Volume 8 - CH 2(2/2)
“Wai-wait a second. From the beginning, I didn't know Natsumi had a secret-----“
As Shidou said that, Natsumi *Dan!* stopped him mid-sentence by slamming her heel on the roof.
“----------------Houra, nee. That’s why it’s dangerous. The person that knows my secret must not exist in this world!”
“..........!?”
Overpowered by the intensity of Natusmi’s odd bloodcurdling expression, Shidou took a step back in reflex.
However, Natsumi didn’t bother about it and made a violent smile while pointing at Shidou.
“But rest assured. There are two Shidou-kun's now. Nee? Something like having two identical people is strange right? We have to make it one person, or else it’s a no-go right?”
“One person.......... wait, don’t tell me........”
Shidou’s face scrunched up in fear as Natsumi continued smiling and nodded calmly.
“From today onwards, I will become Shidou-kun. I will be acting as Shidou-kun from now on.?Do not worry about a thing. My observing eye is perfect. I have made a thorough investigation of you and the people who are related to you. I won’t have fun like before anymore. Even if you are not here, no one will notice. Even if you are not here, the world will continue moving without change.”
While making motions as if performing in a opera, Natsumi continued.
“-----------Fufu, rest assured. It’s not like I will kill Shidou-kun. But, I’ll only have you go to a place different from here so that you won’t be able to disturb me.”
“D-don’t screw with me! That kind of thing------------“
Right when Shidou raised his voice from being unable to bear it any longer...
*Batan*! The roof door swung open and the two girls came out.
---It was Tohka and Origami.
“Why you, go somewhere else you bastard! I will find Shidou!”
“That is my line. I can’t leave it to someone like you. You should quickly go back to the classroom.”
It would seem both of them were looking for Shidou. They glared at each other and pushed at each other while walking out to the roof.
But, both of them probably noticed the current occupants on the roof as they stopped their movements exactly simultaneously and widened their eyes in disbelief.
“Th-there are...... two Shidou?”
“........What does this mean?”
Tohka and Origami asked with their eyes raised in suspicion and looked alternately at Shidou and Natsumi’s faces. It was only natural, for there were two people with identical appearances.
However, this was a chance. Now that both of them had definitely seen two Shidous, they would probably understand the one doing bad deeds to everyone was not the real Shidou.
“Tohka, Origami! Listen to me, this guy is------“
“This guy is the fake! He is disguised as me and playing mischief on everyone!”
But, Natsumi made a louder voice as if to interrupt Shidou’s words.
Naturally, different from just now, it was perfectly back to Shidou’s voice.
“Wha........? D-don’t get tricked both of you! I am the real one!”
“What are you saying!? I am the real one!”
With Shidou and Natsumi using the same voice and the same way of speaking, Tohka and Origami slightly raised their eyebrows. It would seem they were bewildered on which Shidou is the real one.
But, the only thing Shidou could do was desperately appeal to them. Towards both of them, he raised his voice even further.
“Tohka, Origami, believe me........! I am the real Itsuka Shidou!”
“Don’t get fooled! I beg of you two------believe me!”
Natsumi also made a desperate voice. Looking at that state, she seemed to be the real Shidou as well.
“Muu..........this,means one of them is the real one. Then-------“
“An incomprehensible situation. However-------“
After Tohka and Origami compared the Shidous for a while, they pointed their fingers at one person.
“You’re the fake.”
“You are the fake.”
They thrusted their fingers towards the direction of the fake Shidou at the same time.
“Wha........!?”
Natsumi’s face was filled with surprise. She didn’t think that they could confirm the genuineness without any doubt.
“Wha-what are you saying, both of you. I am-------“
Even though Natsumi did not give up and continued her words, it looked like Tohka and Origami weren't planning to change their minds. They swung their hands and approached Shidou.
At that moment, it seemed Natsumi finally gave up. She glared at Shidou, Tohka and Origami in detest.
“........How did you figure it out? My transformation was perfect. Even guessing would be a 50/50 chance. How can you two be so confident as to point your fingers at me?”
In response to Natsumi's question, Tohka and Origami looked at each other for an instant and opened their mouths in turn.
“Even if you ask why.......... I just somehow knew. It’s true that you look exactly like Shidou but, when you stood next to the real one, I felt your smell is different. Just that.”
“I might be fooled if you were alone. Actually, I thought you were Shidou until just now. However, it was a different story if it was under the condition of the question in regarding which one is the real one if there were two Shidous. Your blinking was 0.05 faster and your body center was slanted 0.2 degrees to the left compared to Shidou. That was no mistake.”
While Tohka was being vague and Origami continued talking on and on, Natsumi looked at them and made a face in disbelief.
“Wha-what...... What is with these girls? They’re crazy..........!”
“............No, that’s... well............”
As Natsumi exclaimed while shuddering, Shidou replied vaguely.
The fake was pointed out quickly. Normally, he would be thanking them properly but.......... it was not like he didn't understand the feeling why Natsumi was shocked.
Natsumi ground her teeth in disgust and then raised her hands high.
A broom type angel appeared out of empty space and she grabbed it as the tip of the broom opened radially and released a sparkling reflective light as bright as the sun.
In the next moment, Natsumi's body glowed and she transformed back into the slender beautiful girl Shidou saw yesterday.
“Wha......!?”
“............!?”
Tohka and Origami opened their eyes wide in surprise and lowered their bodies defensively to protect Shidou.
However, Natsumi was not bothered about their responses and ground her teeth while scratching her head.
“Impossible..........impossible........ impossibbleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”
“Wha............?”
“Not only was my secret exposed, are you saying that even my perfect transformation had been seen through? It’s a lie.............. something like this is a lie! I will definitely........ I will definitely not accept this..........!”
Natsumi angrily shouted and *Pi*! pointed her fingers towards Shidou and the girls.
“I won’t let it end like this......! I will definitely scare the hell out of you all........!”
With a final look of hostility at Shidou and the girls, she sat upon the handle and *Ton* kicked the ground which sent her into the sky.
“Ah------O-oi!”
Even though he hurried and raised his voice, it was too late. Natsumi did not look back at Shidou and her silhouette grew smaller as she flew away.
“Kuh........”
Even though he had to raise Natsumi’s affection level to seal her Reiryoku[8B 3], no progress was made in the end.
Nonetheless, it was an unexpected event. Natsumi appeared in front of Shidou and tried to replace him. It might be called strange. Taking this into account, he had to report to Kotori about this event.
However, before he did that, there was something that he had to do no matter what.
“Shidou?”
“Shidou!”
Tohka and Origami watched without lowering their guards until Natsumi’s figure completely disappeared, and then called out Shidou’s name and turned to him.
“Wha-what is it?”
Shidou replied nervously, guessing what they were going to say next.
“Who was that!?”
“Who was that girl and what relations do you have with her?”
Both of them asked the questions that he had roughly predicted.
Shidou’s face stiffened, and he thought of a possible way to somehow explain the situation without revealing too much information about Natsumi.
DEM industries, Great Britain company building.
Inside the conference room on the 20th floor right now, there were several men lined-up.
All of them were board members of this DEM Company. Everyone was sitting at a giant elliptical table and were flipping through the documents on their hands while making the same difficult face.
Nonetheless, it was also something not impossible.
Everyone one of them should have already received reports from here and there. And even the documents on their hands had the situation written in details.
---Not only did the DEM company managing director Isaac Westcott swung his authority unreasonably, he also drove the DEM Japan branch and also the famous facilities established there into a partial destruction state.
What’s more, on top of causing several deaths and injuries to valuable Wizards, he also added a bonus of freely exposing the secret technology which is the Realizer to the public eye. If there was no one that would move their expression even by an inch from looking at these chains of report documents, they should immediately quit the company and switch to being a gambler.
Nonetheless naturally, it’s not like everyone who was there was making that face.
On the chair placed furthest back of the room. Over there one man sitting calmly.
He had a jet-black suit covering his body. A young man around the age of his mid thirties. As if looking over the meeting, his unpleasant eyes that expressed darkness were peeking from the gap of his dark grey bangs.
Sir Isaac Ray Peram Westcott. He was the DEM company’s?Managing DirectorMD?which was exactly the topic of discussion right now.
“What......were you thinking! Mister Westcott!”
A member of the board with his hands trembling slammed the documents on his hands to the table and raised his voice. It was a middle-aged man wearing glasses. Although he was young inside the board members but, even so he still looked older than Westcott.
People that were warned not to act rude towards the MD were not in the spot right now. Only when there was a difference in standard could it be effective, everyone was thinking the same thing.
However, while looking at the matter, the topic of conversation Westcott, sitting on the chair placed right at the back of the room wasn’t particularly flustered and only shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t understand the intentions of your question, Murdoch.”
“Please do not act innocent!”
After Westcott said that, Murdoch violently grabbed the documents he threw on the table just now and carried it in front of him.
“Unreasonably meddling with the JSDF, personal utilization of equipment and Wizards, instructing a raid plan causing harm to the public, in addition of turning every corners of the office district into a war zone..........!? Even if the damage was lightly estimated, it was more than 1 billion pounds.............! We also have a big weakness grabbed by the Japanese government! How on Earth are you going to fix all of this!?”
“No problems. There was a harvest corresponding to that.”
“Harvest..........? What is that?”
When Murdich said that, Westcott lifted the side of his lips.
“----------Rejoice. We have successfully inversed <Princess>.”
“...................!”
From Westcott’s satisfied words, Murdoch and everyone from the board opened their eyes wide in surprise.
“Don’t screw with me...........!! Please understand the situation! If it was strike poorly, it might advance the situation concerning the continuation of DEM Company you know!? Spirit, what about it!? How are the Spirits going to save our company’s dilemma!? We don’t have time to accompany you for your fun and self-satisfaction!”
“..............Hou?”
Murdoch’s face was filled with anger and he raised a shout. When he did that, Westcott who was making a robotic smile until now, twitched just a little bit.
But Murdoch did not notice that and looked towards the board members lined up in the conference room.
“I want to ask all of you! Is it okay to let him do as he pleases any more than this!? If he continues any more than this, DEM industries will collapse not far in the future! Before that happens, shouldn’t we take appropriate measures!?”
“Appropriate measures........which is?”
From Murdoch words, the man in the opposite side of his seat raised his voice. Murdoch spread both his hands and said that in a drama-like manner, while announcing it loudly.
“I! Right here, demand the dismissal of Westcott MD!”
“----------------!”
The moment Murdoch said that, everyone from the board twitched their eyebrows. There were some who made a shocked expression from the very obvious dismissal demand but----------------more than half of them were in a manner as if they knew about the outline of this case beforehand.
After Murdoch looked at that state while nodding in satisfaction, he looked towards the old man sitting beside Westcott.
“Well then, Chairman Russel. Your decision.”
He said that, and tilted his head in front to urge him.
Inside the Great Britain’s company, the board members of the management corporate affairs did not accept holding two posts concurrently for the chairman of board of directors. This meant under pretext, the board of directors required representative other than Westcott. And that was this chairman, old Russell.
“...........Is it okay, Mister?”
Russell sent his sights towards Westcott with a difficult face.
However, Westcott did not mind and calmly nodded.
“Of course. That is the legitimate privilege given to the board members.”
“...................”
After Russell cast his eyes downwards from Westcott’s words, he made a sigh as if he figured out something and raised his voice.
“Well then, I will make a decision--------Those who approves Westcott’s dismissal, raise your hand.”
When Russell said that, Murdoch raised his right hand high up.
And as if to continue, the board of directors lined-up raised their hands one after another.
With the young official as the center, it was over half.
This was clearly an odd situation.
It was true right now, Westcott’s action had called forth an unusually large ripple and there were quite a number of them keeping their dissatisfaction to his arrogant behavior from normal days. But, it was hard to think the number of people crossing the majority with quick decisions would agree with Murdoch.
Westcott looked over to Murdoch. When he did that, Murdoch *fuun* exhaled while making a scornful smile. Most probably--------right before Westcott came back to Great Britain, he had already made preparations.
While looking at that manner, Russell swept his sight around the conference room as if to count the number of officials raising their hands, and softly let out his voice.
“-----because the number of raised hands is zero, Westcott MD’s request for dismissal will be rejected.”
“What did you say?”
Murdoch raised his eyebrows from Russel’s words.
“Please don’t joke at a time like this, Mister Russel. You should have a pride as a chairman. Or what is it, did your eyes finally turned bad until you can’t see the number of hands raised?”
“No. I only answered the results as I have seen.”
“.........What?”
Murdoch said that in doubt and sent his sights upwards then------[Hii] he gasped.
And as if to follow that, the officials raising their hands also distorted their face into pain similarly to Murdoch’s.
But that was probably only natural.
That’s because, the hand they raised high up was missing starting from their elbows.
“Uh-a-a-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?”
Feeling pain the first time he saw it, Murdoch raised a shout and sink down on the spot. And as if to match up with that, a large amount of fresh blood spurted out from the clean sliced section.
---The conference room, turned into a painting of the hell of Pandemonium in an instant.
However inside there, a cool voice echoed from behind Westcott.
“-----Fun? Self-satisfaction? For someone that rode on the DEM name after it was build up by Isaac, you sure know how to talk like you know it.”
The one who said that and took a step forward, was a girl with her Nordic blonde hair tied up that did not fit in this place. In one hand-------she was holding a laser blade the size of a petit knife.
Even though preserving the laser blade's blade without a wiring suit was very weird by itself, she even made the blade long and string thin, if she cleaned off the officials arm in an instant then---------it would make her capability easily known.
Ellen Mira Mathers. The chief of the 2nd executives that got the work done from the shadow of DEM and the world’s strongest Wizard.
“Well, don’t say that Ellen. They used the circumstances placed on them very properly, and used the authority given to them.”
“But...”
When Ellen denied stubbornly, Westcott stopped that and slowly stood up from the chair.
“There are Medical Realizers prepared in the medical office. If you join it back immediately then it would probably go back to normal after a few days.------ Go now. You all are splendid talents shouldering DEM’s future. Don’t you think it is ridiculous to lose one hand from something like this?”
“.........., you bastard..........!”
No longer using honorifics, Murdoch glared at Westcott.
But, Westcott did not worry about his sight, and made a small shrug with his shoulders.
“Rest assured, after I finish my?fun and self-satisfaction, I will give this company to all of you.-------oh, it’s going to be soon. Compared to the time?we?continuously waited until now.”
Saying it like that, Wescott silently smiled.
“Ah----........“
Shidou shook his throat as if to grumble, and threw his leg to the sofa’s armrest.
Saturday, October, 21st--------5 days passed quickly from that time when Natsumi disguised as Shidou and appeared in his school.
However, Natsumi had not even once appeared in front of Shidou after that time. If a space quake occured then it would be tracked by the <Fraxinus> observation device.
“.........Nothing happening like this makes it more unpleasant instead.”
While lying down on the sofa in his house living room, Shidou placed his hands on his forehead and sighed.
And, when Shidou was staring at the ceiling while thinking about that, unexpectedly around his stomach, *Kyumu*! He felt something was placed hanging on it.
“Uguh.............wha-what is it.........?”
He frowned his face from the sudden load and lowered his sights to his stomach.
When he did that, he saw his sister Kotori sitting there with an unconcerned face.
“..........Oi, Kotori”
When he said that, Kotori *Piko**Piko*moved the Chupa chups she was holding in her mouth while making a fearless smile, and sent her sights towards Shidou’s direction.
“Oh my, there was really a lot of life in it, so I thought it was a rare human leather-bound sofa.”
“We don’t have furniture similar to Ed Gein’s[8B 4]?preference”
After Shidou said that with half his eyes opened, Kotori placed a recoil on Shidou’s stomach by putting her whole body weight on it before standing up on the spot.
“Kuehh!”
“Oh my, did I just hit a gold angel.”
Kotori smiled while shrugging her shoulders.
“Why you................”
Shidou rubbed around his stomach while slowly raising his body.
“Fuun, that’s because even though you are in a situation of being targeted by a Spirit, you are recklessly so relaxed. We have no idea what she is going to do. Please brace yourself a little more.”
“Guh...............”
If he was told like that, he had nothing he could reply back. He bit his lips and kept silent.
“We have no idea what that Spirit-----------Natsumi is thinking but, it is hard to think of a fade-out without her doing anything. She will probably get in contact with Shidou in some kind of method.-----And, as long as we have no ways to contact her from our side, we have to precisely raise Natsumi’s affection level at that timing. You understand that properly right?”
“I-I get it.”
“I wonder about that.”
When Shidou replied, Kotori shrugged her shoulders in a given up manner.
But, Kotori’s words were right on the point.
Shidou, Kotori and everyone from <Ratatoskr>’s goal, was not to kill the spirit but rather to seal the Spirit’s powers peacefully and let her live a peaceful life.
That’s why; originally they absolutely wanted to avoid the Spirit to hold hostility for any sorts of reasons like right now.
What’s more in Natsumi’s case, they had no idea why for some reason she was thinking Shidou as an enemy. The first thing he had to do was to take the underhand and get in contact with Natsumi, and then find out the reason for that enemity. Problems were piled up as tall as a mountain.
Maybe she saw Shidou’s expression, Kotori *Fuun* exhaled and showed him the envelope she was holding.
“You finally have some tension coming out from your face.------here, take this. It was inside the morning post”
“Eh?”
He twisted his head in wonder and received it. After he took it into his hands, he found out there was something inside from the outer thickness and weight.
It was a white side-opening envelope with only the word [Itsuka Shidou] written on it. There was no address, postal code and even a stamp was not pasted on it. Most likely, it was posted into the Itsuka house post directly.
“This is......a letter?”
“Yes. A love letter.------------from Natsumi”
“Wha........!?”
Shidou opened his eyes wide from that name Kotori said out from her mouth, and quickly turned to the other side of the envelope.
It was sealed with wax in a polite way, and right below there, it was certain the name [Natsumi] was written on it.
After Shidou gulped, he placed the envelope on the table and sat back down on the sofa.
“I-is it alright to open it.........?”
“Yes. The moment you open it *Don*! Such a possibility exist so, I had the <Fraxinus> investigate the outer part of it. There is nothing dangerous put into it.-------Of course, as long as the opponent is a Spirit, it’s not like I can give you a definite guarantee”
“...................”
Kotori said that while shrugging her shoulders. Shidou let sweat ooze down his cheeks while frowning his face.
But even so, just because of that reason, he cannot just leave the envelope un-opened and forget about it. He made his decision and pulled his cheeks, and after putting in some spirit, he pulled off the wax seal pushed with an imperial seal and took out its contents.
“This is.........”
“.......looks like, photographs”
Kotori peeking into Shidou’s hands said that suspiciously.
Yes. Inside the envelope was several numbers of photos.
Shidou felt a somewhat out of place feeling from a Spirit sending photos but, thinking back again, if Natsumi repeatedly came over to this world silently like she did few days ago, it was not weird for her to learn a lot of things about this world.
And, whatever the reason was, the problem right now was the subjects taken as photo.
“........... This, is it perhaps me?”
Kotori frowned her eyebrows while picking up a single photo.
It was true that photo was taken with Kotori wearing her middle-school uniform and hair tied up with white ribbons.
But, the line of sight was not matched and the distance was far away. It was like..........rather, looking at Kotori’s reaction, it is no mistake a peeping photo.
No, Kotori was not the only one. There were a total of 12 photos contained inside the envelope but, and all of it, were people close to Shidou and were photographed in full-body.
Tohka. Origami. Kotori. Yoshino. Kaguya. Yuzuru. Miku. Ai. Mai. Mii. Tama-chan-sensei. And also-----Tonomachi.
All of it were peeping photos taken when the person did not notice (Only one person, Origami was the only one noticing the camera and was looking this way)
“Wha-what is with these photos......”
It somehow felt unpleasant and Shidou raised his eyebrows. Why on earth would she send these, what was Natsumi trying to tell Shidou?
“Are the photos only inside? Any others?”
“A-aah.........”
After searching the envelope, there was another paper inside, and he found out it was some sort of card inside it.
He took it out, and placed it on the table. On it, a short article was written.
[I am inside one of these.
Can you guess which one am I?
Before everyone disappears.
Natsumi]