"No.. you lose, Lich-ossan..", proclaimed Shinsuke confidently while pinning down the slowly withering Lich to the ground below them.
The once brewing thunder clouds above the southern hill seemed to have danced away abruptly as a magnificent force of unknown nature shoved them outward, clearing the skies above. Night turned into day like some celestial deity swiftly pulled the sun from the horizon. Violent gusts of wind blew from the north with a resonating boom. The Lich's "Black Hole" had finally exploded spectacularly, draining all his remaining power with it.
Skin started to form again on the Lich's skull face, revealing a look of disbelief. As he was continued to be held down by Shinsuke on the ground, he stared wide eyed at the beaming light coming from the north. He felt perplexed seeing the culmination of his ritual being slightly skewed towards the east and above the sea.
"Impossible! How can this be?!..", grunted the former Lich and the again cult leader.
Shinsuke smirked as he pushed his enemy down harder on the soil beneath. "Looks like your 'space time magic' backfired on you.. a very special kouhai of mine somehow figured out using the same nature as your spell."
The old man sneered at the young Battlemage as he placed his palms on the shattered flooring. Amaranthine energy began to rise from the ground as the entire hill trembled. "You think you already have me, boy? Very well.. I'll take you with me."
"Shinsuke! Get out of there!..", screamed Rika in horror as gargantuan shadows with bull horns and hooked claws slowly emerged from below the earth. "Multiple reanimations coming at you from all directions!"
Fortunately for Shinsuke, his "Lightning Cowl Spell" was still in effect, so he was able to blast himself out of harm's way. As he landed beside his teammates, the old cult leader took to the air again with his skin disappearing to a monstrosity once more.
"Didn't know he had that much left in him..", pointed Shinsuke out while observing more massive shadowy beasts emerging from the hill.
Rika shook her head as she answered. "Those reanimations are 'undead beast youkai'.. their life forces are strong enough to rejuvenate the Lich's power."
"They might be larger, but they're fewer now..", remarked Yoshiki as she prepared another "ward summoning" for who-knows-what. "All we have to do is burn them again, right?"
Hayama reloaded his guns while he replied to his commanding officer. "That's the plan, Yoshiki-taichou."
However, a swirling shade of lilac suddenly manifested just behind and below the Lich. What came after was an enormous serpentine skull coming out of it. As the large undead reptilian of unknown origin opened its mouth, another portal from within its bowels formed, siphoning all the reanimated beasts towards it. A purplish haze also seemed to seep out of the Lich towards the serpent's mouth, causing him to drop down to the ground and turn him back to his original human form.
"Now, what the hell is it this time, Rika-chan?!..", demanded Gouro as he could not make out of what was going on. He aimed reluctantly with his bow. "I don't think my arrows will hurt that thing."
But Rika was just as confused as everybody else. "I'm afraid I do not have any idea.. but I sense a very ominous presence inside of that creature."
Shinsuke shot a skeptical gaze towards the massive skull. "There's someone inside neutralizing the enemy.. but keep your guard up. We don't know yet if it's an ally."
The undead Youkai helplessly crawled against the pull of the black hole of a mouth of the giant skull. One by one, they were being sucked in like mere floating objects into a whirlpool. Hopelessly trying to avoid the inevitable, each of them were bit by bit sent to the void and banished to oblivion.
As soon as the last of the beastly reanimations were swallowed, the eerie looking portal increased its size dramatically and engulfed the gargantuan skull as well. Afterwards, it spun into a purplish kind of swirling energy and gradually shrunk into nothingness, leaving a figure of a hooded woman behind.
"Eh? Who's that?..", inquired Natsuo as he squinted his eyes to focus on the cloaked silhouette.
The mysterious person scanned the surroundings first by slowly turning her head towards all directions. Concluding everything was clear of enemies, she pulled her hood back, revealing a face of a young woman in her twenties.
The mysterious woman had long jet black hair with her slightly pointed ears peeking through the sides. Her twin bangs danced over her sharp edged but round magenta eyes as a faint summer breeze passed by. With the lit up night sky emphasizing its contrast, her scarlet colored lips sat elegantly on her ivory white skin that seemed to turn red in itself due to the chill. Even the charismatic Yanagi Shinsuke blushed and was captivated with her beauty as they made brief eye contact.
But the young woman's attention was caught by the weakened cultist leader crawling by her feet. She glared at him as she kicked the old man's hand away. "What a sloppy way of dealing with such trivial things.. I did not think you would stoop this low, Lord Reinhardt.."
The cult leader, named Reinhardt, struggled to tilt his head up to see who was talking to him. A deep cold went through his bones the moment he saw her face. "L.. Lady Minerva..?"
With her eyes going full circle as her face went pale, Rika froze in place as soon as she recognized the woman in front of them. "What is she doing here?"
"Fuyunami, please elaborate..", ordered Yoshiki while observing the mysterious woman's movements. "Who is that girl?"
The young woman ignored the weakened Reinhardt when she realized everyone's gazes was on her. She approached the FSG unit, causing them to stand their ground into battle position. Amused by the sudden reaction, the woman sheepishly giggled. "Such youthful energy! I like it.. but I do not mean any harm, young ones. In fact, I came here to work with you."
"The people of the Westerlies call her Lady Minerva of the Glenns.. one of the 'Seven Great Witches', Yoshiki-taichou..", replied Rika after taking a few moments to confirm who they were facing, causing Minerva to courtesy upon hearing her name. She continued to elaborate after that. "Also known as 'The Witch of Undying Love'.. she is more notably known as 'The Necromancer'.."
"Is that so?..", answered Yoshiki while keeping her attention on the Necromancer. "Then as the most powerful practitioner of forbidden magic.. she should be arrested from where she stands."
Just like a gush of wind, Minerva instantaneously appeared standing in front of Yoshiki. She smiled endearingly while she caressed the headstrong general's chin, to everyone's surprise.
"My daughter would've been your age by now..", stated Minerva as she withdrew her hand. "I wonder if she could've had the same sense of justice as you.."
Caught off guard by Minerva's remarks, Yoshiki blushed and looked away in slight embarrassment. "What nonsense are you talking about? You seem much younger than I am, Necromancer. Flattery won't save you from your crime."
"Such kind words from you, young one.. but I am much older than anyone of you can fathom..", acknowledged Minerva before reappearing beside Shinsuke this time with a gentle breeze, causing everyone to stand alert. "Speaking of the laws of your country regarding Necromancy.. I have tried my best not to use any of your forbidden spells while stepping on this land."
"But your presence alone is enough reason for us to take you into custody..", responded Shinsuke as he followed Minerva walk around him with his eyes.
"In my homeland, that would be called unfair treatment and would be subjected under the violation of human rights..", Minerva shot back as she suddenly stood still in front of Shinsuke's gaze, making him flush a little. "It is best to hear me out first before you bring me behind bars."
However, Hayama still aimed his guns at the Necromancer without giving an inch of space. "But didn't you just reanimate a dead beast to travel here? Bringing the dead back to life, whether it be human or not, is still well within our laws against forbidden magic."
"Oh.. you must've seen my 'familiar', Mamba. She was already dead when she was gifted to me.. the remains of a once majestic 'Titan'.. but her spirit lives. I wasn't the one who reanimated her though."
"Then, how do you explain you being inside its mouth?..", inquired Rika as she took a step forward to interrogate Minerva. "Isn't that some kind of Necromantic ritual?"
"Far from it, honey.. you see, the nothingness of the 'Void' will destroy your very being if you traverse it..", replied Minerva with a smile. "So, I usually take refuge inside Mamba whenever I decide to summon myself remotely.. takes a lot of magic though."
"As expected from a witch of your caliber..", praised Shinsuke, but he was still on his guard. "That is quite an impressive way to travel through the 'Void'.. a little sketchy though."
"If it's still forbidden in your laws.. then didn't just someone from your ranks pull off something similar?..", argued Minerva as she shot a glance towards the dwindling light caused by the remnants of the Black Hole's eruption.
Shinsuke pondered as he too followed where Minerva was looking at. "She knows about what happened to Erida-kun. She must've felt a disturbance in the 'Void'. This Lady Minerva is the real thing.."
Minerva flashed another smile at Shinsuke before turning around to walk towards the fallen Shinigami Cult. After a few paces, she stopped and spoke once more. "Are there any more questions, young ones? If there's none, then let's clean all this mess up.. we have much to talk about after."
General Yoshiki nodded to her subordinates and reluctantly followed Minerva as the lights caused by the Black Hole's implosion diminished. That same kind of hesitation was also present among the townsfolk of Shizuoka while they watched the night sky darken once more from behind the rubble they hid in the middle of town.
Moments before, the innocent citizens of the town were anticipating their inevitable death. However somehow, they survived the disaster. They were staring in disbelief towards the direction of where an Orcish armor clad boy was standing. It was where the gigantic dark orb used to be, but for whatever reason, the glasses wearing kid managed to redirect the explosion towards the eastern sky.
Disbelief turned into confusion as one of the bystanders stood and dusted himself up to reconfirm his existence. "Oi.. am I alive?"
Confusion transformed into awe as another onlooker answered. "Yes you are.. and I am too! What did that kid do?"
"Who cares? We're safe, and it's all that matters!..", answered a woman in glee while carrying her child. "That boy's amazing!"
Awe eventually culminated into amazement as evident with the slowly rousing noise from everywhere. Cheers began to resound, and cries of joyous relief resonated throughout town. Not only that, those who were near the stage and saw everything started to shout praises for the unlikely teenage hero.
Unfamiliar of the kind of treatment he was being exposed to, Seijurou just scratched his head and smiled awkwardly at the people. The townspeople crowded around him cheerily as he pondered. "Oi.. I thought I was a goner too, you know.. just doing my job.. no need to get too up close and personal, people."
Suddenly, Seijurou's gaze fixed on an oddball among the mob of gleeful townsfolk. It was a familiar face, frowning and pouting with her lips trembling, under all that auburn hair. Satsuki was flustered so much that she charged at Seijurou furiously.
Seijurou braced for impact. "Wait, Kinjou! I can explain. I had to-.."
Cut mid sentence, Seijurou stood still in place as Satsuki hugged him tightly with her tears bursting out of her grayish sapphire-like eyes. She began pounding softly on her partner's chest as she cried. "You little piece of crap! I thought you were gone.. you meanie.."
"Oi! You have no right calling anyone little being tiny yourself..", replied Seijurou while blushing at his partner's unexpected gesture. A faint smile slowly formed on his face after that. He wrapped an arm around Satsuki as well and patted her head with the other. "I'm sorry, Kinjou.. I won't leave you alone like that again.."
While the celebratory commotion brewed in the middle of the concert grounds, Chizuru sprinted towards it to see for herself if their plan worked. She was especially concerned of the great risk it took to pull off something spectacular. As soon as she saw her two best friends having quite an intimate moment in the middle of the crowd, a peculiar kind of sting in her chest made her stop in her tracks. She flushed and looked away as she recalled the events prior to Shizuoka's salvation.
"Seijurou, you can let my hand go now..", mumbled Chizuru bashfully the moment they arrived at the cliff overlooking the sea. "We're here.."
"Right..", answered Seijurou plainly as he tinkered with his "console command", but Chizuru maintained her stare at him with a slight blush. He called their classmates at their teacher's lodging. "Ba.. Himiko! Are you there?"
But it was Kazuma who answered frantically. "Erida! Boy, you have no idea how relieved I am to hear you! Yanagi-senpai got cut!"
"I know.. they're probably dealing with something up on the hill..", replied Seijurou while he shot a glance towards the burning hill to the south. "Listen up.. I need 'ward sheets', ink, and a writing brush. Can you remote summon those to me now?"
"On it..", responded Natsuko quickly from the other side of the line as she prepared the summoning incantation.
"I'll prepare the materials..", Himiko added while she placed the warding equipment on Natsuko's summoning text written on the floor.
Right when the necessary materials appeared out of thin air, Kaguya arrived at the scene. "Chizuru-sama, you called.. what are we doing?"
Chizuru was still in a bashful daze when the "Predator Princess" spoke to her, so it was Seijurou who replied asking for something. "Sendou, please give me your arrows.."
"What for?..", asked Kaguya with a hint of reluctance.
"I'm placing summoning wards on it..", answered Seijurou while writing enchantments on the warding sheets. "Chizuru, give me yours too."
"Eh?..", it took a while before it registered to Chizuru, but she gave her arrows to Seijurou eventually. "Oh.. here."
"What are you planning, Erida Seijurou?..", asked Kaguya while giving her ammunition up as well.
"We're going to take that damn orb away from the town and throw it to the sky..", explained Seijurou as he gave a 'ward arrow' to Chizuru. "Shoot this towards the box inside that ball, Chizuru."
"I see..", beamed Chizuru while she took the arrow. She took aim and let it fly afterwards. "Good thinking once again, Seijurou."
"Don't talk as if we've done it already, Chizuru. Now.. the reason we're all here..", remarked Seijurou as he gave a crossbow arrow to Kaguya. "Shoot this as far as you can towards the sky to the east.. can you do that, Sendou?"
Kaguya nodded impressed with a smile. "But of course. I'll do my best for this grand plan of yours."
As Kaguya pulled the trigger, Seijurou waited for the arrow to reach its farthest point of trajectory before placing his hands in a "Download Gesture". He then chanted at once. "Download Gekitai Suru no Jumon (Ward Spell) seven.. Shoukan (Summon)."
Nothing happened however. The three of them exchanged disappointed looks as Seijurou sighed. "As I thought.. your arrow got destroyed the moment it came into contact with the orb. Inanimate objects only have a certain amount of resistance against 'Void magic'.. that spell has too much of it."
Chizuru's lips began to cower as her eyes welled up in fear. "What do we do now?"
Unwilling to accept defeat, Seijurou gave another set of "ward arrows" to the two. Then, he gritted his teeth to muster all the resolve in him. He took the writing brush, dipped it in the ink, and wrote the same text as with the arrows on his palm.
"Oi, oi, oi! What're you doing?! Are you crazy?!..", exclaimed Kaguya after seeing what Seijurou just did. "You can't summon yourself! The 'Void Realm' will eat you alive.. you're no Youkai!"
"We're out of options..", muttered Seijurou as he glared at the massive dark orb. "This is the only way."
"No it's not! You're pointlessly giving your life for nothing!..", shot Kaguya back angrily. "That's not going to work, Erida!"
"We won't know until we try, Sendou.."
Chizuru suddenly slapped Seijurou on the face. She stared at her best friend with eyes that seem to burst from all its veins. Her grimace at that moment was something Seijurou had not seen before.
"What in fuck's name are you doing, baka-jurou?..", a trembling kind of whisper came out of her mouth as tears began to drop from her eyes. "Why are you suddenly throwing your life away?"
Seijurou grabbed Chizuru by the arms and looked at her intently. "We are soldiers, Chizuru. It's our duty to protect the innocent.. and our friends are there as well. We have to try everything we can to save them.. now shoot, both of you."
As Seijurou released her, Chizuru sobbed uncontrollably. She shook her head while she cried out. "No, no, no! I'm not doing this, Seijurou! I can't.."
Seijurou closed his eyes in search of the right words to say to his oldest friend. She was crying in front of him, and it was the first time he saw her in that weak state. He sighed and simply hugged her tight. "The reason I brought you here, Chizuru.. is because I trust you with my life.. so please.. trust me with this one. We really don't have any time."
"Pfft.. this is starting to get annoying..", whispered Kaguya as she looked away. "I'm ready when you are."
Chizuru pushed Seijurou off of her and began taking her aim, wiping her face. Tears still filled her eyes as she took a deep breath. "Promise me you'll be back or else.. I swear I'll hunt you down in the Underworld after I die of that spell's blast, baka-jurou."
Seijurou chuckled awkwardly before he reassured Chizuru. "That won't be necessary.. I already told you this'll work."
Both Chizuru and Kaguya fired their shots at the same time, with the former aiming a little higher to allow Seijurou to take more time.
"Oh, almost forgot..", Seijurou placed his hands in a "Download" sign first, then "Upload" after. He crossed his arms over his chest with clenched fists and forcefully separated them down to cast his "Fire Cloak". As a violent blaze engulfed his body, he glanced at Chizuru one more time. "I'm not trying to show off, you know.. this might just make me do things faster."
Chizuru just responded by forcefully smiling at him with her already crumpling face.
"Hey, Chizuru.. I'll be back to watch the fireworks with you like we always do, okay?..", added Seijurou with a confident smile before vanishing into thin air.
Chizuru could not hold the despair any longer and desperately sniffed her worries in as it took quite a while for something to happen. A seemingly endless stream of tears flowed on her face as she wailed out loud. "Seijurou…!!!"
Kaguya suddenly jumped, taking Chizuru with her towards the ground, to take cover. A dazzling but blinding light abruptly shattered into a million pieces far into the eastern sky as she took a second look. She took one long deep and relieved breath before speaking to Chizuru. "I'll be damned.. he actually did it, Chizuru-sama."
Chizuru's welled up hazelnut eyes stared at the brilliant display of explosions she had never seen before. With her lips still trembling, she nodded once and let out a happily relieved but half worried sobbing sound. "Hmm..!"
Translation Notes:
The Westerlies – one of the seven great nations situated far in the western hemisphere of the world.
The Glenns – a forested region within the central portion of the Westerlies. It is the home of the most magically diverse community in the world and is believed to be the birthplace of magic itself.
Familiar – a spirit entity gifted to all Conjurers as a sort of reliable pet when a certain level is met.
Titans – majestic gargantuan creatures believed to have existed before the concept of time was born.
Monogatari Concepts:
The Seven Great Witches – composed of the seven most powerful witch related builds in the world. Each of them represents an idea of something that has both a beneficial and a degrading side. The tradition of forming such an organization stretches as far back as the first century after the Blank Century. It is said that the world's condemnation of witchcraft forced the witches to congregate and build an ominously powerful group.
As of the moment, only the "Witch of Undying Love" can be given as an example. It could either mean the witch has eternal and unconditional love, or obsessive longing up to a point of greediness. It should be noted that there are six more of these besides Lady Minerva of the Glenns.
Character Description:
Harukaze Gouro – his name literally translates into "fifth son of the spring wind". Just like Rika, I created this character for the sole purpose of filling up the spots of FSG's Seven. But of course, we have to make him interesting, right? He takes up the second seat on the Helm's left hand, meaning he's the fifth rank of the Round Table. His build is just a plain "Archer", but that doesn't mean he's weak. In fact, he is considered as the most powerful ranged build in FSG and one of Jihon's best. His simple build allows him to tap into the many ranged builds' different abilities. He can snipe with his bow, he can use witch hunter arrows to banish Youkai, he can activate "Snake Eyes" to track enemies down, and many more.
In terms of personality, Gouro is arguably the most playful of the Seven. He is most especially fond of teasing Rika about her near obsession about Necromancy, which results in Mariya scolding him all the time, leading to their usual hilarious arguments. His childlike demeanor can be considered as shallow by many, but he does have the ability to switch his serious mode on when needed. To his underclassmen, he is considered as the friendly senior who anyone can approach anytime.
During times when he is not seen in his hunter outfit or school uniform, Gouro tends to wear spring fashion even if its not in season. Well, he at least lessens the layers during summer and adds more in winter. He stands at 178cm and weighs in at 64kg. His favorite animal is a fox, and his favorite plant is Sakura (cherry blossoms).