Magika Vol 10 Ch 5 – Foreign Country Baring Its Fang(Dystopia)

Chapter 5 – Foreign Country Baring Its Fang(Dystopia)

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Part 1

Kazuki returned to the hotel and immediately headed to observe the battle between North and South America.

 

The military boundary line of North and South America crossed the former United States of America diagonally from east to west, it was an extremely long line. Therefore it was different with the East-West War in Japan, the war front here was wide.

In this wide range, a lot of skirmishes were happening.

To assume that there was a great number of battlefields meant that every single battlefield was made into a small scale and it naturally presented a situation of a protracted war.

The population of America exceeded Japan, but there was really not that much difference in the number of the Magika Stigmas who obtained the Divine Protection of the Diva’s itself. Therefore the thinking of North America’s side that strengthened humans who were not Magika Stigma as cyborg soldiers is extremely rational.

There was seldom a battle with the number of both forces surpassing a thousand troops. But the <Indians> of South America prioritized Nevada’s [Las Vegas] and California’s southern part [Silicon Valley] as the attack target because those were the symbol of civilization, and so it seemed that they concentrated their battle power at Arizona state’s front line aiming for those places. Arizona state right in the south and Las Vegas held the Colorado River between them.

North America held the determination to not lose more territory and put their provisional government in Las Vegas, and they developed that dome city more than ever. The Divas of American Justice bestowed powerful Divine Protection towards the heroes who fought protecting the prosperous land behind them.

Nevada state’s North American Knight Order that was glaring at the enemy with Colorado River between them, and the glare of the Arizona state’s Indian army, the situation should be called exactly what it is a [battleground].

North America that had its battle strength increased the more their civilization prospered, and South America that stopped relying on civilization, their battle naturally become a battle between the guardian and the aggressor.

The Indians attacked Las Vegas and aimed for the destruction of that city’s facilities. However in the opposite, it was extremely difficult for the North American Knight Order to attack Arizona state. The Indians didn’t have fixed a frontline base because they were hiding from place to place inside Arizona’s mountains and valleys that were abundant with undulations. After all, magicians didn’t need a large scale military base, so when they hid their figure they wouldn’t be discovered so easily. From where they sallied forth and where they returned back were always indefinite. Because they didn’t have civilization they didn’t even have land to protect. From the North America’s point of view, they couldn’t see any target to attack at all.

The North American Knight Order was set on protecting the city and aimed for development, while the Indian army attacked many times to inflict wounds towards civilization even if it’s a little before going back.

The actual circumstance of the South-North War was a terrifying repetition of destruction and rebirth.

 

Before they separated from each other, Mary gave such explanation to Kazuki about the South-North War.

The battle that Kazuki and co. witnessed actually turned out exactly as she told him.

When the alarm of an enemy attack rang out, the people of Las Vegas were taking refuge inside underground shelters with familiar practice.

From the southeast direction of Las Vegas, about several hundred cavalries came, raising a cloud of dust behind them.

They froze solid the Colorado river’s mountain stream with freezing magic and the cavalries approached near like a surging wave with feet strengthened with magic power stepping over the frozen surface. Similar with the cavalry troops of China, all those cavalries had reached the level of unity of rider and horse and the rider’s magic power aura was extending until their horse.

In order to not let this army got closer to Las Vegas, the North American Knight Order Las Vegas Residential Army formed three layers of rank at the wasteland to meet the enemy. It seemed that Mary was the one who took command of the force, he couldn’t see any figure that seemed to be the King.

Because the area around Colorado river was used many times as the invasion route to Las Vegas when the Indians attacked, the wasteland where everything in it had been completely laid to waste was abandoned as it was. In order to not let the destruction spread any more than this, the North American Knight Order met the enemy right here.

A surface of yellow ochre color. The dry wind of the desert climate blew, it was a battlefield that made one get reminded of a western movie.

The moment the Indian cavalries showed their figures, attack magic were fired. The cavalries were all holding spears, but he guessed that the Magika Stigmas among them might of reached around half of their total number. It was a troop of the elite few.

Other than magic that manipulated natural phenomenon like flame or wind, he caught sight of magic that summoned animals and plants wrapped in magic power―it was the magic of the Indian Mythology that loved nature.

The troops of the North American Knight Order defended against that with defensive magic and waited for the enemy to approach. On this side, the number of the cyborg soldiers was far greater compared to the Magika Stigma. There was a vast number of those cyborg soldiers. Perhaps their number might have even reached twice the number of the Indian army.

Kazuki and co. informed Mary and Ginny that they would observe the battle and now they were looking down on the battlefield’s situation from a far away hill.

Against the charge of Indian’s mighty warriors, the cyborg soldiers that boasted their great number made a wall obstructing the advance.

Ginny was singing that army strengthening magic throughout the battlefield and reinforced hundreds of the cyborg soldiers all at once. <Pop Star>―that magic displayed terrifying results in a group battle.

The song of Pop Star encouraged the cyborg soldiers, shouldering America itself, they became one and opposed the enemy.

Indian’s cavalries had the objective of [the destruction of America] and aimed for [breaking through the formation] rather than defeating the enemy. In order to oppose that, theNorth American Knight Order was forming three layers of people in a line. Even if the first line was broken through, the second line would stop the enemy, during that time the first line would stab at the enemy’s back and attack from both sides. During this time, the Magika Stigmas in the third line that were waiting in reserve at the rear would launch attacks and support magic.

Looking from afar it was a strategy that took fascinating leadership, but every single one of the Indian cavalry was acting as if all of that was nothing.

“One, there is one person there that is absurdly strong.”

Kazuki murmured while observing the battlefield in a crouched position.

Among the Indian army, there was a single cavalry that rode a monster-like horse that was around twice as big as the other horses. The giant horse that was completely like an elephant that stood up on its two hind legs, and then with its front legs and the spear that the woman mounting the horse brandished, three cyborg soldiers were mowed down all at once.

Just when that cavalry was going to breakthrough if she was left alone, Mary finally came in panic to cover the spot. The giant horse kept standing with its two legs while striking with its front legs, Mary contested against it using her boxing footwork.

“Awesomee―…that horse is boxing you see. That might be the leader huh.”

Shouko was raising an awestruck voice.

There was no doubt that both sides were using Summoning Magic at the same time, but from here they couldn’t sense much of the fight’s detail. That Mary was blown away by a single fierce strike from the spear of that cavalry.

And then the cavalry with that giant horse finally broke through the formation and ran at full speed heading to Las Vegas. The moment Las Vegas’s dome entered her magic perception range, she began chanting attack magic.

On the other side, several people that seemed to be the last defense squad that was only left in minimum number at Las Vegas came out from the dome and began chanting defensive magic and attack magic.

The magic entangled with each other. The terrific high level attack magic couldn’t be stopped by the defensive magic and shook Las Vegas’ dome city. It was an attack that clearly inflicted some manner of damage.

On the other hand the cavalry with the giant horse was also bathed in attack magic from the last defense squad, and then as if to say that all of that was not a big deal the cavalry alone turned her horse and escaped.

For the Indians, falling into magic intoxication and becoming prisoners, therefore losing their battle strength was surely the worst case. In other words they were aiming for hit and run tactics, retreating after a single attack.

He could peek at their unbending [civilization destruction doctrine], that earnestly aimed to attack civilization, from their approach of attack.

He had said that he couldn’t agree with North America’s slave system… but could he get along with these Indians then.

The Indian cavalries began to breakthrough the formation bit by bit. They fired attack magic at Las Vegas before withdrawing.

Before long the cavalry on the giant horse from before that seemed to be the leader gave out some kind of signal, then the Indians began to retreat all at once as if a wave that was retreating back to the sea.

They had already gained war results and also not letting damage reach their own army. They retreated in that kind of timing.

But naturally, the back of the Indian army that was trying to retreat was pursued by the North American Knight Order. To push aside such pursuers, the cavalry on the giant horse who played great efforts from before was becoming the rear guard.

“Yosh, let’s follow them.”

Kazuki and others that were laying down on top of the hill overlooking the battlefield stood up all at once.

“Wait! Take me along too!!”

Suddenly they felt a presence from behind, when they looked back, a girl that couldn’t be mistaken as anything else than a black haired Asian was there. She had a low stature, wearing glasses, and a plain atmosphere that didn’t suit the battlefield.

Confusion spread among his companions. “Who are you?” Mio asked.

But Kazuki felt a flow of magic power he had remembrance of.

“By any chance, are you Ginny-san?”

They shouldn’t be meeting any Japanese they only saw for the first time in this kind of timing.

“To see through me just from a glance, how amazing. As expected from a Basileus.”

He had the feeling that she was being sharp tongued from how he hid his status as Basileus.

That Ginny who was a tall and sexy Caucasian with blonde hair was transformed into an exact opposite figure of herself.

Moreover she was supposed to be on the battlefield until just now.

…Did she have a transformation and movement magic? It seemed that <Pop Star> had a set of magic with really interesting effects.

“What are you planning to say that you want us to take you along?”

Kazuki asked while paying attention to the Indian army that began to withdraw. They would lose sight of them talking long like this. When they shook off the pursuer, they would immediately disappear using their horses.

“I too want to reconsider what is this ideal called [American Justice]. And then I want to make sure, what are you all feeling about the current America that you have seen, what kind of conclusion you all make. After all even I don’t agree that slave system is something good…”

“You are going to enter enemy territory that is even more dangerous for you than for us you know?”

‘If we decide that we are going to ally with South America’s side, you are going to be isolated there.’

He was intending to say that implicitly.

“I have resolved myself. I have the confidence to escape with my <Pop Star> here.”

Kazuki pondered for a while. About the possibility that she would become a hindrance if she came along.

But rather than such calculation, he felt an interest towards what she would feel as a pure American person to what was going to happen from now on. She wanted to reconsider about this [American Justice]…

“I have a condition. I want you to tell me just one thing. In this fierce battle, why didn’t I see the figure of the King? Why didn’t the strongest person come out to the battlefield and roundup the whole Indians?”

Against Kazuki’s question, the expression of Ginny who was transformed into a Japanese disguise stiffened.

It was something that Kazuki recently experienced personally. The information about King was equal with the greatest military secret.

“…The ability of the <Super One> that increased in strength from the prosperity, it’s not something that can be used as one pleased you know.”

What did she―most likely it consumed prosperity.

“I understand, let’s go.”

After Kazuki nodded, they descended down the hill and headed to the direction of the Indian army.

 

“…The talk from before, is it okay for you to believe it so simply?”

Suddenly Shouko whispered to him with a small voice.

“Ginny is still groping for the possibility of us becoming her ally. That’s why she shouldn’t be saying anything that will only hurt our trust later on.”

In the end the possibility of Kazuki and co. becoming the North American side’s ally wasn’t gone yet.

If she was telling them lies here, the lies would come to light at the essential time when they had to fight together.

“If I were the one in Ginny’s position, right now I would already change my thinking of [how to make a surprise attack to these Japanese]. Of course the trump card is the King’s power.”

Kazuki felt admiration even while feeling astonished at Shouko, whose way of thinking was so terrifying.

“I will believe, so Shouko is the doubting one. This is a sharing of role.”

 

Contact.

―Kazuki and co. raised their hands high while rushing down the hill.

The cavalry on the giant horse who finally shook off the North American Knight Order’s persistent pursuit immediately noticed Kazuki and the others and sent her gaze to them as if saying ‘Who are you guys?’

There was no carelessness in her gaze.

Seeing her from up close, she was beautiful but also huge, moreover the pressure of the woman atop the horse was not something normal.

Her short red hair that was cut evenly looked gallant, she was called Indian, but she was a white woman.

In the battle of Changban bridge at the Annals of the Three Kingdom, where Zhang Fei who served the lord of Shu army dispersed the large army of Cao Cao that was pursuing them with a single glare. This woman was oozing with the aura of a great hero that made one associate her with such a famous legend, that such a hero from a story like that must be like this.

Kazuki could feel Ginny who was mixing among them had her body stiffen nervously.

{We came from Japan for the sake of understanding the battle in this country.}

Kazuki talked in English.

{…So interference from other countries into our battle has finally come. Very well, we are going to make you listen to the voice of the <Great Spirit> too. Follow me.}

The cavalry said so with a brusque tone before she turned around her horse.

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Part 2

After passing through Colorado river, the harsh landscape increased even more around them.

A sweltering blue sky. Under it, a surface of sand and rock tinged with red was spreading wide.

The earth split, certain parts were protruding out, certain parts split off into chasm, the earth displayed roughness as if it was boiling. It was a landscape where the mountain and the valley were compressed.

[Grand Canyon]―When that name was mentioned, even Kazuki and co. who were Japanese of the present era, where they had long forgotten the rest of world, knew about that name. It was a savage canyon located right in the east of the Las Vegas desert.

Las Vegas and Grand Canyon could be contrasted as the ultimate artificial beauty and natural beauty.

{This place is our holy ground. It gives us a peek of the geological formation in the period where the origin of life was born from the fissure of the earth. The universal soul of earth become exposed in here.}

The cavalry said that while slowly advancing her horse so that Kazuki and co. could follow on foot.

{My name is Crazy Horse.}

The woman introduced her name. Her naming was continuing the naming method of the legendary Indian as it was.

It was a same kind of naming like that of Arthur Basileus that succeeded the name of that King Arhtur.

{I’m the <Chief(Guiding Mentor)> of this <Navaho Territory>. I’ll have you all introduce your name too.}

Starting from Kazuki, each of them introduced their name in turn. Ginny introduced herself as Yamada Hanako.

When Arthur, Shouko, and Silirat also introduced themselves, Crazy Horse said {So people from various countries are taking action together in your group} with a flat voice that one couldn’t feel any surprise or admiration at all from it.

Rather than paying attention to always be calm, she had the presence like that of an unshakable large rock.

Looking from afar, it was only her giant horse that stood out, but looking at her face to face like this, this woman that had peerless masculinity looked even more gigantic than her horse.

When looking at her face from the side fixedly, Kazuki guessed that she was around the same age only slightly older than him.

It was hard to call her a girl, but naturally she was young because she was an owner of a powerful magic power.

She was a beauty with deep chisel on her side face and ghastliness in her eyes.

She was a Caucasian, but she was wearing head ornament that was bundled with a lot of feathers, vest made from animal leather with collar jewellery embroidered with colorful beads, Indian jewelries that shined in turquoise color were attached on her body. But he felt that this was not her Magic Dress by any means.

{As the chief of Navaho Territory, does that mean you are the one who govern over the people in this land?}

Kazuki asked in regards of the characteristic noun of a foreign culture.

{There is no vertical relationship in our tribe. It’s just that I’m the one who excelled in fighting and negotiation more than anyone and so I’m standing in the position where I give advice to everyone. The governing is left to those who excel in governing, the cooking is left to those who excel in cooking, each companion advice each other. That’s us.}

{What about the reward that should come toward those who displayed wisdom and ability? I think with that a vertical relationship will be naturally created though.}

{We had thrown away the concept of personal possession. Even if there are those who excel and those who are inferior, everything is shared under mother nature. We can only return to the cycle of nature by conducting so thoroughly.}

Cycle of nature…

The traces of the civilization society that once existed around Grand Canyon had all completely vanished. It was as if there was nothing to protect as long as mother nature existed.

Crazy Horse was unexpectedly talkative, she taught them what there was in regards to the Navaho Territory.

{This place has desolate climate, but there are some meadows at the bottom of the valley, we are carrying on sheep farming and agriculture there. Even so farm products and hunting result are few here, that’s why we are given the share of nature from the other territories.}

They were walking through brown ground that had steep undulations.

When they descended down to the bottom of the valley that looked like the chasm of the world, certainly there was sparse greenery at the bottom of the valley. Before them, there was a light brown settlement inside the valley.

As if nestling close to the rocky mountain, there were buildings created from soil―it looked completely like apartments, but they were built in a row. It was a sight of multi unit apartments made from soil.

{It’s called pueblo. It’s a residence created from clay pressed together and hardened with magic power. There is only a little bit of wood here. But there is no need to build excessively.}

When Crazy Horse returned, her comrades that had retreated from before came out to greet her and surrounded her. Certainly looking at their behavior there was no vertical relationship here. Crazy Horse only explained {They are guests} about Kazuki and co. that she brought back before she led them to the pueblo in the center of the settlement that looked conspicuously bigger.

{This is our gathering place. If all of you intend to stay the night then you can use this place for the time being.}

There was a rug spread out inside, Crazy Horse took off her western boots that were finely embroidered, so Kazuki and co. also took off their shoes.

The weaved rug that was weaved with detailed scrap leather had a rough texture at the bottom of his feet.

{You are really open about everything aren’t you.}

{I don’t know what you are looking for coming here, but we have nothing to hide.}

Yamada Hanako aka Ginny that transformed into a black haired Japanese averted her face awkwardly all of a sudden. The North America tried to show only good things to Kazuki and others while keeping secrets.

{It’s better to sit forming a circle. I’ll hear your story like that. What do you want to know that made all of you come here?}

{What is your country trying to bring about in this continent of America, that’s the story that we want to ask.}

Several of the inhabitants peeked into the gathering place. If there was those who looked interested while passing through, there was also those who entered inside and sat in the circle.

The inhabitant’s race was various, there was a white person and also a black person, there were also people that looked like they were of Japanese descent.

{We are returning the earth to the way it should be, we too as a part of the earth wish to return to the cycle.}

Crazy Horse began the talk saying that.

{The nature that should originally exist on earth, and the livelihood that should exist there, at the time where we completely blend into one with all those, we will surely become one with the great flow of <Great Spirit>.}

…Great Spirit. Did she mean something like what was called the chief god in other Mythology?

No, perhaps she meant Astrum. He couldn’t make the distinction.

{You said the form it should has, do you mean for example filling this desert and wasteland with greenery all over it?}

{Navaho Territory… this land that was called as Arizona state in the old era has unsparing climate, except for some oasis and the bottom of the valley, greenery couldn’t be raised here. But we are not thinking of trying to change that forcibly. Not to mention of bringing machine civilization into this inconvenient land, we are not even thinking of performing greening in this land forcibly. The desert has its own meaning of existence as desert, it has its own ecosystem. With the wind carrying the sand of the desert into the sea, the sea obtained iron content… There is meaning in every flow. The desert is by no means unproductive. What is unproductive is human’s greed. We live in way that is counterbalance with nature. For example… even this kind of land can be used to cultivate corn.}

And then what she showed them next was a <blue corn> with blue grains that they had never seen before in Japan.

{What a hardcore civilization exclusion.}

Arthur leaked out words of admiration. Arthur was a statesman that put all kinds of hard work making free use of alchemy in order to make prosper the eating habits of his own country that had cold climate.

The South America that accepted everything as it was didn’t even do that.

{In contrast if you go slightly to the east from here, there is the land that was once called as [Great Plains]. It boasted wonderful climate where in the ancient times the Indians lived chasing after buffalo there. But due to the old America’s machine civilization it was polluted, it only needed a slight effort in order to return it back into the original Great Plains. In such a land, we mustered magic power as our repayment to the earth, we supplied nutrition to the land and performed greening.”

{Then―the buildings of the America civilization before this, there is nothing left of them in the South America?}

Kazuki asked in shock. This was America, the country with the greatest civilization in the world once.

{None. Everything is dismantled and is in the middle of greening.}

Crazy Horse answered with a flat voice.

That was a terrifying fact that made one tremble.

The human race who lived a long history, everything that was piled up from that was made to vanish…

{Hunting and harvesting are carried out in the territories that are blessed by nature, that’s how it’s become. Farming is performed in territory with water abundance. We correspond with every circumstance and carried out the appropriate livelihood, we share our respective yields. The thing that we are aiming for is such happiness.}

Beatrix was nodding in agreement with an expression that wasn’t necessarily that dissatisfied.

{The buildings in this land, the rug and clothes that used leather, how do you draw the dividing line between those and America’s machine civilization?}

{It’s in how much we can preserve the nature in its natural state. To not harm the nature means that what we received is just a borrowed thing from nature. That’s why we must repay the nature. The share from nature, the repayment to the nature. Those are joys that must exist.}

{That kind of thing is not human’s happiness-!!}

The one who suddenly raised a strong voice was Ginny who was currently pretending to be Japanese.

{That share from nature cannot support the livelihood of the modern human! You know that our body is not retaining the immunity just like the time of the primitive man from the time long ago. If the current modern human is suddenly made to return to nature, whether human or society, will have their health broken.}

{It’s only a matter of the passage of time.} Crazy Horse calmly answered.

{The share from nature that is just too little, sharing everything fairly without maintaining the concept of personal possession, how are you going to support all the population? How are you going to protect the weak children that just have been born? …You cannot support them can you? As long as you are not [culling] the children that just have been born and the old people that have served their purpose, just like the primitive society in the long past!}

Culling meant―killing the human that couldn’t be supported.

{It’s only a matter of time. We only need to wait until the share from nature increases.}

Hearing that tone of voice which had not even a slight agitation, Kazuki’s spine was again shivering in a chill.

This person, she really didn’t feel any emotion at all from the depth of her heart from knowing that children and old people were culled.

{In the primitive society, people were terrifyingly systematic you know… you said something about being a part of nature right? But even though they have never done anything wrong, the children are killed without having their birth blessed, what is going to happen to their feelings? Don’t you think at all about the feelings of the mother that painfully give birth to the children ?}

{There is no concept of personal possession in us. There is no distinction given to the child oneself give birth to and the child the neighbor give birth to. The tribe is their family. Moreover, we the Indians… }

Crazy Horse clearly called herself Indian even while being a Caucasian herself.

{Have no fear of death. Returning back to the Great Spirit, we become the power of Indian Mythology, we are returned as a new life. That is also happiness.}

{…You are crazy. I can only see that all of you are slaved by nature, a mere cog in the machine without any emotion!}

{Surely someone like you also viewed the insect as a worthless cog in the machine.}

{All of you that cannot differentiate between insect and human are the weird one that has no sympathy that is only obvious for humans!}

{Even though all the other guests are talking in Britain English, but you are talking really well in American English aren’t you?}

With a start, Yamada Hanako aka Virginia Dance was trembling all over. He didn’t know if it was true in the old era of Japan, but there was no way someone like this Hanada-san that could talk American English this fluently could exist in the modern Japan.

Crazy Horse closed her eyes and said quietly.

{If I have to say my imagination… these guests from the outside world called Mr. Hayashizaki Kazuki and Mr. Arthur came to America as a referee. To decide which side is worthy to obtain the victory over this America continent. You two made the masquerading North America person over there and this me who you come into contact with by chance as the model of each force and witness the altercation.}

{I don’t mind if you recognize it as such.} Kazuki nodded.

{If this is such a thing, then it’s going to be unfair unless I can say my piece too regarding the North America. Even the North America has a culture that you guests surely won’t be able to obediently recognize. Their side too is unable to support all their people. The slave system.}

{We have already known that.}

{Hou. They are more open than I thought. I thought that because they are the black hearted North America people that they will surely hide their inconvenient aspect though. Then, I wonder if you know about the slave trading.}

Kazuki went ‘hah’ in realization and looked at Stella who was watching over the adult talk.

―Slave ship!

{As much as we could tell, slave trading from North America following various trade routes are exported throughout the whole world. The trade is crossing through the Atlantic Ocean from the northeast coast and we have even confirmed secret trading with Europe’s vassal countries as their destination.}

{ {What did you say!?} }Arthur and Beatrix yelled at the same time.

{…Wait, I don’t know anything like that at all.}

Ginny had her face transformed face that looked like a Japanese turning pure white in turmoil.

{This is something certain. We have captured slave ships that went out from America continent heading to the outside many times. The exportation of slave culture is being performed in reality without doubt. I give you my promise and assurance.}

Hearing those words, the puzzle was being cleared.

{You captured slave ships. And the slaves that were aboard that ship…}

Kazuki interjected quicker than Ginny could talk.

{…What did you do to them?}

The slave ship where they found Stella at that time came from North America, and the one that came to rescue them was the Indians of South America. That was how the event progressed.

{We welcome them to our tribe… but, if the share from the nature is not enough then there are also times where we decrease the number of mouths we have to feed. We do no favoritism.}

Really? Was Crazy Horse a human that didn’t tell lies at all, or was she a human that would tell lies without any hesitation at all for the sake of her objective, which one was she?

Not all of the puzzle was cleared.

A slaughter occurred on Stella’s slave ship. The warriors that the slave thought came to save them massacred all the slaves on that ship. Why did they left Stella alone?

Moreover the killed slaves became living corpses in the end.

What kind of magic was that?

Kazuki hesitated to press Crazy Horse with deeper questions.

That was because he felt certain that kind of magic was in a different system than the Indian Mythology’s magic.

Rather wasn’t that a phenomenon that totally contrasted the blessing from nature instead…

American Justice, Indian Mythology, even now inside these two Mythologies there was something eerie still hiding.

{We have nothing more that we particularly need to say, we are simple.}

Cutting off the talk, Crazy Horse stood up.

{It’s fine for you all to stay here as you like. During your stay, we will also treat all of you to food without distinction. If you leave without saying anything, then the next time we meet we will treat you all as enemy.}

{Thank you.}

Although Kazuki said that, there was no story that could kill his appetite better than this.

After all it was a meal they were treated to after being told that there were children killed to decrease the number of mouths to feed.

 

Inside the pueblo at night was a silence to the degree that it felt eerie.

There was no man-made light at all. But if one was a magician then they could make light with magic, they could also see effectively through darkness with magic power. That was the way humans did things in this land where everything during such a trivial ordinary day was resolved with magic power.

But it would increase the death rate of infants whose magic power was immature, the adults whose magic power was emaciating would also gradually get culled.

“For the time being, I’m thinking that it’s not a bad idea even if we leave this land to the Indian Mythology.”

When Arthur said that all of a sudden, his companions went “Ee-“ inside the darkness.

But among these members, Arthur and Beatrix were the ones with the closest sense of values with the Indian, if he had to say, it was only natural for Arthur to think that.

“As for me, I don’t understand what it is that these American Justice lots did that is so bad.”

The one who said that so clearly was Shouko.

“Even without Shouko saying so, I already understand that the human named Roshouko will surely think like that.”

When Kazuki answered like that, Shouko laughed sarcastically while saying “Haha-, the distance between our hearts has also shrunk considerably huh.”

“Doing something about the urgent national crisis takes priority rather than human rights. That’s just obvious. If the prosperity has direct connection with their battle strength, it’s only natural they get idea of using slaves. Compared to getting your country trampled down by an enemy country like China, this is still far better.”

“But.” Beatrix interjected with a hard tone of voice. “The slave export smuggling is unforgivable.”

“Does Germany and Britain’s sense of values oppose slavery?”

Beatrix and Arthur looked at each other hearing Kazuki’s question.

“I think regarding this matter Britain and Germany are quite similar in some respect.”

Arthur explained.

“Germany and Britain are hierarchical societies that are influenced by the strength of magic power. But I like to think that each social class has their own role and responsibility. The knight has the duty of a knight(Noblesse Oblige), the merchant has the pride that there is something that only they can do as merchant. And as for children, they have the possibility that they can become anything.”

“Low class like slaves that pluck all kind of possibility is not interesting at all, it’s unpleasant.”

Beatrix was in indignation.

“Adding to that, the problem is the fact that the vassal countries that are under Britain and Germany’s protection are staying quiet to their suzerain country that is Britain and Germany about the slave smuggling! This is not only about the exported things are slaves. The problem is that America brings in a lot of prohibited items, tempt the vassal countries, and make them fall into deprivation. What North America is doing is the same as picking a fight with us!”

Kazuki was a little pressured by that vigor.

When Beatrix got serious about something outside of fighting―her difference in sense of values with him became exposed. That fact made Kazuki unable to calm himself. But saying it in reverse, it was also the proof that he felt intimacy for Beatrix. That he was wishing that they could understand each other.

“This is also because of an oversight in our management.” Arthur showed himself holding his head.

“A country that changes prosperity into strength huh. What an astonishing greed!” Beatrix spitted out.

“I have never heard anything like that, something like slave culture exportation….”

Ginny who had come back to her original appearance groaned with a great stupefaction that he couldn’t imagine was faked.

Mary too also said that they had never been informed about the slave ministry.

Ginny said that she wanted to ascertain the American Justice once more.

They still didn’t understand about the method of production for the battery.

What happened on that ship?

“Muu―…” Kaguya-senpai moaned while hugging Stella like a stuffed doll.

“This country, there is nothing satisfactory no matter where we look… that’s my honest feeling. To not treasure children is just…”

Next thing he knew, Kaguya-senpai hugged Stella even tighter.

“It’s really like that isn’t it?” Kazuki smiled wryly.

“Paapa, Maama, you know, I feel like I remember somehow about the brown soil of this mountain…”

With her body still hugged by Kaguya-senpai, Stella murmured in a faint voice.

“Eh-“

The shocked presences filled the darkness of the night.

“Stella’s slave ship was crossing over Pacific Ocean, so it won’t be strange if she has a connection with this land in the side of the west coast…”

After Kazuki said that out thinking of his, he immediately shook his head.

“No, it’s strange. After all if she was a slave then her origin should come from North America.”

“Paapa, I want to look outside.”

They were not particularly forbidden from going out. They were told to do whatever they liked.

Kazuki and co. nodded and went outside.

In a complete contrast with Las Vegas, this settlement had no lighting at all when the night came. The stars in the sky felt really close as if they were going to rain down. Sheep were sleeping on the pasture of the valley’s bottom. The time wasn’t that late yet, but all the Indians were confining themselves inside the pueblos only leaving several guards outside.

The guards didn’t warn Kazuki and co. from going out.

Without any timidity, Stella was walking with a somewhat familiar gait through the valley’s fringe agilely. It was as if she was an Indian guide.

Leaving behind the settlement of Crazy Horse, they advanced through a desolate road.

“Is there more settlement out there?”

“I don’t know… but I feel like my body remembers it.”

The majority of her heart was erased and she used the remaining part to adapt. But perhaps what was called memory also existed outside the brain in other part of the flesh body. Perhaps it resided somewhere in the soul, and or changed into magic power.

They walked for quite a distance.

They saw a different settlement on their path. There were pueblos lining up in smaller scale compared to the previous settlement.

They could see faint light from the square in the center of the settlement. Were they doing something using fire?

“Perhaps this place is my hometown.”

Stella said that with a tone filled with confidence, but she stood stock still in place.

It was as if she didn’t really want to go back there. As if she was just guiding them there.

There were people gathering in the square. Despite how the settlement of Crazy Horse took their sleep that early, this place seemed like it was still doing something.

In order to not get found out by the people there, Kazuki and co. approached while hiding themselves.

The eyes of Kazuki that was reinforced with magic power took in the situation.

There were a lot of children gathered in the square.

Adults wearing Indian clothing displayed the children as if they were goods.

There was a man staring at the children as if determining the goods quality. Behind that man, baggage carriers with large amount of things were standing by. The carriers were shouldering a large rucksack that was even bigger than themselves supported by magic power.

When the man that evaluated the goods invoked some kind of magic, the children became unsteady and they gathered around with steps like they were sleepwalking. In exchanges the carriers of baggage lowered down their burden one after another on the ground and presented them to the Indians while opening the content.

Large amount of alcohol and chocolate, some kind of drugs, many luxury items fell out from the baggage.

The adults in Indian clothing leaped on those items.

As if the transaction had been concluded, the man who determined the goods turned on his heel. With steps as if they had completely lost their own will, the children went along with him unsteadily.

The adults of the settlement were completely absorbed in the items they received and didn’t even take a glance to the children.

That was… a scene of a slave transaction.

The man that determined the goods was… wearing a mechanized goggle and red mantel that covered his whole body―the one he witnessed in Las Vegas downtown, the man that was the slave director named Red Metallica!

Those baggage carriers too, all of them were cyborg soldiers! They were members of the North American Knight Order.

He caught sight of them in Las Vegas downtown yesterday night. And then tonight he caught sight of them in this settlement. So that man was going around collecting slaves.

Moreover he went past the military boundary line…? Certainly there was no security at all there but…

Beside Kazuki, Arthur had his eyes opened wide with his body trembling in rage. And then when he almost yelled while jumping out, Kazuki barely stopped him and blocked his mouth.

“Why do you stop me! Something like that cannot possibly be forgiven!”

Kazuki thought uncertainly why did Arthur get this angry.

But he soon realized. Arthur’s burning eyes were directed at the adults that sold off the children. Despite how the people there were supposed to be believers of Indian Mythology, they jumped at luxury items that were prohibited by Indian Mythology by selling off their children. Arthur was angry at those people’s lack of piety.

“Even if we stopped them now right here, the only one we can save will only be those children.”

Kazuki whispered to Arthur in order to persuade him.

“It’s better to pursue them and cut down the big boss himself.”

“Just wait, what are you gonna do after chasing and freeing the slaves? Bringing them back to the Indian’s place will only get them culled later.”

Shouko cut into the talk and showed a gesture of cutting her own neck.

That was right. There was not much difference in their fate either way.

Shouko pressed Kazuki even further.

“Also have you decided to become the ally of South America’s side? To save those slaves means that we become a hindrance for North America. No matter how much Ginny said that she didn’t know anything, but this is undoubtedly the action of North America’s government.”

Kazuki hesitated. He still didn’t have any conclusion.

But he didn’t want to overlook this situation.

And then it certainly wasn’t realistic to be burdened with a large number of children while they were still in the position of wait-and-see without the decision of which side they would have as ally yet. He couldn’t do anything… was he…?

“Please act following what Hayashizaki-san wanted.”

Ginny said, as if to clear away the haze that obstructed Kazuki’s thought.

“In case we happen to liberate those slaves, I will shelter them for a while in downtown. If you’re so inclined, you can also build an orphanage using the jackpot money Hoshikaze-san won using my name.”

…Really? Kazuki couldn’t so suddenly believe that proposal and he stared fixedly at Ginny.

“We are going to become a hindrance to your country, but is that okay?”

“This kind of thing, I have never been told anything of it!”

Ginny spitted out, making clear of her fury.

“Only by taking action with you I can know about the true state of this country. That’s why I won’t become a hindrance towards what you want to do. I will also cooperate to remove the obstacle if need be.”

Ginny’s tone of voice was once again filled with a determined resolve.

The slave director Red Metallica moved out. He led along the children who moved with gait like a person sleepwalking and walked heading somewhere.

Ginny continued her words while chasing that back with her glare.

“Let’s follow him. I too want to know the truth. I will make sure of American Justice with my own eyes. Let’s do what we want to do without thinking of the consequence and move only following our feeling. Our respective conclusions can wait until we know everything.”

Kazuki believed those words.

 

This time Kazuki and co. were following after Red Metallica.

Red boldly advanced through the complicated valley of Grand Canyon. The children were obediently following after him half running without being able to use their own will. There was no children that complained of exhaustion or trying to run away.

The bottom of the valley gradually grew smaller as if they were pressured by the rock from their both sides.

“I wonder if the direction itself is following along the Colorado river. The direction of the sea, in other words they are heading to the sea I think.”

Ginny said while listening to the sound of the river flow.

“How does the military boundary line between the South America and the North America around here turn out exactly?”

“The Colorado river itself becomes the military boundary line almost exactly as it is. It’s mostly the same with the boundary of the states in the past.”

“In other words its shaving close with North America then. By any chance the factory where they make the slave work and the harbor are also being hidden around here don’t you think?”

“…! Perhaps so.”

Not to mention the general public, but this was the [slave industry] that even got concealed from Mary and Ginny. If it was easy to come and go from this side, then it would be more convenient to have their base here.

As long as the Indian didn’t discover and destroy it.

But at any rate the security of the Indians was sloppy. They performed security vigilantly around the settlement at night too, but they also had the principle that made one think they wouldn’t mind even if one trespassed through the military boundary line a little. Rather they didn’t even have the concept of territory. Inside that defenselessness resided their belief. For them who didn’t have the concept of personal possession, war was only a simple matter of the life and death of people.

But he couldn’t even imagine… that the people of North America was secretly sneaking into a non-combatant settlement, there they tempted the residents with contraband items, and then they bought the children that were most likely be disposed in the culling, for such a thing to happen, did that pious Crazy Horse could even imagine that such thing was happening under her nose?

There was a figure of a building appearing on their path, inconspicuously buried into the valley of the rocky mountain.

The slave procession that Red led disappeared into the inside of that building.

It didn’t look like any fort or factory, a building with boorish cube shape made from steel.

It was not as big as the hotel in Las Vegas, but it had the size around a school building.

There was no window, its entrance was only a small door.

Several meters separated from the building, there was fence surrounding it.

Kazuki and co. concealed their bodies at a distance and observed the situation.

“We cannot just blow it away with attack magic can we? It’s going to be dangerous for the children inside like that.”

Mio murmured. He guessed she was recalling the time when they destroyed Yamato’s garrison in a surprise attack.

“We are not only rescuing the children, I also want to investigate the inside of that building. Perhaps we can understand something regarding the slave industry that is hidden even from Ginny and Mary and also the mysterious technology from here.”

Kazuki and co. would decide how their relationship with North America was going to be after all the truth had been made clear. If they destroyed this place then they wouldn’t know anything else.

That building is the base of the [slave industry] that they finally discovered.

“Also we don’t want our action here to be communicated to their home country. I want to somehow contain our act here as a secret mischief.”

If they chanted Summoning Magic, there was the risk that the wave of that large scale magic power would be detected.

“I think I can make interference if they are using electromagnetic transmission. It’s impossible if they are using underground cables for transmissions though.”

Kazuha-senpai said from the side.

“Kazuha-senpai has really entered the territory of a sorcerer…”

“…I wonder if I can [infiltrate] without getting discovered if I’m using general magic skillfully.”

Kazuha-senpai said with a tense expression. Her eyes were carrying a strong sense of responsibility.

“I’ll go inside.”

Infiltration―it was an overambitious act but it would be ideal if they could pull it off.

But it didn’t mean that she could enter alone.

“Then let’s sneak inside with me, Kazuha-senpai, and Lotte. While investigating the inside, we are also going to destroy the transmission device if there is one. If we succeeded in destroying the transmission device I’m going to call everyone using the telepathy conversation of Zekorbeni and apprehend all the people inside the building without letting even one escape. We are going to free the slaves.”

“My role is to control the machines that might be inside using the power of Prometheus isn’t it desu?”

Lotte said. Kazuki nodded at that.

“Wait right there-! This one is my turn!”

Karin shouted from the side.

“Eh, why?” Kazuki opened his eyes wide in plain surprise.

“…You, are you forgetting what I am exactly?”

“Simpleton kid!” Hikaru-senpai pointed while laughing.

“The simpleton kid that is Lotte’s friend?” Mio said.

”I don’t want to be told that by an empty headed duo like you two-!” Karin got irritated and bared her teeth.

“I’m a professional assassin that received China-style training you got that! If I feel like it I can even masterfully do a mission like sneaking into an important facility and assassinate some big shot! Though I have never done that for real! I’m far more skilled in infiltrating than someone like Kazuha just so you know!!”

Now that she mentioned it, Karin was a possessor of such a history.…He forgot.

“When you got tamed you became a completely noisy and innocent kid, so after that I really cannot associate something like assassination or infiltration with you at all.”

“Don’t say I got tamed! I never remember that I got tamed by someone like you at all!”

Was it because she was abused and didn’t know so many things about the outside world, but when Karin saw the Witch’s Mansion for the first time, she was moved in great joy by everything that she experienced.

Because of that she looked completely like a childish child… she gave off the impression of a simpleton kid.

Even though she was the same age as him in outline.

“Ah, right now, you too just thought that I’m a simpleton kid right!? See here, I’ll say this but it’s absolutely impossible to enter that building with just you and Kazuha! From what I see, that building is constructed with a highly advanced surveillance system. Because I’m a pro I know that from seeing it. If you guys get close there carelessly it’s going to be over instantly.”

“Eh-, really?”

“That fence is perhaps attached with vibration sensors. After all there is a suspicious cable crossing from it to the wall. After that around the entrance there are a lot of security cameras.”

“You really can understand that just from looking?”

“Security cameras will emit infrared rays when night come. If you expand your eyesight’s visibility spectrum using magic power, that infrared rays will become visible to your eyes.”

“Aah, it’s true. There are infrared rays coming out, there are security cameras over there.”

Kazuha-senpai raised her voice.

“Kazuha-senpai can also see the infrared rays?”

“When I try I can see it. It’s because I had been training to sense radio wave and clash it with waves that would obstruct it.”

Since quite a while, Kazuha-senpai had been training to work out various tricks that could be useful using basic magic.

“The wavelengths of radio waves and infrared rays are different, but both of them are still electromagnetic waves.”

Indeed, it seemed that Kazuha-senpai could really see it.

“…Elecfort Project(Cyberbrain Fort Plan).”

Ginny who was listening to their talk murmured in a faint voice.

“Do you know something about that building?”

“No… before this, King and Red requested in absolute secrecy to the alchemy technology department for the development of the state of the art security technology. If I remember it correctly, it was called the Elecfort Project. It’s just there is no trace at all where such a new security technology is being made use of practically… Though I guess that it might be used there perhaps.”

Security technology that was supposed to be researched and developed in an absolute security, yet there was no trace at all that it had been applied inside the North America.

That meant―perhaps it was actually used in this side instead.

“Are you saying that building might be that [Elecfort]?”

Ginny nodded. There were several bases of slave industry in South America, and then for the sake of protecting those, a security project was researched and developed…

“If that’s really true, than the strength of a pro like me becomes all the more necessary.”

Karin puffed her chest saying that.

A pro assassin, Katsura Karin. Genius of general magic, Tsukahara Kazuha. The ruler of machines, Lotte.

If it was with these members, he didn’t know anything about this elecfort or something, but surely there was nothing lacking on this lineup.

“Well then everyone, we are going!” Kazuki proclaimed.

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