Chapter 41 [Devil]

第41話　悪魔

TL : Cnine

ED : akshaythedon

Part 1

After witnessing the holy sword user breaking out from the student dormitory on

Friday evening, the weekend passed by without any incident and then, Sunday morning.

Souji went to school early along with Eisuke and co. to have a breakfast in the student dormitory.

Their seniors had come earlier too, it was almost one week since the previous battle, maybe because they had already calmed down a little, the feeling of helplessness started to fade away from them.

Though he didn’t know how they really felt in the bottom of their hearts, even if he assumed that he knew, it was not something that could be said by Souji.

He silently received the combo meal of edible wild plant and rice, and then sat on his usual seat.

And then, he suddenly noticed after he started to eat his breakfast.

「He’s not there huh」

「Un ？ It’s true, that philanderer isn’t there」

Lured by Souji’s line of sight, Eisuke was also astonished when he looked at the inner part of the school cafeteria.

In the special area for class A where the high class tables are lined up, they couldn’t see the figure of Tendouji Ayato who was surrounded by an army of beauties which collected the envy of the male students.

「Moreover, Kirie-chan isn’t there too」

「Who’s that？」

「Don’t you know her, she’s the E-cup girl with short bob cut who gave the feeling of a meek girl？」

「I don’t know about her」

The girls of class A, with this personality aside, Souji couldn’t differentiate them since all of them possessed a beautiful appearance.

He could only remember Chikagesawa Otome, whom he couldn’t find when he searched for her figure.

「Something happened, huh」

「Could it be that he was involved in a Saturday night fever with Kirie-chan and co. to the point that she can’t even stand on her feet!? Unforgivable, why won’t you treat us too！」

「Shut up, Erosuke」

Hinata, who came slightly later, sent a chop from the side to Eisuke’s head when he shouted out his worldly desire, while Souji was pondering by himself.

（Could it be that Tendouji Ayato hasn’t come back yet？）

In that case, the matter would seemingly cause more uproar but, since the girls of 1st year class A were eating silently, the indication of them being in a hurry was not present.

Rather, they were releasing an indication as if they were monitoring each other, while the atmosphere seethed as if they’re irritated by something.

（Should I look for Chikagesawa Otome and try to ask her？）

The moment he thought so, Souji shook his head and abandoned that notion immediately.

She had called that event as “venting of the stress”, normal students were not aware of that matter, though she revealed the matter that must not be known by Souji, it was a dangerous secret that he shouldn’t talk about.

In the first place, even if she leaked a few secret, she acted that way with a high conviction that Souji wasn’t someone who’ll go around spreading such rumors.

If he carelessly let that secret slip out from his lips, there was no doubt that he’d be silenced at that time.

At that time, she’ll silently approach toward his back with a blade in her hand.

That’s why, even if he asked about the absence of Tendouji Ayato, she won’t tell him the cause for it. Firstly――

「It’s because of the bad personality」

He unintentionally started grumbling.

「――!? Somehow, I have bad feeling about this」

Hinata, who heard that, was being assailed by uncomfortable chills and she even dropped the natto unknowingly while mixing it.

Tendouji Ayato’s reason for absence was unexpectedly being noticed quickly.

「It’s been decided that the 1st year class D will perform a sortie when the raid of CE happened again」

As soon as the lesson began, students of 1st year class D were at loss for words and were surprised that moment when Ooma came in and started to tell them that with a strict face.

But, the mood changed the next moment and then, they were laughing loudly.

「Fuu, it’s finally our turn huh, my arms are itching already」

「Weren’t you saying something similiar before？」

「W-Will we be… Okay？」

「If it was as we practiced, no one will fall in battle you know」

Though they were still feeling anxious, added to that one week of squad training, their experience of having crossed their sudden first campaign gave a sensation of self-confidence to them.

But, that also raised some questions in them.

「Sensei~, since we’ve that harem-kun, there’s no need for us to be dispatched right~」

A person who repelled the swarm of CE alone with just his holy sword.

If he was in the battlefield, there was no need for someone like them after all, it was natural to think about it even if they were not the seniors.

But, as if having expected that question, Ooma replied without any change in his expression.

「Because we’ll be troubled if we passed the burden to just one person.  Moreover, it’ll turn into quite the troublesome matter if you all do not become even more used to real combat」

No matter how strong he was, the hero of holy sword was nothing more than just a single person.

Since he alone couldn’t deal with it if they received a CE attack again, they had no choice but to train the other first years too so that they could handle things when that time came.

Every member of 1st year class D nodded in agreement to the argument which sounded right for one part.

But, Souji, as the only one who knew of Otome’s panicked state when the light was released during that night, started feeling faintly anxious.

（Could it be that Tendouji Ayato is unable to fight？）

Maybe because he was injured after the flight, or because he was exhausted to the point of collapse, since he currently couldn’t fight for some kind of reason, this finally became the turn for class D.

He felt that the reason was barely reasonable. But, it didn’t seem to be like that judging from Ooma’s strangely stiff expression.

Nonetheless, even if there was certainly a reason for it, it was not something that could be changed by Souji.

（I’ll beat the CE that I fought）

That was the only thing which could be done by him and that was also the reason for him to come to this special force.

For the sake of protecting his comrades such as Hinata, Eisuke and the others, the people like the parent-daughter pair of ramen shop, so that they could live without worry, he could only commencing a slaughter when it was the dawn of  battle.

Since that was the meaning of him swinging his Tonbogiri and the reason for him to come and study in this place.

The order for sortie came down to them when they just renewed their determination on next day morning.

「Is this somekind of harrasment for the order to come when it’s time for meal！」

Just when he pricked his chopstick on the omelette breakfast, the siren for sortie reverberated, Eisuke boarded into the armored vehicle almost without even touching his breakfast while making a great fuss about it.

「Though it should be coincidence, it’s troubling us right」

「Yeah」

Despite nodding to Itsuki, Souji thought that it was easier to move when hungry than when you’re full.

Moreover, though there were complaints about their hunger, it was still better than useless tense atmosphere.

「Good grief, though there’s nothing to enjoy but the meal, now we can’t even have a meal」

「Everyone, staying till late at night is not good you know, and you can’t keep yourself always in top condition！」

The trio of Yuta, Takeshi and Housei were also chatting nonchalantly.

「Do you want to eat some sweets~？」

「Really？ Thank you」

「Why’re you bringing in some sweets? let me have one though」

「C-Can I have the powdered green tea flavor……..」

「Maybe I should bring in something like gum too during the next sortie 」

「We love Hinata-oneesama」

Coming to the six girls, they were eating the confectionery which were hidden by Kokoa in the armored vehicle beforehand, and then they starting to eat the confectionery.

（It’s a nice condition）

Though there might be a small amount of bravado in it, there’s no strained and unsteady atmosphere like their first campaign, their motivation and moderate tension have been preserved.

（It seems there was no problem with the seniors too）

Despite feeling helpless when they looked at the power of the holy sword, they were soldiers of long military achievement who fought againts CE for more than one year.

They had toggled their emotions when it came to battle and displayed a great effort just like before.

That’s why, it’s not only for Souji, the teachers who’re watching from the commanding post, the 1st year class D and their seniors too, believed that everyone will fight like usual, and won like usual.

――The time when you’re convinced of your victories, your defeat is just around the corner.

Called, they had forgotten about the proverb said by Souji’s grandfather.

『ALL MEMBERS, GET OFF』

At the same time as the armored vehicle stopped, as the order resounded via their headset, everyone from class D got down in turn from the rear door of the armored vehicle.

The whole surface of the main battlefield against CE had become burnt area, they were hurrying to the place where their seniors had already formed a line a while ago while looking at the scene of Miyota city of Nagano prefecture with their own eyes for the first time.

「Everyone, don’t get so worked up today, just leave this to us」

Sakiyama Reika, the real commander and the squad leader of 3rd year class A smiled gently while looking at Souji and co.

Moreover, while showing various kinds of emotion like shock, wry smiles and envy, 1st year class D moved toward the leftmost position of the formation.

And then, after waiting for 30 minutes, the crowds of glittering hexagonal prisms made their appearance toward the wasteland.

「They’ve come」

The students were preparing themselves at once and set their phantom weapon ready.

And then, they were going to shoot their ammo after attracting the CE till they entered the 150 meter range―― Or so was what was supposed to happen.

「………. What the？」

The students who were waiting in full alert state, were caught unaware with that scene.

The CE who always moved at a fixed pace made a sudden stop at a distance of 500 meters away from them.

「Ayako-sensei, The CE seemed to have stopped moving」

『We’ve also confirmed it, they’ve definitely stopped moving』

Ayako was also knitting her eyebrows while looking at the satellite photograph as if she was unable to understand and answered to Reika who tried to make contact with the command post.

The CE were showing something that never happened before, though they couldn’t afford to make a careless movement, on the other hand, continuing to glare at each other would become disadvantageous to them as their stamina and spirit would become drained.

At the time they were starting to ponder whether to attack or wait for them to come.

KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII―――IIIINNNNNNNNNNNNN！

Suddenly, a high-pitched sound resounded from the direction of CE, in front of the students who were unintentionally pinning their hands on their ears, THAT suddenly sprung from the ground.

Casting an ominous yet beautiful, ever-changing seven-colored light, there was a crystal pillar whose size was about the height of a three-storeyed house.

The Pillar, the base of the demon which produced CE, had appeared just like what happened in Maebashi city.

「W-Why is this in this place!?」

Amongst the students who panicked, Souji was the only one who let out a cold sweat on his forehead.

「…. They came huh」

It was not because of the pillar that appeared. THAT would definitely make an appearance from inside there was the main problem.

He took a look from far away without knowing anything at all, it seems it was mixed with the other CE but, that shape was definitely of THAT, whose power is of a different magnitude.

The opponent who had almost pushed Souji into the depths of abyss made its appearance for the second time―― The 20-faced Type, <<Icosahedron Type>> CE.