A little bit before Emily and others witnessed Kousuke's disappearance and went to
the security bureau.
Kousuke who arrived at Roma late at night was staying in a cheap hotel like before
when he was at Britain.
Although, it wasn't like before where it was really a worn out hotel, while this hotel
was cheap, its quality was fine and it seemed able to cure the body that was a bit tired
from the long flight by sleeping throughout the night.
Especially when there was no gun fight that was started upstair or any intruder
breaking the window and entering like in Hollywood movie. Kousuke welcomed the
morning safely, finished his preparation quickly and left the hotel.
And then, he was enjoying the pleasant morning sunlight and air of foreign country
while for the time being he entered into a cafe to have breakfast because one couldn't
fight with empty stomach.
"Well, it's not like I'm going to war, it's still the first day, so I'll look around the location
while sightseeing at the same time."
Kousuke talked to himself like that while deciding the menu.
The waiter wouldn't notice even if he called out, so he went by himself to order.
The cafe 's auntie who only noticed that there was a Japanese customer after her
shoulder got tapped showed a shocked expression, but Kousuke didn't pay it any
mind. Because he was a man of experience. In stealth.
He ordered a set of croissant, salad, and several kinds of ham sliced thinly. And then a
cup of cappuccino.
It wasn't salmon sandwich. It wasn't, salmon sandwich. It wasn't-!
"Oh? This cappuccino… it's delicious."
The cappuccino was exquisite. Inside the relieving gentle sweetness, a subtle
bitterness could be felt, making him felt like he could keep drinking many cups of it.
The croissant too wasn't bad. It was crispy and fluffy, with aromatic fragrance that
delighted him.
"Yup, I only entered randomly but I hit the jackpot. Though they don't have salmon
sandwich here."
His seat was beside the window, so he brought his breakfast into his mouth while
gazing at the townscape of Roma.
The beautiful street of stone paving, the buildings that were overflowing with
atmosphere. There was no high rise building to protect the scenery, which made him
felt like he was slipping into a fantasy world. The atmosphere somehow reminded him
of Tortus.
Naturally, what crossed at the back of his mind was his lover, the rabbit eared Oneesan. At the next "gate opening", she would stay fully in Endo family house.
Her staying here would also be a type of test case in preparation when the "this and
that" related to Hauria in Tortus had also calmed down to a certain degree and they
built their base at this side, so she would come here together with several other
Hauria.
Although his family would also be there, he would be living together with Rana…
His wild delusion swelled out.
And then, Emily-chan who flew into his delusion as though in interception.
"…"
He had finished introducing Emily to his family too, and his family had already
accepted her. The Grant family too had accepted Kousuke as their family.
He had no intention of washing it away.
He had no such intention but… actually, until now Kousuke still hadn't conveyed his
feeling toward Emily clearly with words.
Even though his surrounding was approving, but his Japanese sensitivity that had
been cultivated within himself since he was born was smoldering, and he was unable
to express well the feeling inside himself using words. It would also be fine if there
was some kind of impetus that broke through him cleanly but…
"No, that's just my excuse. It's only me being simply good-for-nothing…"
He mocked himself while bringing the cappuccino into his mouth and looking at Emily
using the information sharing ability of his clone body. But, the cup was already empty.
Wondering just what he was doing indulging in reverie even though he was coming
for a mission, the self-depreciating smile on Kousuke's lips became even deeper. He
then decided for the time being to order another cup of this delicious cappuccino that
he encountered in this trip.
"Excuse me~. Another cup please."
Naturally, no one noticed him.
He walked briskly and tapped the auntie's shoulder once more.
"Hih!? Who!?"
"…It's the Japanese customer who ordered just now. Can I ask for another portion of
cappuccino and croissant?"
After a moment, the auntie smiled while saying "Oh my, geez, I'm so forgetful!"to cover
up her mistake before she hurriedly began to prepare Kousuke's order. She was an
auntie with plump body and good-natured face, so he couldn't hate her no matter
what. Although, in the first place he was used to this treatment so he wasn't angry.
Kousuke returned to his seat in looking a bit dejected like usual. He stared at the
townscape with a feeling that was different from before. The face of Kousuke who was
getting a faraway look seen from the side was giving off sorrow that was unexpected
to be coming from a teenage.
"Here, enjoy. Cappuccino and croissant…"
"Ah, two of them."
"Yes♪"
Surely the auntie understood that Kousuke liked the croissant. She took out two
croissants from her basket that looked somewhat bigger and placed it on his plate in
a pleasant mood.
And then, perhaps to cover up how she forgot Kousuke's existence just now, or
perhaps she was merely curious, the auntie didn't leave right away and talked with
Kousuke who was biting into the croissant in delight.
"You look really young. Are you with your family?"
"Aa~, no, I'm alone."
"My! You are still in your first year at middle school right? Could it be you are an
oversea student?"
"No no, I'm sightseeing here. I'm planning to go to Vatican after this. Also, I'm 18."
"Oh my, forgive me! It's hard to understand the age of Japanese people…"
The auntie flapped her hand looking like "Good grief me", then she began to talk about
various things. Perhaps it was a universal truth that all auntie liked to talk, or perhaps
it was just that this auntie liked to talk.
Kousuke got the feeling that it was the latter case while politely listening.
Since coming home to earth, Kousuke's footwork was light and his travelling abroad
was increasing in frequency. He was enjoying the encounter in the middle of his
travel――whether it was with people, thing, or anything. And so, Kousuke also liked
people who liked to talk.
Such auntie was teaching Kousuke about the sightseeing spot in Vatican, the efficient
route, the delicious restaurant and little-known good sightseeing spot with a practiced
way.
"Anyway, that place is completely crowded, so I recommend you to go in early morning
if you want to go up to the dome. In general, the place is already packed full slightly
before eleven o'clock."
"I see. I'll keep that in mind."
By the way, what the dome here referred to――was about the dome of Cathedral San
Pierro. It was a lovely place where people could take unobstructed view of Rome and
Vatican, but it was a cramped place, so often people would have to wait when it
became crowded.
Kousuke who had finished his breakfast and drank the cappuccino stood up thinking
that he should depart soon.
"Also you see――"
"…"
The auntie who loved to talk seemed to continue talking. Was Kousuke a really good
listener?
He was unable to say clearly that it was enough already. Kousuke whose act was typical
for a Japanese in a sense sat back down.
"Recently, it looks like there are a lot of tourists here."
"? Will there be something soon in the future?"
"No. There isn't any plan like that, that's why it's strange. From what I heard, it seems
that in these few months the average number of the tourists is increasing by 1.5 times."
This auntie incredibly loved to talk. He wondered just where did she get that data.
There was no immigration and emigration process to enter Vatican, there were also
Vatican personnel that were coming back and forth to there from Roma, so perhaps it
was because of that.
Then the auntie lowered her voice slightly "Also" while bringing her face closer to
Kousuke and said.
"The people who were coming here for sightseeing a few months ago, it looks like they
are visiting here repeatedly with amazing frequency."
"They are visiting the same place?"
The auntie nodded. It seemed that it was information that was obtained from the
network of the local citizen who put their root in Rome. When he asked, it seemed
there were a great number of such tourists among the customers who were visiting
this cafe and the restaurants of the auntie's acquaintances.
There was also a possibility that those people were staying here for long because of
work, but their appearance seemed to be normal couple, family, or a group of friends
who came for sightseeing.
Certainly, it was a strange story.
Although, there was also the possibility of celebrity posting things about Rome or
Vatican in their SNS account, causing the topic to become popular temporarily.
In fact, it seemed the auntie was also thinking that was the cause.
"I thought that you came here also because of that…"
"Aa~, no, I'm not. Or rather, I have never heard anything like that in internet though."
"Isn't that right? I also tried investigating what kind of celebrity is popularizing this
area, but I didn't find anything like that at all. I was thinking of having you telling me
if you know about it but… it's unfortunate."
This auntie didn't just like to talk, it appeared she was also a rumor lover & gossip
lover & investigation lover.
Kousuke smiled wryly while saying "I'm sorry of not meeting your expectation", then
there the auntie finally noticed that Kousuke had finished his breakfast since a long
time ago and "My, good grief me, I got too absorbed in talking!". She flapped her hand
while showing an embarrassed smile.
Kousuke paid the bill and headed to Vatican while thinking that he had just heard a
strange story since the morning.
It was a rare chance, so he tried slowly experiencing walking through the "Via della
Conciliazione" where the cathedral was visible ahead. His smartphone's camera kept
making clicking sound.
He would show it to his family when he returned home. He also took selfie. Currently,
a supernatural phenomenon like the camera failing to capture Kousuke's image had
never happened.
Before long the plaza and obelisk of San Pietro came to view. There he could see the
Swiss guard standing gallantly with colorful outfit and stiff posture, and the tourists
who were visiting early.
"Oo… as expected, it's a great view."
The cathedral in front of him went without saying, the line of pillared corridor with
several hundred trees surrounding the plaza, and then more than a hundred saint
statues lining up above it were also stunning.
"It can't be helped that I have to hurry because of the mission but… as I thought, it's
better to come to this kind of place in group rather than alone."
He didn't hate travelling alone, but as expected it was better if there was friend, family,
or lover to speak their impression to each other and shared the feeling. Kousuke
looked around at the tourists around him while speaking to himself feeling a bit lonely.
Putting that aside, he changed his feeling while subtly tensing his expression.
"…The auntie said that it will be crowded around 11 o'clock but… there is already quite
a lot of people here."
It appeared that the story about the number of tourists increasing suddenly was a fact.
Even though the time was still around nine o'clock, a quite large crowd had formed.
Kousuke pulled himself back together and thought a bit "Now then, what to do from
here".
Actually some time ago he tried to contact Hajime to ask him to confirm the location
of the person who stole the information from the aforementioned company, but the
signal didn't connect.
In the first place, they didn't know if the thief was really from Vatican, so this was to
confirm it for sure. If it was true then it would be easy to investigate.
Although, it was pointless to plead for something that didn't exist. In his first plan, he
was thinking to climb to the dome and took a bird-eye view of the whole place but…
When he looked, there was already a line formed in front of the entrance to the dome.
"It's not like I can just climb physically but…"
There were two ways to get up to the dome. First was to climb using elevator until
midway and the continuing to climb using stair, or climbing the stair right from the
beginning, but there would be more than 500 steps if people used the stair right from
the start, so most people used the elevator.
Although, even after using elevator, people would still need to climb more than 300
steps, in addition the stair was getting narrower the more one climbed higher.
If it was Kousuke then he could climb without feeling bothered by that, even so this
situation wasn't suited to look around the surrounding without rushing.
"H~m. Well, I'm here already, let's wait while also sightseeing a bit."
He would try waiting for one or two hours. If it looked like the queue wasn't smooth
at all, he would use the outer wall and climbed physically. He was thinking of such
absurd thought while changing his smartphone into selfie mode and walked.
About two hours from then.
Kousuke whose heart was completely stolen by the solemn and wonderful works of
arts and structures returned to his senses suddenly due to the hunger that he slightly
felt.
"Crap. I was completely absorbed. Even though I'm in the middle of mission, I was
normally sightseeing instead… How terrifying, Vatican. It's too beautiful."
Kousuke pretended to wipe the sweat that didn't even come out.
It wasn't like he would get scolded by doing this, but somehow it felt like he would get
rebuked "What are you doing slacking off like that" by Hajime, so he tried to cover it
up acting like a completely timid person.
It wasn't like he was going around looking at everything, but he had went around quite
much at the places that were open to public, so he thought that he should soon start
infiltrating for real under the pretense of "I'm just normally intruding here, any
problem?" and acted to realize that.
But, at that time,
"Hm?"
Kousuke stopped moving from the strange presence that he suddenly felt. He closed
his eyes to concentrate a bit, and then, his gaze turned under his feet――more
accurately toward the ground as though he was seeing through to the underground.
"There is underground passage? Well, it seems underneath the cathedral is a tomb,
and it's not strange even if there is a underground passage that isn't open for public
but…"
The problem was, the current location of Kousuke and the direction the person
walking underground was heading to.
"…An underground passage that is connected to outside, huh."
Yes, Kousuke right now was at the edge of the northwest side of Vatican's art museum.
And then, the person walking underground was heading to the north without
stopping. It was obvious that there was an underground passage that was connecting
outside and inside.
Kousuke who got interested got outside from the door of the Vatican's art museum,
then he followed the direction where the person underground was heading to.
Not much time had passed before he arrived at a slightly old four storey building
standing inconspicuously between buildings. The first floor seemed to be a general
store, where it looked like the item selection and the shopkeeper got no motivation.
Perhaps the upper floor was for living place. Even though it was afternoon, the curtain
was closed and the situation inside couldn't be observed.
Because it was close to tourist attraction spot, quite a lot of people were passing by,
but no one even turned their gaze toward the general store.
That was how inconspicuous and quiet the atmosphere of the building was.
"…The person went up huh. Directly to the fourth floor without even showing their
appearance."
Kousuke was observing the general store from the other side of the street without
particularly hiding it. He sensed the presence of the person underground going up the
aforementioned building.
When he tried detecting the presence inside, it seemed there was no one at the second
and third floor, but there was just one person at the fourth floor.
For now, he would try searching inside. Deciding that, Kousuke was going to move, but
before he could a person appeared a few meter beside him crossing the street.
He casually turned his gaze toward that person. It was a young man with hair of ash
brown color and a face that looked really sullen. Although, his height was around 170
cm. He was wearing a really normal looking trouser and hoodie while carrying a large
leather rucksack on his back.
"…"
Looking in a glance, he looked like a local without anything particularly standing out,
he could also be thought as a tourist.
But, Kousuke understood. At the very least, this young man wasn't someone with
respectable occupation.
The way he moved and the motion of his gaze showed it. But it was the atmosphere
enveloping him that especially gave the feel of "someone familiar with fighting". It
wasn't a sense that was grounded from definite basis, but Kousuke who had survived
through the carnage in Tortus somehow understood it.
As expected, the young man watched his surrounding slightly before entering into the
aforementioned general store with a nonchalant face.
He then chatted for a bit with the shop owner who looked unmotivated.
"Nice timing there."
Kousuke started walking toward the general store with a faint smile.
He entered the store casually.
Normally, Kousuke would be able to enter inside without anyone paying attention
even without him doing anything. In fact, even though Kousuke felt a bit down of that
fact, he still entered the store without doubting that fact, but…
Here unexpectedly,
"…"
"――tsu"
The young man saw Kousuke.
It wasn't that his gaze was accidentally directed at Kousuke. He detected someone
entering the store and his gaze moved toward Kousuke accurately.
Kousuke praised himself how he was able to stop the bewilderment inside his heart
to show out.
He headed toward the spot where drink was sold inside the store without missing a
beat.
(He noticed me? Certainly I didn't even use any invisibility but… seriously?)
Inside his heart, "This isn't the time to feel happy isn't it, me!" he calmed his heart like
that while thinning his presence bit by bit by reinforcing his invisibility.
The gaze that was fixed on him slowly moved away.
"? What's the matter, Aziz?"
"…Nothing. I'm going."
"Yeah, good work."
Their conversation continued with a naturalness as though no one else was there. The
young man called Aziz then went up the stair inside the store.
Kousuke normally followed behind him.
The store owner looked as though he didn't even notice him when he passed through
him. Kousuke's invisibility was in different dimension from Presence Isolation. It was
something that truly should be called as "Presence Thinning", in situation where he
was seriously turning invisible, it would become something dreadful where a normal
person wouldn't notice even when he waved his hand in front of their eyes.
"…?"
(Seriously!? He isn't noticing me, but this guy, he is at least feeling something out of
place!)
The young man suddenly turned around inside the cramped stair and tilted his head.
Kousuke immediately leaped up to the ceiling and stuck there, so the young man's gaze
didn't find him.
"Is it… just my imagination?"
The young man muttered that and shook his head, then his sullen face became even
more sullen in discontent while he rushed until the fourth floor as though to pull
himself together.
(From Nagumo's story, the guy who stole the information about us from Reletense
Company wore tight coat and mask, and also using primitive weapon. Well, there is no
way he can keep walking dressing like that though…)
If that person immediately returned by riding airplane after attacking the company,
then the timing would match with now. Kousuke raised his vigilance while muttering
inside his heart.
There was only one door at the fourth floor. The young man called out "…It's Aziz" in
front of the door.
"Aziz. Welcome back, I thought you will come soon."
The one who opened the door was a woman with the atmosphere of a refined lady,
looking like she was around sixty years old. With her gentle look, it felt like she would
be called "mother" by those who was close to her even if they were unrelated.
The door was opened largely and the woman moved aside to welcome in the young
man.
Kousuke also slipped in following Aziz's timing.
"…"
"Welcome back, Aziz…? What's the matter?"
Inside the room there was one more person, a man with masculine look around the
middle of his thirty. Seeing Aziz looking around restlessly with a suspicious look the
moment he entered the room, his expression turned doubtful and he asked the young
man.
"No. It feels like someone is watching me since some time ago."
"…Because it's you who possess outstandingly sharp senses is the one who said that, I
cannot just deny that out of hand but… no matter how you look, there is only us here
you know?"
No, there was another at the ceiling, clinging there.
Though, of course that person didn't say that. Although, the senses of the young man
below were really worthy of praise.
(This guy is seriously not normal. To be able to notice something is out of place even
when I turn invisible.)
Kousuke was feeling more nervous than usual. Below, the man stroked his chin while
opening his mouth.
"Could it be there is spy camera here?"
"My. Leda-kun. If it's about that, the regular inspection had just been done the
yesterday you know?"
"If Madam Maya had checked then surely there is no doubt about it…"
Kousuke thought. 'Doing regular check for hidden camera normally, these guys aren't
normal as expected'.
This building that was connected to Vatican through underground passage… Just who
in the world these people were he wondered.
He didn't know if these people were related with what he should investigate, but at
the very least they would make a nice starting point. It could be said that he hit the
jackpot.
Kousuke used all his effort to turn invisible and held his breath. Ahead of his gaze, the
conversation of this unknown and not normal people was continuing.
"Well, we will be careful just in case. Even so, I will leave after this for work though."
"…Recently, there is a lot of work isn't it?"
"Yeah. I'm sick of it, really. What about you Aziz? If I remember right, you were
investigating about the danger level of that ancient ruin right?"
"Yes. That was the work of the management department."
"I see. Recently it's not just worshipper, even corporations are also getting active… it
will be great if it's just normal relic."
"The possibility that there are worshippers in that company is by no mean small."
"…It's only bad news that are coming from all over the world. These people who are
searching for salvation even though they understand that it's a temptation that goes
against god, they will be inevitably increasing in number."
The man named Leda shook his head with a dark gaze.
"…I think it can't be helped to think that the cause is the returnees."
Kousuke was startled by Aziz's words. It was a grand jackpot. It seemed that this was
a bingo.
Maya who was listening to the conversation of the two silently spoke with a slightly
rebuking tone.
"Aziz. Jumping at shadows can become our greatest pitfall. We shouldn't speak
uncertain words."
"But… what those guys did to our comrade"
"Certainly that's true but, in the end there is no one dead. Isn't that also a proof that
they have conscience?"
"…"
Young man Aziz sullenly fell silent looking like he wasn't convinced at all. It seemed
that looking expressionlessly sullen was his default look, but right now he was
definitely in a bad mood――or rather, he seemed to be sulking.
Seeing the opinions of Maya and Aziz about themselves the returnees were in
opposition of each other, Kousuke was at a loss of how to judge their position.
Perhaps, Vatican and the people affiliated with it were gathering their information to
try to meddle with them. Such suspicion was somewhat mollified by the peaceful and
rational words of the woman called Maya.
Aziz who was childishly unable to hide his displeasure and Maya who looked troubled.
Leda was making a wry smile toward those two. In order to slightly back up Aziz who
was in disadvantage, he spoke while shouldering the baggage.
"Well, there is no doubt that disquieting matter was increasing around the time of
these returnees' return. Their mysteriousness and their strength that even us cannot
approach… it's not unreasonable for Aziz to be alert against them when he is thinking
about his family."
"Certainly that is true."
Maya's expression was looking even more troubled. Leda opened the door with a
teasing expression and spoke when he passed Aziz by.
"Besides, Aziz doesn't want his beloved "big sis" to come near such fellows, right?"
"Leda-san"
Young man Aziz's voice clearly contained anger. Leda said "Oo, scary! Scary!" and
dramatically averted his face to hide his expression, then he said "See you" and got
out.
"I hate how that person like to make fun of other."
"H~m, Leda too was a stiff and serious child too in the past though."
The sensitive atmosphere from before changed completely into a calm one.
Aziz turned on his heel and signaled Maya with his gaze. Maya nodded and circled to
behind the desk inside the room and pulled out halfway several drawers of the desk.
And then, at the end she tapped the corner of the desk lightly.
Right after that, *gakon* there was a sound of something coming off. Aziz pushed the
wall inside the room and the wall sunk inside. It seemed that it became a sliding door.
After the wall was shifted to the side, there was a cramped stair going down that could
be passed by one person there.
Aziz quickly slipped into that cramped stair that was located between walls. He only
nodded with a gaze at Maya who was waving her hand to him smilingly and quickly
closed the door.
(As expected, it's too cramped that it's impossible to slip inside together.)
Kousuke who was still clinging on the ceiling turned his gaze toward the desk. He had
at least confirmed the procedure clearly, but he wasn't clear with the extent of how
much the drawers had to be pulled. In the case that it was measured in millimeter, it
would be quite troublesome to try it himself.
(It will be great if that Maya person will also get out though…)
Most likely that would be asking too much. This place was most likely the outside
house and also the base of these people who were affiliated with Vatican, and this
Madam Maya seemed to be the manager here. It was hard to imagine that she would
easily leave this place.
(Let's hope she isn't as sharp as Aziz-kun.)
Kousuke prayed so inside his heart while using the opening when Maya took her gaze
off from the wall of the hidden passage to land down in front of it.
And then, he quickly summoned a clone at the other side of the wall. Furthermore,
using Hajime's specially made artifact, he switched position along with the space with
his clone before erasing the clone that appeared inside the room.
In exchange, a black stone with small glint fell on the floor with a plop.
――Abyss-style Air Ninja Art Banei no Kagerou
the abyss is always unevenly d
(TN: Banei no Kagerou = Heat
haze of myriad shadows)
By the way, this substitute technique that was making use of one time use artifact, it
was previously named " Banchi Zaikuu
I exist in the place that I se
". The lord's skill name would change
depending on his mood at the time! (TN: Banchi Zaikuu=Myriad earth empty existence)
Kousuke who entered inside the hidden passage was following behind Aziz while
keeping distance from him.
(Even so it's deep huh…)
From his instinct, it felt like the stair descended until two floors below underground
level.
When he investigated using compass while advancing, as expected this underground
passage was heading toward inside the Vatican. After advancing for around 200
meters, there was a corner that was heading to the west. If the measurement he
caluclated inside his brain was correct, it directly passed through below Vatican's art
museum in a straight line from outside, and midway the passage stretched toward the
direction of Vatican's garden.
Before long, Aziz who advanced until the end of the underground passage faced the
wall there and put his palm on it.
A mechanical light scanned his palm. *Kashun* a numeric keypac appeared. He typed
in the password. *Vin* it made such sound and the floor slid, and a stair that headed
further underground appeared.
(Why is only that place is modern huh!)
Kousuke made a tsukkomi in his heart.
After Aziz passed through, Kousuke also slipped through the floor using the same
pseudo substitute technique like before toward the stair.
After going down the stair that felt like one floor below, a thick metal door appeared.
It was a double leaf door that could slide to left and right, a large cross was carved at
the middle.
(Finally, I arrived at the headquarters of the mysterious group.)
Following after Aziz inside the opened door, Kousuke also slipped in.
The space inside was surprisingly wide. First, the ceiling was stupidly high. He
guessed that it reached 15 meter. Thick pillars were lining up in systematic order, the
width and length of the space was also very spacious. The place was basically made
from stone with the vital spots reinforced by metal.
A lot of people wearing habit were moving around busily, looking carefully there were
passages at the sides of this space's wall.
It was an underground space that was like the smaller version of Tokyo's outer
floodway that was remade into middle age style.
(Seriously… the position, it's right under the forest in the middle of the art museum
and the monastery. To think there is this kind of huge space here)
Kousuke who was overwhelmed for a while went 'hah' and returned to his senses
seeing people passing him by nearby.
(If it's this scale, the possibility that someone who doesn't belong to Vatican made this
underground passage secretly and planning something not good… isn't likely huh.
There is no way the Vatican side won't notice this.)
In other words, this must be a facility of something for an organization within Vatican
that wasn't made public.
Kousuke weaved through the people and carefully advanced forward.
Everything that his sight caught was interesting.
The people wearing habit while doing something like crafting work on several large
stands.
What their hands were holding was,
(Baton? Also… isn't that assassin blade thing? I saw it before in movie! That's, chain?
Uwaa, are they engraving cross seal on every single ring of the chain? That one… bow
gun huh? Oi oi, they are coating the arrow with strange liquid though!? These guys are
clergyman aren't they!? They are clearly making dangerous weapon though!?)
Inside Kousuke was making a storm of tsukkomi with the dangerous looking middle
age weapon on parade.
Other than that, there were people intently making a written copy of a large and old
book that looked like it would crumble anytime, and then even though it was
underground, there was furnace and a person who was blacksmithing, people who
was meeting or perhaps doing lecture while writing something on thing that was like
a blackboard, people who were holding the weapons created by the previous people
while doing mock battle, "scenes that weren't normal" was pressing on Kousuke like
surging waves.
It was though he was taking a trip in another world, or getting into a time slip to the
middle age period.
(Dear sir, Nagumo-sama. This is really bad. Vatican is really bad news, seriously. An
outrageous secret is hiding underground here.)
Inside his heart, Kousuke was weeping "I wanna go home already. I wanna eat Emily's
apple pie…".
When he was fighting the security bureau, inside his heart he was also feeling really
fed up inside his heart, but even so he got some composure in his heart. Their
organization, action, and equipment were extremely within reality and common sense
after all.
To think that right after he infiltrated here, that common sense would receive a beating
like this. He had never even imagined it.
What's more. Since some time ago his senses felt helplessly itchy. He was thinking that
it was this unrealistic space that was making him to feel that, but the people coming
and going――especially the people who seemed to be training, when he looked at
them, he felt a strange de ja vu.
It felt indescribably strange, like he knew them really well, but he didn't.
Like that, he was advancing deeper inside while being somewhat escaping from
reality. Then he came to see an atrium that had second and third floor. The deepest
wall was shaved and made into cloister while rooms were made inside the stone wall.
At both sides, there were spiral staircase made along the pillars, furthermore there
was an elevator right at the front. It was an old type with iron bars fence and steel cage
that was pulled by wire.
Both the stair and elevator went through the ceiling and stretched until above. Most
likely it was going until the surface.
When he noticed, the presence of the young man Aziz was inside the front room at the
third floor.
It seemed that his attention was diverted from Aziz while he was getting bewildered
by this space's absurdity.
He blundered. Kousuke hurriedly went to the third floor to gather information.
But, before that, he caught sight of a strange person and his legs stopped.
(…? What is he doing?)
That person was a youth at the latter half of his teenage. He was looking up fixedly at
the room that Aziz entered. What caught Kousuke's attention was his expression
rather than his action.
He was terrifyingly expressionless, but it felt like there was disquieting shadow that
was like malice or hostility that flickered inside his eyes.
The youth suddenly looked at his wristwatch. And then, he made a terrifying faint
smile, then entered one of the side passages for some reason and lowered his body
low on the ground near the wall.
It was as though, yes, as though,
"…Anti shock posture?"
Kousuke murmured that. He got goosebumps.
Instantly, there was a terrible explosive sound. And then a raging shockwave.
"GUaAAAAAAH!?"
It was unclear who screamed. Was it Kousuke or other people?
His senses were agitated, for an instant, he fell into unconsciousness. He didn't even
have time to feel aware of his own body getting blown away. His body was struck
several times, and at the end, his back collided with the wall and Kousuke finally
stopped.
"Kahah!? Tsu, what-, happened!?"
The air in his lung was forcefully ejected due to the impact and his breathing was
thrown out of order, but he scolded his numb body and immediately switched into
battle readiness. He stood on his knee in low position while observing the situation
around.
"-, explosive? It's not… an incident."
The secret space underground now was completely different from a moment before.
Pillars were crumbling here and there, the rubbles of ceiling and wall were scattered
everywhere, and "things that were human" were similarly scattered.
The atrium that reached until the third floor was also mostly destroyed, one of the
stairs was collapsing. The elevator's wire was also severed. From right above that
elevator, the ceiling fell and a hole until the surface ground was opened. A faint light
was shining in.
It was too terrible to be an accidental explosion. Above all else, the pillars that were
supporting the underground space were mostly undamaged. Seeing how the
destruction was focused on the surrounding of the place where people were working,
this explosion was obviously the work of someone.
Kousuke himself, if he didn't have his trained tough body and the combat outfit he was
wearing on his casual wear――the clothes artifact that was weaved with metallic fiber
that was provided with various defensive ability like stab-proof, bulletproof, cold
resistance, heat resistance, impact resistance, and so on――he might be seriously
wounded.
In fact, the impact went through that defensive ability and damaged his internal organ
somewhat seriously.
Inside his heart, Kousuke cursed himself "Idiot me, I'm too careless" while taking out
a small container shaped like a test tube and drank in the recovery medicine inside.
At the same time, a voice of a female resounded. Although that voice was agitated, but
there was dignity in it.
"Kuh, situation-, situation report! Everyone! Are you safe!?"
Looking there, a woman came out from the room where Aziz should have entered just
now. She leaned her body forward from the railing of the cloister and raised her voice.
From a glance, she was a beautiful woman. Her age seemed to be around twenty. Her
soft and wavy long blonde hair, her gentle looking drooping eyes, the twin hills and
tight waist that were clear to see even from above the loose habit, and then her long
legs.
It appeared there was also an explosion inside the room, her clothes and hair were
messed, and although there was blood trickling from her head, she had brilliance in
her that couldn't harm her charm with just that much.
Surely she was giving an impression of a gentle big sister usually, but right now in this
chaotic situation, her expression was becoming grave and stern seeing the dead
entering her sight.
"Guh, kafuh――it's, dangerous-. Claudia-sama-"
"Aziz! Also Wynn and Anna too! You shouldn't move! You all are seriously wounded!"
From behind the female――Claudia, the young man Aziz showed up with staggering
steps. His state was literally wounded all over his body. At both his sides, a blond
haired youth and a girl at around the middle of her teen were standing with similar
expression that was covered in blood and distorted in pain.
How were their damages different from each other even though they were in the same
room? From how the woman was called using "-sama", perhaps Aziz covered for the
woman.
Claudia reached out her hand toward Aziz. At that timing, a voice was raised from the
side passage.
"Claudia-sama! There's a problem! The seal-, the seal of "mirror gate" is unraveling-"
"!? Aumale, what do you mean――"
Claudia's expression was clearly paling even from afar. It seemed that a situation that
was worse than this disastrous explosion was occurring.
Furthermore, the situation was moving as though to keep worsening.
"Guah!?"
"What, you all!?"
Scream and angry roar echoed. When everyone was taken aback looked at the voice's
direction, countless people were coming down from the stair and elevator hole and
started attacking the people who barely escaped from the explosion disaster.
Surprisingly, all of the intruders were dresses as though they had just sightseeing not
long ago. Their appearance was like tourist, however, they were killing people without
hesitation…
The situation was rapidly worsening. The chaos was deepening, and despair was
running rampant at the same time.
Kousuke too was unable to decide his next move seeing the unexpected abnormal
situation that was happening one after another.
There was possibility that Vatican was gathering information of the returnees, so he
came to investigate their objective and how much information they had, and yet, that
Vatican was being attacked.
The side that he should help, the reason why he should help, and in the first place even
the reason why he should interfere didn't come to mind.
(Should I take advantage of this chaos and search only for our information? But…)
Kousuke's instinct was insisting to him to make sure of this situation. His danger sense
was throbbing, telling him that the situation might be moving beyond salvation if he
left it alone.
"Claudia-sama! Right now it's the seal! If the "key of cross" is gone, at this rate-"
"Kuh, but…"
Claudia was holding a huge metallic cross of about two meter unnoticed. She was
hesitating seeing her comrades getting attacked.
"Leave this place to us! Claudia-sama, please take care of the seal! It's only the "mirror
gate" that we cannot allow to be opened! Anna, go to the chief! Aziz, Aumale! I'll leave
Claudia-sama to you!"
Right after he said that, the man called Wynn leaped right away from the third floor
with a demonic look. He splendidly performed ukemi
the art of falling safely
and went to rescue
his comrades who were being attacked.
"Claudia-sama! I will bring the chief here without fail!"
"Anna!"
The girl who was called Anna too, without showing any sign of minding her face and
her side that were wet with blood, from her breast pocket she took out a circular
rod――from its shape it was likely to be a tonfa, and she lengthened it fully. She drove
in an anchor on the stair's upper part and leaped until the stair right away like a
pendulum.
And then, she descended and hit the attackers flying while rushing away with great
speed.
"Kuh, Aziz."
"I'm fine. Let's go, Claudia-sama."
Claudia nodded in respond to the determined words and gaze of Aziz. Then she
shouldered the huge cross while dashing away.
At the first floor, the man who raised his voice just now about the seal
something――Aumale was waiting somewhat impatiently. He guided Claudia and Aziz
in a hurry.
"Wait, oi oi, that guy… Shit-, I don't get what's going on at all. Well, at this kind of time
the best thing to do is to trust the instinct."
Even while cursing, Kousuke manifested his clones and assisted the people wearing
habit that looked like they were going to get finished off by the attackers.
At the same time, the main body of Kousuke chased after Claudia and co who vanished
inside the passage.
"Wait, this is labyrinth!"
The passage was dark and there was almost no lighting. In addition after advancing
for a few meters, he suddenly encountered the path branching into five roads.
Without delay Kousuke used his skill "Tracking" to search the newest footprints. He
could sense their presence, but just with that he wouldn't understand the direction. If
he entered the shortest route, when actually he had to take a detour through a
different path, he would have to return here. Even though it was troublesome, it was
necessary to track the footprints.
"The second from the right."
Even if ordinary person wouldn't be able to understand it, for Kousuke, the subtle way
the dust was brushed, the way the dust floated in the air, the coloring of the floor, and
so on told him where the footprints were. It was just like a police dog chasing after the
target's footprints.
But, even after that he kept encountering branch roads every time he advance for
around ten meter, each time he had to differentiate the footprints before moving, so
he was getting left behind by the three people ahead who were moving without
hesitation.
"From their presence… this is the last branching paths?"
The presences felt really close. It seemed Kousuke's prediction was right on the spot.
[――!? ――!!]
[――! ――]
The echo of some kind of angry yells reached him. Right after that, a short scream of a
woman could also be heard.
Kousuke understood which was the right path without even finding the footprints and
he was going to go there.
At that moment,
"Kuh!? What!?"
There was "red mist" surging from deeper inside the passage. It was flowing with
intense momentum like high pressure gas leaking out. The mist dyed the whole
passage red in the blink of eye.
Kousuke immediately put up a barrier using his kunai.
"Red mist!? Is it poisonous gas! Shit-, incomprehensible things keep happening one
after another!"
Kousuke spat out curses that he couldn't hold back while even so rushing through the
last path in order to ascertain the situation. And then, ahead there was the remain of
a tough metallic door. It seemed to have gotten blown away by explosion. Kousuke
sent it a glance while leaping into the deepest room.
Like that, what Kousuke witnessed was,
"What, is… this…"
It was a large mirror. The height was three meter, the width one meter. The mirror was
enclosed with terrifying relief of countless people lying on top of one another in heaps.
But, Kousuke didn't know if it should be really called a mirror.
The reason was, what was called a mirror was something that reflected the sight of its
opposite side on its surface. What it reflected was the thing right in front of it. A mirror
should be reflecting the stone wall, the red mist, and Kousuke on its surface.
And yet, what was reflected on that mirror――no, what could be seen at the other side
of the mirror another world with rust colored cracked ground and blowing red wind
that was like wind of blood. And then, the red mist that was intensely gushing out from
there.
The worlds, were connected.
This was just like,
――Isn't this like Nagumo's "gate"?
Kousuke who was dumbfounded and was at a loss for words felt impact at his leg.
Taken aback, he came back to his senses and looked down, over there was the young
man Aziz collapsed on the ground.
"Aumale, he-, kafuh, a traito-――Claudia-sama, she-. That guy, to the world at the other
side-"
"O, oi you, don't talk! You're dying!"
A large knife was stuck on his back. The position was a lethal one. And yet, the young
man Aziz didn't even seem care of his own condition, his hazy eyes that were almost
losing light were earnestly looking at Kousuke.
"Please-, that person――Claudia-sama, please-"
Even though he was on the verge of death, Aziz grasped Kousuke's leg with
unshakeable strength. Kousuke unconsciously held his breath.
The young man Aziz acted as though "the last thing he could do was only to beg", his
face that looked expressionlessly sullen all that time crumbled down, and he was
pleading with tears flowing out.
"Please, I beg you-. My, big sister-, my family――please-"
"…You"
The face of Aziz was soggy with tears. Looking from nearby, he was shockingly young,
no, childish. With his tall height and sullen face, he looked like he was only a bit
younger from Kousuke, but perhaps he was still thirteen or fourteen. He was about
the same age like Kousuke's little sister Manami.
In the end, did this young boy understood, just who it was he was pleading at? Most
likely, from his wording that seemed to be directed toward stranger, he must
understood that the other party wasn't a comrade that he recognized.
Kousuke looked at the mirror that they called "mirror gate". Inside the spouting out
red mist, far away, something bizarre with humanoid shape could be seen holding a
human shape on its side.
Furthermore, he could see the ground undulating, and something unknown in
innumerable number surging in.
Near the mirror, the thing that was carried by the "big sister" that Aziz mentioned
――the woman called Claudia, the huge cross was carelessly left to lie there.
Kousuke thought.
Honestly speaking, this was already beyond his capacity. At the very least, this wasn't
a matter that should be faced and dealt with alone.
The Nagumo family should come to deal with this, or at the very least he wanted them
to cooperate with him. Based from what he saw at the abnormal phenomenon in front
of his eyes, the case this time was undoubtedly in a dangerous level for Kousuke.
When he diagnosed himself, he was feeling strangely weary and his mind felt tired,
and then he felt subtle pain around his lung. The cause was surely the red mist that he
slightly came into contact with just now.
There was no guarantee that he would be able to come back if he went to the world at
the other side of the mirror.
Thus, that option was the same as suicide.
This was an abnormal situation that should be dealt with, so the best thing to do was
to erect a barrier that cover the whole mirror, devoted himself to defensive battle, then
contact Hajime, or at the very least Yue and others and asked them for help right away.
If he had to say more, it was an impossible choice to rush into a place that was far from
being unknown, it was even a place that was surely filled with extreme danger, and
furthermore it was for the sake of saving a woman he didn't know. He learned what
reality was in the other world. He couldn't respond to all the voices asking for help.
Such reasons why he "couldn't answer" the young man's wish were listed inside his
heart, but,
"...God… please, grant us salvation… please…"
"God dammit. Those words are what I hated the most."
Kousuke muttered with a small voice where his words couldn't even be heard. On his
expression, a bitter smile surfaced, as though his answer had been decided right from
the beginning.
Because this was an abnormal situation that couldn't just be left alone.
That was one reason.
Because the wish of the little brother who wished for his big sister salvation caused
his own big brother and little sister to cross his mind.
That was another reason.
'But, well, the biggest reason is…
Cause, somehow, I'm like a hero.
I want to answer, the wholehearted trust that "those girls" directed at me… '
His thinking that had came to a clear conclusion of "I cannot save anyone at all" in
front of the reality that he experienced in the other world was brushed aside. For just
a little bit, inside Kousuke… yes, if it had to be said, a face of a "man" peeked out.
'This ain't a death flag right?', Kousuke's bitter smile deepened. But in a complete
change, a strong light dwelled within his eyes.
Inside his heart, "Sorry, for making a stupid choice" he apologized to his comrades and
family, and then to Rana and Emily while kneeling on one knee beside the young man
Aziz.
And then, he pulled out the knife stabbing on Aziz's back, sprinkled the recovery
medicine, and then he forcefully jammed in one more bottle into his mouth.
"Drink it all like your life is depending on it, Aziz-kun. It will be meaningless if you die."
Young man Aziz drank it all while coughing *cough-cough-* and his cloudy
consciousness was getting slightly clear. He looked at Kousuke in a daze.
His expression looked as though he wanted to say that god had answered his prayer
that was asking for salvation and sent His messenger here for him.
Kousuke stood up and wore his sunglass. At the same time he threw several kunai
around the glass and finished the preparation for a barrier to go up after he went in.
And then, taking position in front of the mirror, he looked back across his shoulder
and spoke with a fearless smile.
"My bad, but no matter what I'm no good with god. Unfortunately I'm unable to play
the part as His messenger but… young man. I'll grant you your wish."
He said such thing, Kousuke-san who was slightly entered by the lord.
Young man Aziz asked dumbfounded.
"You are… who?"
Kousuke unsheathed his short sword. He took battle stance against the squirming
existence at the other side of the mirror while,
"Me? I am――"
Kousuke answered just like usual.
――Just the demon king's right hand
Immediately after, Kousuke rushed into the mirror world.
In order to answer the wish of the young man who thought of his family, his big sister
from his heart.
AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.
Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling
and omitted words.
Just in case, one more time.
This is different from the actual Vatican! The stage of this work is in a fictive earth!
The organization, people, and group here are different from reality!
I'm sorry for being long-winded.