Volume 2 Chapter 1 - Before the Storm Part 5
After dinner Kazuki knocked on Koyuki's door.
"Please come in." With that permission, Kazuki opened the door with a little nervousness.
What was before his eyes were——bookshelves.
"…This room looks completely like a library, huh."
The smell of books pierced the nose. There was no element of a girl's atmosphere at all, and what were inside were only bookshelves made from steel, that could be stowed with books both in the front and in the back. In the room, aside from a bed and a desk, there were only bookshelves lined up in an orderly fashion.
"There is always time to read books, anyway."
Between the gap of the bookshelves, Koyuki could be seen sitting on her bed wearing her usual underwear along with a white shirt. An old rabbit stuffed toy was propped up beside the bed. That was the only color scheme in this room.
"…That appearance again as I expected. I don't know where to put my eyes though…"
Kazuki's eyes kept getting attracted to the gap between the shirt's hem and shirttail. Glimpses of white clothes and a girl's legs kept appearing and disappearing, but he raised his line of sight with strong willpower and stared at the girl's face.
"I don't want to change my lifestyle just for the sake of your eyes' convenience."
"——If that's the case, I'll watch Hiakari-san as much as I want then."
Kazuki said that to try to bully her, even though he actually didn't have the intention of watching for real. Koyuki was startled because of that.
"Why… why would you do that? Anyway, there is nothing worth seeing in the body of someone like me."
"Haven't I said it many times before that Hiakari-san is beautiful. I'm going to push you down soon you know."
"You don't have that kind of courage right? Even though you have Amasaki-san."
…Why did she mention Mio there?
Koyuki closed her thighs while fidgeting, and then "What kind of business do you have?", glared at Kazuki scornfully.
"Hiakari-san was… regarding today's duel, did you know from the beginning that it would turn out like that?"
"You too are saying that I was going easy in that fight, is that so?"
"Even if Hiakari-san was not going easy during that duel, but if two people with equal ability dueled against each other, then it would naturally become a draw. If that happened, then Mio would keep her rank. Because Hiakari-san thought that, that's why Hiakari-san challenged Mio to a duel, am I right?"
"I didn't think anything like that at all. I just wanted to hand Amasaki-san her requiem because your invitation was annoying, that's all."
"When Hiakari-san requested the duel, I was panicked because I didn't know what you were thinking, but… certainly rather than challenging the quest once more, the possibility that Mio could keep her rank was higher if both Hiakari-san and Mio battled each other. I realized this after the duel finished."
"I didn't think anything like that at all. I just wanted to hand down that girl's requiem because it was annoying how much you and her flirted in the mansion, that's all."
"Thank you Hiakari-san. As I thought, Hiakari-san is a cool, kind, and reliable person."
"…Please listen when people talk. I'm getting angry you know."
"But on top of that I also have a request… in any event Hiakari-san has to join our party."
If the girl really acted for Mio's sake, then, as expected, I want to fight together with her and become comrades. That was what Kazuki thought.
"I don't want to. …I don't want to have any illicit relation in the place of battle. I hate a party like yours and Amasaki-san's where you two keep flirting."
"Be-before too Hiakari-san mentioned flirting, but I never flirted with her before!"
"I know that. If I'm going to party with someone, then I expect to have a mercenary relationship."
"I think I can understand that kind of sentiment, but isn't it lonely to fight like that without any rapport with your comrade? You can't even encourage each other in difficult times with that kind of relationship."
"Searching for something like the contact of feelings in a battle is strange. If you have that kind of wish, then get someone else other than me…"
"I want to join parties with Hiakari-san, and then get along better with Hiakari-san."
Toward Kazuki's proclamation——Koyuki averted her face like she was running away from that straightforward gaze.
"…I hate it, frankly saying things like that!"
Despite saying how she disliked that kind of thing, a heart mark floated from Koyuki's chest and was absorbed into the ring. The girl's positivity level was raised up to 48.
As expected, the girl's heart and words were always contradictory.
"…Even though she was doing nothing but flirting with you, today's Amasaki-san was strong. Where does that kind of willpower come from? I'm looking at her in a new light, but just a little."
"It's not flirting. It's precisely because we are together that we also become stronger."
Toward that, Koyuki didn't give any reply and ignored Kazuki altogether, she crawled into her futon.
"In any case I refuse to party with you. Please leave the room already."
While turning her back to Kazuki, Koyuki hugged her rabbit stuffed toy inside the futon.
"…If you become friendlier with various girls, then the problem with your lack of battle tactics will also get resolved. Be more serious about the harem plan, oh my king."
When night fell, Leme said that while entering Kazuki's bed to sleep together at his side.
Because Leme materialized using Kazuki's magic power, it was better if she was near Kazuki as much as possible.
It was more economical and practical if she withdrew to Astrum. However, as a girl, it seemed having a real body and existing in the present world as much as possible was much more comfortable.
"But, I don't want to get intimate with any girl without caring about who she is just for the sake of getting stronger."
"But you are thinking that you want to get along better with Hiakari Koyuki, right?"
"Aah… that is so but…"
But this feeling was totally different from the emotion of love. It should only be a matter of friendship and affinity with each other.
Even though her positivity level had increased a little, Hiakari-san hadn't opened her heart at all.
"——Kazuki, do you have time?"
While Kazuki closed his eyes and waited for the arrival of sleepiness, Mio's voice came from the other side of the room door.
"It's okay, but… what kind of business is it that you came at this time of night?"
"…My king, don't make a blunder that decreases positivity level. If you do that then the usable magic will also decrease."
After only whispering that, Leme withdrew to Astrum and her physical body disappeared.
Mio, who wore a light crimson pajama, timidly entered the dark room.
"Tonight… is it okay to sleep together?"
"Haa!?"
Kazuki spontaneously raised his voice, but without even waiting for reply, Mio quickly crawled inside the futon.
"I'll say this first, there is no weird meaning about this! …I'll get angry if you do strange things, okay!!"
While saying that Mio willfully pulled one of Kazuki's arms to the place where her head was located and used it as a pillow.
The aroma of citrus fruit drifted from the honey colored hair with its twintails unfastened. The body was covered by the pajama, but the cloth was thin, and a girl's softness could be felt from the location where their bodies touched each other. Sweet heat that tickled a man's instinct filled the night.
"Wha, what is your intention, is this a test of my willpower as a swordsman, is that it?"
"What are you talking about? …Tonight just a little, I don't want to sleep alone. It's okay, right? In the past, it looks like I also took a nap together with Kazu-nii…"
Once, Kazuki was living together with Mio in an orphanage——at Nanohana institute there was time for a nap after lunch. The one that was always at Kazuki's side during that time was Mio.
Around that time Mio was thought to be younger than Kazuki because her body was small. Her existence was completely like a little sister. Remembering that——Kazuki's heart mysteriously calmed down.
"That's right isn't it? Somehow it's a nostalgic feeling. But… has something happened?"
"…Yes. You see, for a long time since I was taken into the Amasaki household, I've lived without relying on anyone. …After all, I was an orphan. I couldn't show any weakness to my new family."
——Hearing those words, it was impossible for Kazuki to not be sympathetic.
"I'm saying this myself, but… I was training in desperation, struggling to the death. Because I was recognized for my talent of magic. On the way an enigma appeared on me and I was skipping grades, but even so I didn't lose to my surroundings, and then I entered the magic division as an A rank…"
Kazuki was also the same. For a long time he thought that his only worth was his talent in the sword, there was a time when he couldn't believe his step-father and Kanae's [love as a family].
That was surely the trauma that he and Mio shared in common.
That's why he could understand somehow——when the tension was so high he almost snapped, surely there were moments when he wanted to be spoiled. However, the time when he couldn't show his weakness to anyone, that was a bitterness like being suffocated in the bottom of darkness.
"The truth is that today was bitter too. Being told that I will be demoted to B rank, I have a feeling that I will keep holding Kazuki back forever…"
Mio's voice was shaking inside the darkness of the room. Her voice became tearful.
"But didn't you prove your true strength? Both of you were strong. Sensei was surprised too."
"Yes, when I thought that I can still stay as an A rank, that I can still stay in the Witch's Mansion, that I can still stay together with Kazuki… suddenly I wanted to feel Kazu-nii just like those old days."
While using Kazuki's arm as a pillow, Mio nuzzled her face against his chest.
"That's why just like this is okay. If you do strange things now then I'll get angry."
"I won't. For me, being just like this is okay too."
Mio was "hehehe" giggling like a child toward Kazuki's reply.
"…Hey, from now on it's okay to add someone else to the party if Kazuki thinks that it is essential. I don't like if it is someone strange, but I won't say anything selfish anymore. …As I thought, until now rather than prioritizing the battle, I was only worrying about different things. But, in exchange, lend me your arms like this once in a while. I can feel that I will be together with Kazu-nii for a long time."
{Everyday is no good you know! If Leme's place is going to be gone, then it's not allowed at all!}
Leme sent her words from Astrum with telepathy in a great panic.
While Mio moved her body closer to Kazuki, her breath started to *suyasuya* and she slept soundly. Mio's face always showed displeasure immediately following their reunion, but her defenseless, sleeping face was incredibly lovely and cute.
Suddenly——'Hiakari-san, is she sleeping while holding that stuffed toy right now?', a lonely image crossed Kazuki's mind.