CH 76

The one who avenges

Translated by SoundOfDestiny

Edited by Zil

“Get down, Kirishima!”

The first person to break the mental stalemate was Aya Mikoshiba.

She thrusts out her right hand, which is covered with a wave of darkness, and shoots out a vortex of magic power. Neither dark blue nor jet black. A whirlpool of magic power in exquisite black and purple flew through the sky.

The dark blue magic bullet melted into the darkness and gouged out the hollow space as an invisible magic event.

The approach of the overwhelming mass caused both Ran and Subaru to jump backwards.

They narrowly avoided a direct hit, but Aya’s magic – the [Dark Thunderbolt], it’s the kind of magic that doesn’t disappear until it hits the target. After flying in a straight line and losing sight of its target, the magic phenomenon flew towards the wall of the bedroom, hoping to land on the next target.

“Crash!”

It’s a huge magical phenomenon that Ran can’t see directly, but he can still notice the magic approaching. In the world where magic has developed, buildings may have anti-magic technology. In the past, the development of earthquake-resistant and fire-resistant technology in the original world has been rather recent, so it is difficult to be optimistic.

If an ordinary person had unleashed the magic in anger, it would not have caused much damage. Inherent magic – Aya retains infinite magic power. Such stereotypical wisdom does not apply.

It’s impossible to know the exact power, but it can be said that the magic will always be in a dangerous state.

“Reika-sama!”

Subaru jumps back, takes a few light steps and leaps in front of Reika.

Whether or not Reika is aware of the situation. Looking at the room from the corridor, Reika Queenigaoka narrowed her eyes in a calm manner.

As if in response to Reika’s murmur, the vision distorts languidly.

It is a strange distortion that retains an artificial atmosphere, like when a bucket of water is stirred with a stick. A strange distortion is created on the wall of the bedroom, illuminated by the dim moonlight.

Visible distortion and invisible mass collide.

The twisted space swallows up the darkness and the darkness erodes the darkness.

The distorted space swallows up the dark blue magic phenomenon, and it disappears without a trace.

“Are you all right, Reika-sama?”

“I’m all right, my dear. But are you alright, Subaru?　The back of your hand is burning.”

“As long as Reika-sama is safe, I feel no pain. I will protect her even if my body decays.”

As he heals his burned right hand with healing magic, Subaru tells her plainly, his expression never faltering.

Ran felt a chill run down his spine at the sight.

The burns on Pleiades were probably caused by the magic Aya had unleashed, which had grazed his bare skin.

But Subaru had twisted Ran’s wrist just before the dark thunderbolt approached.

If so, when did the burn occur?

“You’re kidding……”

Ran thought they had both jumped back at the same time, startled by the approaching magic phenomenon, but the reality was different.

Subaru tried to play the approaching magic with his right hand, which was filled with fighting spirit, but failed, so he retreated backwards.

He did not run away, but he evacuated, realizing that the threat was too great for him to stop on his own.

Subaru sensed the approach of the magic, took his hand off Ran’s wrist, went into a defensive position to eliminate the threat, realized that it was too powerful to be defended, jumped back, and entrusted the rest to the right person – Reika Queenigaoka, who held the unique magic of spatial manipulation [Dimension of the World.] That’s all they’ve managed to do. And in such a short time.

Ran felt that his legs were giving up.

It’s abnormal. Subaru’s behavior is beyond the bounds of common sense.

It’s not a matter of fighting spirit or combat training, it’s a matter of making sure that his beloved – and blasphemous love interest – is not harmed. If a bullet landed on the wall of the bedroom, the fragments might hit Reika.

Reika might get hurt. This is the reason why Subaru’s instincts were kicked in and he was able to bring out the latent potential within him.

“…..You’re a ninja, dude.”

“I heard that my great-grandfather had a friend who was descended from ninjas, but I don’t think he was related to me.”

“That’s not what I meant, but it doesn’t matter.”

The tension in the air relaxed and Ran sat down on his knees.

He was surprisingly calm, even to himself. He was afraid that he would become agitated, that he would become angry and act on his emotions as he did when he first transferred here.

Was it because Ran knew in some part of his mind that this was going to happen? He’s not sure if it’s because he’s grown more confident or because he’s crossed the line with his classmates.

He’s even more unsure if his pride is getting in the way because he’s in front of his beloved lovers – Hibiki and Aya.

“…… How long have you been aware of this?”

“What do you mean?”

“That I’ve been using my skills to turn girls into my lovers and get them to join me.”

Somewhere in his heart, Ran knows that he has acted against humanity.

He can’t look Kiryuin in the eye because he feels so guilty and ashamed.

“From the very beginning I had a suspicion. Was I wrong? Or was it true? I guess it was finally answered when the atmosphere around Aihara Sakuya and Onigawara Hibiki changed.”

Hibiki sits down by the entrance and cowers sadness and fear.

Hibiki looks at Ran with a frightened look in her eyes and reveals her dismay. The instinct of the skill to blame oneself even in such a situation is heartbreaking.

“But it was tough for me, I could not locate ‘Ran Kirishima’. I tried to get in touch with the knights of the guard and the servants, but all they could say was that you had been taken care of.”

“That’s what the Queen’s people would say. They can’t tell others that they failed to kill you, I was sure it was taken care of it for all intents and purposes”

For some reason, Walkins – the man from the first side of the family – sees some value in Ran’s existence.

According to Walkins, Ran’s skill is necessary for him, but the details are unknown. But Ran knows that the most important thing is to never trust every word that comes out from his mouth.

“–Is he on the Queen’s side? After all, the conflict of power is obvious.”

“Ah! My mouth slipped…well, that’s already meaningless.”

What did Walkins want with Ran and why did he treat him nicely?

And why did the Queen’s people delay their actions to end Ran’s life?

There are many things to wonder about. But it’s all meaningless. Now, Ran is finished.

It was bound to happen.

It is fortunate that Ran has been able to live until now.

The queen’s side had abandoned him, opposing the queen side were the ones who picked him up, and he has lived this long, but it’s over.

Still, Ran doesn’t see this situation as the worst thing that could happen.

Before he died, she had sex with Misuzu, Kanami ,Sayaka. Aya and Saki, Sakuya and Hibiki, Yuri and Emi – he was able to make love with nine of his high school classmates.

“It was a good ride…”

He held up his arms to show that he had no intention of resisting.

He’ll give up. The girls in his class would have treated him like a pervert and he would have been killed in cold blood. Just before the end of his life, the goddess smiled on him and showed him a happy dream. Ran is thankful for such a blessing.

“I’d be happy if you at least  take my bones and ashes back to our world.”

Ran’s gesture and words made him realise that he was ready. A sweet, warm feeling came over him.

“What are you doing, Kirishima?”

“———-”

“What are you trying to do all by yourself? Is it only for your own satisfaction!?　Don’t you ever think about the people you’re leaving behind?”

Aya’s arms embrace the dispirited Ran.

It’s a different kind of embrace than the one Ran gets when he’s being held sexually. It’s not an act of acceptance, but an act of attraction – the current Aya of this world pulls Ran, who has almost dipped one foot into the spiritual underworld, back.

“What do you think you’re doing? What would you do if I had a baby in my belly after what you did all this time?　You took my first, so if you’re going to die, at least take responsibility for it first!”

Aya’s body-magical bullets were shot from everywhere.

However, all of it is swallowed by the distortion created in the space and eventually disappears.

It’s been like that for a while now.

While Subaru and Ran were confronting each other, Aya was firing a number of attack magic at Subaru the whole time.

Reika did not leak it, and all of it was offset by her unique magic of space manipulation.

A faint contact was made on his cheek.

The swallowtail, swaying her wings sadly, lingered on Ran’s cheek, rubbing quietly against it. If Swallowtail had tear glands, she would be shedding tears,

(TL:refering to ageha)

“…… Oh, yeah.”

It’s not a dream, it’s reality. A fantasy world where you wake up and everything goes away. What Ran has been spinning so far is not a self-satisfied dream, but a story of the real world involving others.

Even if Ran dies here, the world will continue to turn and move towards the future.

His harem, caught up in Ran’s folly, will have to live in a world where their beloved man is no longer with them.

“Giving up is not good – it’s worse than fighting to the end, it’s so pathetic.”

Giving up is not the same as making a decision.

What Ran was doing was not the determination to be killed or the courage to give up on reality. He just ran away.

He just lost motivation due to the overwhelming difference in strength.

With the support of Aya and the encouragement of Ageha, Ran stood up unsteadily.

The cloudy gaze regained its strength, and the eyes that had been downcast lifted and looked straight at Kiryuin Subaru.

“I’m not ready to give up.”

“I don’t expect you to give up either.”

“Do you want a head-to-head game?”

Interesting–Ran raises his mouth and distorts his expression.

However, the words inherited from Subaru’s mouth were far beyond Ran’s expectations.

“I’m not going to fight you.”

“What?”

The will to fight that had risen to the surface quickly cooled.

“Kirishima-san must be mistaken about something.”

Covering her mouth with a fan, Reika’s eyes narrow softly.

There is nothing aggressive in his gaze.

Seeing Ran is surprised with what Reika had said, Subaru reached out his hand.

“We need your help. Can you help us?”

◇◇◇

The unexpected visitor knocked on Sayaka Sadogashima’s door at a time when it was late in the evening and the rain, which had been falling since the early evening, was slowly ebbing away, giving the impression that a quiet night was coming.

The rainwater collected on the window cleats drips through the window stains.

The window glass, wet from the night rain, reflects the dim moonlight.

In the middle of the night, there is a knock at the bedroom door.

The knock on the bedroom door in the middle of the night, accompanied by the sound of the rain, which indicates a visitor, jolts Sayaka awake.

The visitor in the middle of the night. Since coming to this world, there is only one person who visits Sayaka’s room at such an insane hour.

As she scratches her cheeks, which are slightly stained from sleep, Sayaka feels a warmth deep in her chest.

Heart-thumping is the word to describe such a moment.

“Kirishima-kun, you’re such a……”

She sits up on the bed and cupped her cheeks in her hands, embarrassed.

Licking Sayaka with hot eyes, she pictured him coming on to her in a strong way. Sayaka lets out a hot breath.

She takes off the light clothes she has been using as sleepwear and puts on her winter sailor.

While Sayaka was changing her clothes, the knocking continued without a break. It was a desperate act that made Sayaka realize once again that she was being desired, and she was touched by his charming gesture.

“Wait a minute. I’ll be out …… in a minute, so don’t be in such a hurry.”

The lusty sound of her voice adds to the tranquillity of the night.

The sadness that lurks deep in her heart is disturbed and makes her impatient at the door.

On the other side of the door, a beloved boy student with a breathless and enthusiastic look is probably waiting for Sayaka to appear.

Even in that sense, she was pretty happy to be asked by her favorite of the opposite sex.

And more than anything else – the thought of a boy who wants Sayaka so badly that he would go out of his way to get her this late at night is both cute and pathetic, and it makes her cringe.

She can’t help but feel like she’s breathing too hard.

“Here you are, Kirishima.”

Sayaka unlocks the door and opens it slowly.

She pokes her lips with her index finger and looks invitingly at her visitor.

As soon as she sees the visitor, she is rendered speechless by a sight she never imagined.

“-eh?”

“I’m sorry, Sayaka-chan. Um, I’m….. Ran-kun, there’s no….”

The person on the other side of the door was not the boy she loved, who was in agony with lust.

Rather, the girl is the student idol in the class. From the time they’re in the original world, she was wondering if the world she lived in would be different from her.

Her bobbed black hair gleams in the moonlight. Sayaka wonders how she can keep her cuticles so clean after such an unhealthy lifestyle.

“Nekoyama-san……”

“I’m sorry to bother you at this hour.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Despite saying ‘it’s fine’, Sayaka sullenly purses her lips. As if to show how much she anticipated the person was Ran.

She could feel the emotions that had risen in her heart being extinguished at once. The excitement in her heart is over, and the flush on her cheeks is quickly draining. She wonders if it is because her expectations were too high. It’s not that she has any particular dislike for Misuzu, but she can’t help letting out a sigh as she faces her. She was filled with a sense of shame at herself for waking up so happily in the middle of the night.

Misuzu went to Sayaka’s room because she had something to do.

Disappointed and suddenly sleepy, Sayaka can’t just push her away.

“What is it, Nekoyama-san?”

“I was told to call you.”

“… Nekoyama-san? Who asked you to do that?”

After saying this, a boy’s face came to Sayaka’s mind.

In any case, the hope, or rather the option, of wanting it to be Ran has already disappeared with Misuzu’s apologetic words, “It’s not Ran-kun.”

The first thing that came to Sayaka’s mind was the other boy. But it wasn’t a good reminder.

The other day, when she and Ran were alone in bed, hugging each other to sleep, Yuri interrupted them on the way, and when they woke up, the three of them were crammed together on the bed. The reason for this is that the words that Yuri had spoken to her have been stuck in the corner of her mind for a long time.

–Something is wrong with Yamashiro-kun.

Yuri told her that Hirokatsu Yamashiro was looking for Sayaka.

Fortunately, Hirokatsu has never disturb them during training or meals, and to be honest, she doesn’t think it’s a good idea to be suspicious of her friends or classmates based on her own speculation or intuition, so Sayaka is not particularly wary of Hirokatsu. But Yuri’s remarks made Sayaka worry about his movements.

The other day, Nekoyama had told Yuri that he was looking for Sayaka, but now, Nekoyama herself came.

This is the reason why Sayaka became slightly paranoid due to the fact that he had asked Misuzu, who is harmless and does not know how to suspect others.

“Ryuzaki-kun, Nyya”

But Sayaka’s vigilance makes her realise that it was unnecessary.

The name of the boy who was mentioned by Misuzu is ruminating in her mind.

Ryuzaki Tsubasa. He was a quiet boy who belonged to a rather unassuming group of boys, whose only distinguishing feature was that his personal belongings were strangely black.

In the original world, and of course, after transitioning to this world, he has never been involved with Sayaka.

Lowering her guard down, Sayaka’s eyes narrow in relief.

Anyway, Sayaka is also a flower schoolgirl. She can’t just go along unguarded and say that she’s been summoned by a boy in the middle of the night.

It’s not that she thinks too highly of her own worth, but it’s worth being wary of. In addition, Sayaka is Ran’s wife and lover.

It would not be a good idea to have a beloved boyfriend and then meet other boys at night.

Well, when she put it like that, Ran is dating her, but at the same time he’s also dating Misuzu and Kanami – and not only that. But when she finds out that Ran has been messing around with her best friends, Yuri and Emi, she feels the need to say something.

“I don’t care if people think I’m stupid, I hope that one day he will realise that the love of a true heart is better than the false love created by a skill.”

“If I’m being honest, I’m a bit – well, a lot – lonely.”

It would have been so much better if they had just confessed their love to each other, gone out, slowly built a relationship at their own pace, crossed the line together and climbed the stairs to adulthood.

It is true that a strange feeling, different from regret, arises.

Or would Sayaka’s love have been triggered if she’s not in a situation that hadn’t been so outrageous?

Even if it had been an ordinary day in life.

She would not be surprised if her high school life ended plainly.

“It’s late today, can’t he do it in the morning?　I’m quite sleepy too and I’m not sure I’d be able to listen to him if we met at this hour”

“Eh … that would be troubling-Nyaa. I was told that I must wait until Sayaka-chan comes along.”

A cardigan with moe sleeves. Misuzu ponders her eyebrows as she puts her fingers through her sleeves on her chin.

Nekoyama Misuzu makes a pose of a little animal-like gesture that can tickle a man’s hearts. If she’s doing it on purpose, even Sayaka is not bothered by it. But for some reason, she felt a misplaced sense of guilt when she thought that Nekoyama was making this expression with a pure – and innocent – heart.

“Do you think that meeting another boy in the middle of the night would betray Kirishima-kun?”

There’s  a little bit of jealousy in Sayaka too.

This is the reason why the tone of voice is a bit blaming.

“….I don’t look at Ryuzaki with that kind of look, I just feel terrible to ignore it even though our classmates are waiting patiently.”

“If Nekoyama-san doesn’t come, I think Ryuzaki-kun will give up.”

It would be crazy to keep waiting, thinking that she will definitely come. It’s also possible that he’s in a hurry. If that’s the case, at least tell them why he needs to see her.

Of course, if the person who invited Sayaka was Kirishima Ran, she would have gone to see him right away.

“Sayaka-chan won’t come, will she?”

“I’m sorry Nekoyama-san, but I don’t think I want to go.”

Sayaka puts her hand over her mouth and sighs.

If it is Misuzu who has reinforced recovery, it is possible to wake up from sleep anytime and anywhere. The barrier-eliminating, magic-cancelling Sayaka can’t pull off such a trick.

Misuzu’s face became troubled and her eyes moist.

Once again, a misplaced sense of guilt arises, but Sayaka tries to endure it.

She’s not sure if it’s because she’s sleepy or if she’s a little mad.

Misuzu should not expect a girl to behave in a cute way, even if she was forced to wake her up in the middle of the night.

“… Then, I’ll have go alone nyyaa..”

“–Huh?”

“Ryuzaki-kun is waiting alone late at night like this. I can’t come to Sayaka-chan today, so I have to ask him to do it again tomorrow morning.”

“Wait a minute.”

Sayaka grabs Misuzu’s arm when her back is turned.

“At this time of night, If I let Misuzu go to the boy alone..”

Even Sayaka can understand how dangerous it is.

Misuzu is a good-natured person – she doesn’t know how to be suspicious of strangers, especially acquaintances.

It brings back memories of the time Emi and Sayaka went to visit Yuri at her house. There was a comic book in Yuri Fujiyoshi’s room that was clearly designated for adults. When Yuri and Emi were out of the room, they were curious about what was going on in the comic book, in which a good-natured girl was tricked by a bad boy and got into all sorts of trouble.

It’s a little bit of an exaggeration but the truth is that when Sayaka sees the class idol,  walking, like a natural little animal, without knowing the danger she can’t say it wouldn’t happen.

Especially people like Misuzu who are more likely to get involved in such things.

“You should not go alone. How about asking for others to accompany you, like……Inugami-san or Shirayuki-san.?

“But both Saki and Kanami are early sleepers.”

Sayaka can just picture them both sound asleep.

It’s hard to imagine them awake this late at night.

Sayaka wondered if there were any other girls Misuzu could rely on.

Aya Mikoshiba, Sakuya Aihara and Hibiki Onigawara. All three are girls that Sayaka is not close with.

If she lets Misuzu go alone, Sayaka is sure she’ll say something like, “Don’t worry,” and go straight to Ryuzaki Tsubasa. If so, it should be Sayaka’s job to ask for an escort.

It is not possible for Sayaka to wake up the three of them for something that is so trivial from a third party perspective.

“At the same time, Yuri and Emi are not very close with Nekoyama-san either…….”

Aside from Yuri, who is a bit stubborn in the weirdest ways. Emi, who is kind to her friends, might be willing to listen to Sayaka’s request.

But, it’s her day and she’s supposed to be in bed early, using Lyaure fruit and healing magic to keep her symptoms under control.

Sayaka doesn’t want to wake her.

“Haa..I knew it, I feel like I should talk to Kirishima-kun about this…….Is Ran free tonight?”

“Aya-chan told me not to come because she’ll have Ran-kun all to herself.”

“Of all people, Mikoshiba-san. ……”

Sayaka doesn’t know what she would do if she were to get a glare if she were to interrupt the excitement between Aya and Ran.

She’s also a member of Ran’s family, so it’s unlikely that Sayaka will be summoned to the back of the school building. For the literary girl Sayaka Sadogashima, the (fake) delinquent girl Aya Mikoshiba remains a frightening presence.

And what’s more, if she witnessed a frightening connection between her and her beloved Ran, Sayaka might not be able to recover in many ways.

When Sayaka found out that Ran had spun a relationship with Yuri and Emi, She let her emotions get the better of her and she screamed at Ran.

“I don’t want to see the boy I love making out with another girl.”

“…… Well, last resort, how about Reika Queenigaoka?”

The chances of them helping Sayaka are pretty slim, but she doesn’t want to give up before asking.

If it is impossible, there is no choice and Sayaka had to accompany Misuzu

It’s a long way from the original plan but it would be a better decision than letting Misuzu go alone.

“I’ll be back in a minute. I’ve got to get ready to go out.

“eh?　But Sayaka, are you going out with that-nyaa?”

“……no! I can’t go out like this.”

She closes the door, locks it, and lets out a tired sigh.

She took off her winter sailor suit, looked at the flat chest that was exposed, and let out another sigh.

“I wanted to see Kirishima’s reaction……”

The length of her skirt is the same as usual, but she is not wearing black stockings.

What’s more, it’s not only the stockings that she’s not wearing.

When the hem of the skirt is rolled up, the girl’s part, covered with a jet-black wheat field and split open.

“It took a lot of courage, though.”

It’s a daring outfit, something she, herself wouldn’t normally expect, but still…she did the best for her beloved, who went out of his way to seek her out at this time of night.

She takes her underwear out of the drawer and hurriedly puts them on.

The night sky reflected in the window was brighter than before.

Before she knew it, the rain had stopped and the clear moonlight was pouring down on the dark blue world.