pirit that kills humans under her own volition.

Last month, Shidou was knocked into reality by finding out that girl's true nature——at that time, he was saved by Tohka's words.

"No, if there is nothing then it's okay. It might be because I am thinking too much.

".............."

Towards Tohka's words, Shidou made a big sigh.

"Is that why, Tohka. For that reason you took me outside?"

"Mu.......well, that's, somehow. No, it is true that I wanted to talk with shidou?"

Tohka said that while her cheeks were slightly blushed. That gesture was cute beyond belief——and, gratefully, Shidou unintentionally loosen his cheeks.

"............hey, Tohka. Will you hear me out?"

"Mu? Umu, I will listen to anything."

Tohka nodded. After Shidou made a nod, he started talking slowly.

"There's Kaguya and Yuzuru right? It is a talk that kind of sounds like a lie, in reality those two are——"

While skillfully obscuring the charm contest and such, he explained that those two were spirits, were in dispute and............that the loser would lose her life.

At first Tohka was *Fumu**fumu* nodding but, immediately she made a shocked face.

"What........that kind of thing is."

"Aah. And so——the main topic is starting from here. Actually.......this afternoon, I was told by Kaguya to [choose Yuzuru]."

"What........? That is absurd, if that happens then Kaguya will——"

Saying until there, Tohka shook her head a little.

"No, but, I see. Me too, if I were told shidou would die if I don't die then..........I might also do that."

"Tohka........."

When Shidou said that, Tohka shook her shoulders in surprise.

"Nu, no, nothing! Just continue!"

"A,aah........"

He continued after scratching his cheeks.

"And........ immediately after that, I was told the same thing by Yuzuru. She said [Please choose Kaguya]."

Tohka, opened her eyes in wonder.

"What.....then Kaguya and Yuzuru are."

"Aah........both of them are, trying to keep the other alive. Even if their own self were to disappear, Kaguya to Yuzuru, Yuzuru to Kaguya, they are thinking of wanting the latter to survive. And so——how should I put it, I don't know what the right thing to do is."

When Shidou said that, Tohka *umu*, groaned and turned silent.

After that for a short while, she frowned her eyebrows as if she was thinking very hard.

And after a few seconds, Tohka started moving her mouth with a meek expression.

"Hey............shidou. This is what I think but——"

And——at that moment. Coming from the front, the sound of a foot firmly hitting onto the ground echoed and Shidou raised his face.

He then noticed a girl wearing a yukata there, and his body stiffened.

——Yes. Yamai Kaguya was standing over there.

"Ka,Kaguya.......!? Why are you here.........."

"What was that.....just now?"

Without answering the question, Kaguya released a silent——but violent voice filled with anger.

"Yuzuru........me? Hah.......? I don't understand the meaning. What are you saying?"

While muttering to herself like an internal monologue, Kaguya grinded her teeth hard, and clenched her fist. After she did that, as if to match up with that, a cold wind swirled around the surroundings.

"Kaguya, calm down——"

While being pressured by uneasiness, in his heart, Shidou said that. But, it looked like Kaguya completely did not hear what he said. She was only inserting force into her fist and her body trembled.

And then——right after that.

"..........!? Yuzuru..........!?"

When Shidou turned back from hearing the footstep coming from behind, over there was Yuzuru, facing her face downwards performing the same thing as Kaguya.

"Demand——repetition. Kaguya said........choose Yuzuru? Is what Kaguya said?"

"Yuzuru, listen to——"

""Don't screw with me.........!""

In an instant, at the same time both of them released a voice similar to an angry roar, tremendous wind pressure was released from both of them.

"Uwah.......!?"

"Kuh——!"

Shidou and Tohka, who were close to them, hit the ground with their backs from the sudden gust.

Somehow managing to cling onto the nearby breakwater while raising his body, he then returned his sight back to those two.

The intense wind current coiled about Kaguya's and Yuzuru's body and the clothes that were on their bodies turned into light particles.

And then, in exchange, a straightjacket appeared and tightened around their whole bodys and locks were placed on their necks, hands and legs.

——AstralDress. The absolute armor that protects the Spirits.

What's more, it did not end at that point.

Kaguya's right hand, Yuzuru's left hand, both of them put them up to the front respectively.

When they did that, an inorganic wing appeared on Kaguya's right shoulder. As if that were the starting point, a metal gauntlet that held brilliance was constructed on her right arm——and on the end of her hand, a giant lance that easily exceeded her body height appeared.

"<Raphael> —— [El Re'em]!!"

And in an exact timing with that, an inorganic wing grew out of Yuzuru's left shoulder. Her left arm was then covered by armor and on her hand; she grasped a string with a diamond shaped blade on its tip. It looked like a pendulum used for dowsing.

"Concord. <Raphael> —— [El Nachash]."

Kaguya entered a stance with her lance while Yuzuru made the blade attached to the tip of the pendulum float in mid-air.

Shidou's face turned blue.

The thing both of them manifested just now was unmistakably the [Angel]. The Spirits prided strongest weapon.

Inside the interval of an instant, various thoughts coursed about in the inside of his head.

[Don't screw with me]. The meaning of the word those two released. Whether it was something faced towards Shidou for leaking their secrets——or, was it faced towards Tohka for talking together with Shidou.

But, it looked like none of them were right to be accurate.

Kaguya to Yuzuru, Yuzuru to Kaguya, both of them glared at each other with piercing sights and opened their mouth detestably.

"............looks like you did something to screw with me, Yuzuru. Choose me?"

"Rebuttal. Kaguya too, what are you planning. Yuzuru does not remember requesting something like that."

Together with those words, the winds swirling nearby intensified even further.

"——it's no good. As expected, no good. I thought this battle method would give a quiet and reasonable conclusion but, I forgot to put your idiocy inside my calculations."

"Consent. Yuzuru has lost patience to Kaguya's degree of foolishness. ——In the end, it will turn out like this. The match both of us started, to let it end by the hands of someone else, it is just asking too much."

After saying that, both of them readied their lance, and pendulum.

"I guess you're right. As expected, it looks like we have no choice but to end it with just the both of us. It's just right. Right now I am, at the highest point of my life pissed off at you."

"Return fire. Yuzuru too. Yuzuru can't hide her irritation and anger of Kaguya's thoughtlessness."

"——the duel method is."

"Naturally. That is obvious."

Kaguya and Yuzuru once again opened their mouth at the same time.

""——The first one to fall,?Wins""

Only one thing could be seen.

A conflict——that would not end until one of them got defeated.

"Sto——"

Without hearing Shidou's voice of desisting, both of them clashed with tremendous wind pressure accompanying them.

Suddenly, *Go**go**go*——, when she thought the sound of the wind from outside resounded like the ground rumbling, the outer wall of the hotel *creak**creak* started creaking.

There were various reactions coming from the students inside the hotel. Those who turned on the television to confirm the weather forecast, those who were scared of the storm, and thus who quickly covered themselves with a futon, as well as those nonchalant people laughing at the fact that it was a good thing the storm did not occur in the afternoon.

Nonetheless naturally, no one went outside the hotel on purpose to get blown by the wind.

——With the exception of, Tobiichi Origami.

"................"

Silently putting on her shoes, she placed her hands on the hotel door.

The reason was plain and simple. When she was about to go look for Shidou just now, coming from Ai living in the same room as Tohka, she gained the information that she saw Tohka taking Shidou and heading outside.

Origami's actions were swift. She knocked down Ai's hand, who came to invite her for a game of trump, and while she was running towards the hotel entrance, half-way there she received a warning from Tamae [You should not run in the corridor]. Origami's legs could not stop just because there was a storm.

She was not pleased about Shidou and Tohka going outside together but, more importantly, in a storm like this, it was extremely dangerous to be outside of the hotel which is particularly close to the sea. She has to bring Shidou back as fast as possible.

It is true the storm is strong but, it wasn't as strong as to not being able to walk outside. Origami proceeded on walking outside——

"..........!?"

She felt a presence behind her and immediately jumped away from her spot.

In an instant, coming from the spot where Origami was at just now, *clash*. Such a metallic sound echoed.

"Wha......"

Origami looked at the thing that appeared there and slightly raised her eyebrows.

A thing that had a human shape was standing there with its fist thrust into the ground.

In a moment, Origami thought that was an AST personnel. In reality that equipment looked like a CR-unit that looked similar to the AST official accepted equipment, and she felt the slight headache of a Territory being activated at close-range. There was most probably no mistaking that it had its Realizer activated.

But——no. The unit that was being worn by that thing was clearly not human.

An inorganic exterior that made one think that it had no life. It had crooked hands and legs designed only for efficiency.

It was a human shaped machine that would generally be described as a robot or a doll.

"What on earth........is this."

Origami said that as if she were squeezing her voice out from her throat. The Realizer couldn't be controlled if a human's brain waves were not used. For a human-type robot to use a Territory——

"Kuh............."

That kind of thought was interrupted half-way. The mechanical doll leaped towards Origami.

Avoiding it at the very last second, she took as much distance as she could.

"Who are you?"

Betting on the small hope she tried talking to it, but as expected the doll did not reply back. While not showing any reactions at all, it came attacking with consecutive strikes.

"..................!"

Origami dodged by a hair's breadth while noticing something strange.

As far as she could see, the doll was equipped with the basic equipments such as the laser blade or the gun. But for some reason showing no signs of using them in response to Origami, it came punching bare-handedly.

It was like; it was trying to capture Origami unharmed——just like it was here to prevent Origami from advancing further.

"..............., don't disturb——"

Avoiding by jumping backwards, Origami quivered her throat in detest. Even though danger was getting closer to Shidou, she was stuck doing this.

And thus——at that moment.

"..........Tobiichi Origami, what are you doing. It is dangerous outside, hurry up and come back into the hotel."

Origami exiting the hotel was probably told by someone, coming from the direction Origami came from, the sleepy voice of teacher Murasame Reine echoed.

"——Sensei, go back——"

But, faster than Origami could finish her sentence, the doll that was confronting Origami, *creak**creak* turned its head towards Reine's direction.

"............hmm? who are you. I'm sorry but our student.........."

And, when she said that towards the doll, Reine stopped her words. Most probably she finally noticed that the object she directed her voice to was not human.

But, it was already too late. The doll changed its target to Reine from Origami, swinging its log-like arm in full vigor, it charged towards Reine.

"Kuh——"

After Origami exhaled her breath, she immediately kicked the floor and pushed Reine away.

And then, the next moment.

"Ka——ha........."

Receiving a heavy strike in the stomach from the doll, Origami easily got blown backwards.

Her side intensely hurt and her breathing became difficult. Her consciousness turned hazy and her eyes turned blurry.

"Sensei............hurry, run aw........"

At the same time, with the image of the doll's shadow drawing near to Reine's back in her view, Origami's consciousness fell into the darkness.

"——uh! Vice commander, around the vicinity of the northern part of Arubi Island, a tremendous storm has occurred!"

Together with the alarm ringing in the bridge of the [Fraxinus] floating above Arubi Island, [Deep love] Minowa shouted.

"A storm........occurred?"

Kannazuki, who was standing beside the captain seat, gently brushed his chin doubtfully. Wind is formed by the flow of air. Normally, it would not suddenly appear without an origin.

"Is there any contact from Analysis officer Reine?"

"Nothing!"

Kannazuki *Fumu* groaned. They were supposed to be contacted in case a problem occurs.

"Please try by opening the line here once. It's okay even if there is nothing."

"Roger!"

However, the crew member who started operating the console immediately let out a doubtful voice.

"The connection........won't connect. I'm afraid there is something blocking the communications!"

"Fumu?"

Kannazuki moved his eyebrows with a twitch. Even until making us attempt to open the communication line on this side, and the source of the blocking is still not detected, what on earth——

But, his decision was very fast. Without even waiting a few seconds, he gave a command to the crew.

"There is no choice. It is a little dangerous but, let's send the communication personals directly there. After lowering the altitude to 1000 meters, transfer the personals to the Arubi Island northern block and conduct the communication via the deployed <Yggd. Folium>. After that please confirm the safety of Analysis officer Murasame Reine, Shidou-kun and also Tohka-kun."

""——Roger!""

Responding to Kannuzuki's command, the crew operated the consoles.

When they did that, a low driving sound echoed across the bridge, and their bodies had a slight floating feeling similar to being inside an elevator.

Without even needing a few minutes, [Fraxinus] descended to 1000 meters altitude in the sky of the Arubi Island from 15000 meters above.

"We have reached the designated target. There is no reaction from the permanent Territory."

[Fraxinus] has 8 Control Realizers and 10 large-type basic Realizers installed, normally the surroundings of the ship had a Territory deployed around it.

And that Territory then manipulated the visible light rays, making the giant ship body of the <Fraxinus> invisible. Not only that, it was also made to automatically evade the moment a plane or bird touched the Territory to avoid collisions.

But, during the occasion of transferring machinery or humans to the ground from the teleporter located in the lower section of the ship, or when the independent unit <Yggd .Folium> equipped in the back of the ship was activated, the invisibility would then be interrupted for a few seconds.

Therefore, whenever they use the <Yggd. Folium> and made a communication relay point at a lower altitude, they would have to be careful and check whether there was an aircraft around to avoid having the <Fraxinus> being sensed by its radar.

"Okay. Well then, please activate the <Yggd. Folium>."

"Roger."

Together with Kannazuki's instruction, the invisible wall wrapping the [Fraxinus] slowly disappeared.

Similarly, on the altitude of 1000 meters above the sky of Arubi Island.

Inside DEM's 500 meter class airship <Arbatel>, the shout of the crew echoed across.

"——! Captain, There is a reading on the radar!"

"An aircraft?"

"No....this is, an airship!"

"........what did you say?"

At the same time with Paddington doubtfully moving his eyebrows and sitting on the captain seat, the image of the sky was shown out on the main monitor.

It was not an aircraft, unmistakably that was an airship. Behind the ship with a sharp form, there were several small heat sinks like objects attached to it; it made him think it was a giant tree.

"Where on earth did it appear from."

"The readings suddenly appeared. Most probably——Invisible mode was used."

"What did you say? What's the identification number?"

"It's unknown. We cannot confirm the ship model falling under the DEM Company."

Paddington made a sullen face, and stroked his beard.

"An airship that has Invisible equipped....? Impossible. The ability to turn invisible with the Territory was just made successful recently by the DEM industries."

Yes. Invisible was the DEM Company's completed latest Realizer, the beta series of the <Ashcroft> and it was the latest technology first implemented. The only ships that had that equipped currently were, only 3 ships with the <Arbatel> included in the count.

And thus, at that moment, the heat sink-like object detached itself from the ship being shown on the monitor, and floated midair independently.

And in the next moment, the ship that was being talked about once again vanished into the sky as if it had finished its task.

"! The reading disappeared!"

The crew member who was observing the radar raised his voice.

Without a doubt, the unidentified ship had already used the installed Invisible function. Using his eyes, he had confirmed that function.

But, that kind of thing should not be in existence——

"........, don't tell me."

Paddington opened his eyes wide in surprise. Speaking of which, he had heard of something before.

The name of another organization that holds the Realizer besides DEM Company.

"——<Ratatoskr> organization."

When Paddington said that word, the crew members that were in the bridge gulped down their breath.

DEM's second executives——if it was the people affiliated in the shadow execution team of the DEM Company then, it was not weird that they had heard of that name.

Yes. Paddington himself was told about that existence. ——from that person Isaac Westcott.

Pretext, there is an organization with technology more advanced than DEM.

Pretext, there is an eccentric group that decided to settle the spacequakes with peaceful ways.

Pretext——that is,?ourDEM's?enemy.

"By any chance it is spotted, immediately——eliminate it."

After Paddington released that from his mouth, *snicker**snicker* he laughed.

"I see, I have good luck."

He stood up from that spot, and threw a command at his crews.

"Prepare the main cannon! Put magic from <Ashcroft-Beta> number 10 to number 20! The target is——the unidentified ship!"

"uh, Captain............it is better to ask for instructions from the executive Chief——"

A crew member said that with a distorted face anxiously. Paddington clicked his tongue irritated. Even more than Paddington's, are you saying that young girl words are more important.

"Don't mind that! If the <Bandersnatch> team is there then it is enough for the executive chief's mission! If that is maintained then there is no complains right!"

"Un, Understood........."

As if getting overwhelmed by Paddington's manner of speaking, the crew members started operating the console.

Soon enough a low driving sound echoed in the bridge and the <Arbatel> changed its course.

"Cannon, magic charge complete!"

"Target, the area the unidentified ship disappeared to!"

"Invisible deactivate! Change the Territory property to anti-shock!"

After confirming the voices of the crew members, Paddington pointed his fingers towards the screen and said it as if he were muttering.

"——Fire."

At the same time, with the sound of rumbling, <Fraxinus> bridge was shaking violently as if it got struck by an earthquake.

Noise ran through the monitor and the emergency call echoed loudly.

And then, suddenly a response appeared on the radar screen, and on the monitor that was showing the exterior image, a giant craft appeared.

"........!"

<Ratatoskr> crew member——Shiizaki Hinako instinctively used both her hands and covered her head. Towards the impact she had never experienced before, her head immediately turned into disarray.

But, that was only natural. In reality, a part of the crew that were on the bridge showed the same reaction as Hinako.

It is true that the <Fraxinus>, in case of emergencies, is equipped with weapons for battle.

When joining <Ratatoskr>, they were told that there is a chance for such battles to occur, and they received battle training.

But——at the very least Hinako had not experienced a real battle until now.

"——Left side port Territory, reduced by 20%!"

"Basic RealizerAR-008?number 30 is losing its output!"

"The craft damage is minor! But, what on earth is this——"

The shouts of the bridges crew member flew around and mixed together.

"Tha,that was........!"

After Hinako made a shrill voice, Kannazuki who was standing beside the commander seat, *fumu* used his hands and touched his chin. Even though that was such an intense shaking, his posture had not crumbled at all.

"Fumu, it looks like we are getting attacked. Even when approached this close and the readings are still not confirmed, this means.............that side is also using Invisible huh. This is weird. This technology should be impossible other than?ourAsgard?Company's Realizer............"

"Heat source confirmed! A second attack is coming!"

"Opps——Deactivate Invisible as well as Avoid. Please transfer all the generated magic from the Basic Realizer to the Protect Realizer to activate it."

"Ro,Roger!"

Together with the shout of the crew members, the properties of the Territory deployed around the <Fraxinus>, the Invisible changed to Protect mode.

In an instant, the shock inside the Bridge calmed down once again.

"Kuh——this power even with a protective barrier.......!?"

Kawagoe who was sitting on the lower bridge, groaned while making a frown with his face. It was exactly as he said; it was an impact that made one think the magic from the camouflage effect was not transferred to the protective barrier.

"To bring out such a direct attack, it looks like they have great confidence in their ships performance. Hnnn..........this is nice, it makes me tremble. Aahh, make it more rough!"

"................"

.........as expected this person is hopeless. Hinako opened her eyes half-way and operated the console at her hands reach.

The ship will sink if this drags on. She opened the secret line and proceeded in making an emergency call.

Before long, Commander Itsuka Kotori appeared on the screen.

"...........Shiizaki? What's wrong, using the secret line. What on earth happened?"

"It's an emergency! I'm begging you Commander, please take command......!"

After Hinako said it like a disaster was approaching, Kotori's face turned stern.

"Don't tell me, Kannazuki made a strange choice selection and made Tohka's mood get worse again?"

"No, it's much more serious. If this goes on........"

"That's what I am saying, what happened. ..........uh, don't tell me, Kannazuki directly went in and barged in on the school trip, and made a strip show in front of Tohka or Shidou——!?"

Kotori said that in a horrified state. *Bun**bun* Hinako shook her head.

"No, that's not it, it's an enemy........! An unidentified airship appeared, and we are under fire! If this keeps up <Fraxinus> will........"

Hinako said that to her desperately. That was only normal. That's because her life is being placed on the line.

But, the moment Kotori heard Hinako's words; she made a half-eyed look like she just lost interest.

"Oh.....it's about that."

After saying that, she then made a sigh.

"I seriously thought that idiot went on ahead and done something stupid. Don't scare me like that."

"I, it's about that——it's a serious case for the ship you know........!?"

When she made a shout, Kotori spread her hands as if stopping Hinako.

"It's okay, you don't have to worry that much."

"Ho,how can you be so calm......."

After Hinako said that hopelessly, Kotori shrugged her shoulders while moving her lips.

"——That's because right now, Kannazuki is there, right?"