifteen centimeters in length. It was more than enough to handle an opponent with a knife, but it was just barely more than nothing against a spear’s range. It wasn’t much of a menacing weapon.
And indeed, the knights were gradually closing the ring around Tachibana and Kusuda.
“Shit! Don’t underestimate the police!”
Losing his temper, Kusuda slammed his baton down on the spear closing in on him. A metallic clanging sound ran out, but even this blow that had all of Kusuda’s weight behind it didn’t budge the knights.
“What... How did you...?!”
Kusuda was the one who lost his balance instead, and one of the knights swooped down on him from the side.
“Kusuda! You sons of bitches!”
His blood boiling at the sight of Kusuda being slammed against the floor, Tachibana howled and swung his own baton.
This was something Tachibana wouldn’t normally do, but something about this unusual situation disturbed his sense of judgment. But he simply took a spear’s thrust to his exposed abdomen and sank to the ground.
“Mr. Tachibana!” Asuka’s scream echoed against the domed ceiling.
“Aren’t you two lively,” Misha said, nodding at the two appraisingly as they lay on the ground. “You’ll make for good pawns.”
Good pawns to send out to the battlefield.
A pawn’s life is disposable, but since summoning and rearing them up took a great deal of expenses, she preferred it if they didn’t break after a battle or two.
“That just leaves you...” Misha said, nudging her chin in Asuka’s direction to signal to one of the knights to follow her as she walked up to her.
Misha then eyed Asuka fixedly, as if licking her up and down. Her eyes were full of pure appraisal. Like a housewife inspecting a vegetable for its freshness.
“You’re young, and your physique isn’t bad. Your language unification was completed as soon as you were summoned, so you should have a good head on your shoulders. I suppose your potential as a pawn is more than just sufficient, but...”
Misha then shook her head, as if regretful, but a contrasting, nasty smile played over her lips.
“I’ve summoned such a pretty girl. Using you as a disposable soldier would be a waste. I would love to use you, but I think you’d be better suited to serve as company for His Majesty. He’s been asking me to bring him someone for a long while now, after all...”
With that said, Misha stuck her hand out toward Asuka.
“What are you...?” Asuka had no way of knowing what terrible fate was in store for her, but she could instinctively tell something bad was about to happen. “No... Stay back...”
She staggered back, feeling like a small animal being glared at by a predator. But after those few steps, her knees buckled and she fell on her backside. Misha approached her with a sneer on her lips.
“Oh, you don’t need to be so afraid. Nothing bad will happen to you. No, compared to those men over there, you’re much better off. You’ll wear clothes painstakingly made by the finest artisans, have three meals a day, the likes of which most nobles don’t even get to eat... And you’ll never have to set foot on the battlefield. All you’ll need to do is keep His Majesty company in bed during the nights. It’s all right... You’re young and pretty, so I’m sure his Majesty will adore you. At least until he finds a new toy... Of that I’m certain.”
And with that, Misha quickly began chanting.
“God of Light Meneos, abide by the ancient oath and bind their souls in chains.”
After she concluded her short incantation, a glowing sigil of some sort appeared on Misha’s right palm and lit up dimly.
“Don’t worry, it’ll hurt for a bit when I brand you with this mark, but it’ll stop soon enough.” Misha smirked coldly, extending her palm to Asuka’s face.
Ryoma! Save me!
The boy’s mature face surfaced in Asuka’s mind, but of course, it was only an expression of a sort of resignation that overcame her. He disappeared months ago, so there was no chance he would appear now.
And yet, the heavens didn’t turn their back on her.
The sound of something hard and rod-shaped rolling over the ground reached her ears. And the next moment, a gust of wind brushed against Asuka’s skin from the side, accompanied by the sound of something heavy and full of liquid falling to the ground.
An animalistic howl erupted from Misha’s lips, echoing through the room, and something warm splashed over Asuka’s face.
“Would you kindly get your filthy hands off my granddaughter?”
That voice sounded too peaceful for this gruesome scene, but the moment she heard it, Asuka raised her head.
“G-Grandpa?! The way you look, that’s...”
Her gaze fell on Kouichirou Mikoshiba — a man who shouldn’t have been here. But he didn’t look the same as he always was. He held katanas in both hands, which were dripping with blood that formed a puddle on the floor under him. Seeing her grandfather’s face smeared with blood, Asuka’s hands jumped to her own face.
She felt the unique texture of blood on her fingers. And the fact it wasn’t dry yet made it clear what had just happened in front of her.
“Grandpa... Why are you here...? And what...”
Asuka’s shaking fingers pointed at the figure of Misha, who was sneering coldly but moments ago, crouching in pain.
“You! Who are you?!”
The knights were slow to react to the sudden development. Still, the knight escorting Misha drew his sword and raised his voice. That brandished sword would not be swung down, though. Not ever.
“Using an overhead position in this situation, when you haven’t gauged the opponent’s skill... Idiot... I swear, we’re lucky to have not run into anyone truly strong, but downing the enemy that easily is rather anticlimactic...”
The overhead stance, otherwise called the stance of fire. A well known, offensive stance as menacing as the raging of a flame. But conversely, if it cann
ot menace and overwhelm the opponent, it cannot truly be called the stance of fire. All it would do is expose one’s abdomen to the enemy.
Sighing with exasperation, Kouichirou casually swept his right hand to the side. The blade cut through the man’s stomach — which should have been protected by his armor — cutting him in half through his spine.
“No way...”
Asuka couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The knight crumbled backwards, his dark red blood and viscera spilling to the floor. Misha’s face was contorted in agony, dripping with blood and saliva. The thing she cradled to her chest was her own severed right arm.
It was a reality she didn’t want to accept. But as her mind regained its composure, she had to analyze the situation, whether she liked it or not.
He cut her... He cut her, cut her, cut her... He really cut a person down...?
Asuka knew very well that Kouichirou was skilled at martial arts, but that didn’t mean she could imagine he was capable of mercilessly cutting down another human being.
“Hmm, judging by the crest on their armor, this is the Kingdom of Beldzevia... I suppose it’s better than being summoned by Helnesgoula or the Church of the God of Light...” Kouichirou whispered as he reached a hand out to Asuka. “Are you all right, Asuka?”
His voice was gentle. It harbored a gentleness and affection that didn’t fit this brutal place. But that was only his voice. The knights that kept Tachibana and Kusuda pinned to the ground forgot their original role of protecting Misha, simply watching this gruesome spectacle with their eyes open wide. Of course, since they were busy keeping the two men bound, there wasn’t much they could do.
The detectives were nothing but weaklings in the face of knights skilled with thaumaturgy, but the problem was that the knights were instructed to keep them alive. If they were allowed to kill them, they’d lop the men’s heads off no problem, but keeping them alive, unharmed and bound, was much more difficult even with the knights’ overwhelming advantage.
Weak as they were, Tachibana and Kusuda were resisting desperately. From Beldzevia’s point of view, keeping the two of them alive and whole was important, considering what was to come. If they were injured and useless on arrival perhaps they’d have given up on them, but they only summoned people from Rearth for the sake of bolstering their ranks.
