Chapter 4.2.3 — The Prologue of the Election Tournament
Volume 4 Chapter 2 - The Prologue of the Election Tournament Part 3
“Welcome home, Hayashizaki-kun!”
“So you’ve come home, My King!”
When he got back to his room, inside Hoshikaze-senpai and Leme were playing pro-wrestling. Leme’s flying cross chop hit Hoshikaze-senpai’s nape of the neck, the counter-attack came and Hoshikaze-senpai caught both feet of the escaping Leme and dealt a giant swing.
Of course both of their bodies were protected by magic power, so it was only at the level of playing around with each other.
Kazuki reflexively got bewildered. Mio and the others frequently came to his room, that was why he always cleaned his room so that he wouldn’t be ashamed by anyone seeing them. Recently Kazuki’s room could be entered freely as long as you just knocked before.
However until now Hoshikaze-senpai had never come here before.
“It seems this person has something to talk about.”
Leme, who was flung away to the bed and got toppled over said that. Her tunic one piece was turned up inside out and her no-panty bottom was appearing and disappearing. …She was in a state where her clothes were created by magic power so he didn’t pay attention, but cover yourself with panties at least.
“Right, right, I have something to discuss man to man!”
The senpai that was looking at him face to face was wearing a bra-top and spats that had a mysterious feeling of luster. Those were high-performance fit-wear that were used alchemic material. It was glued to the skin closely, expanding and contracting matching with the body's movements, the breathability was also good, it even regulated the temperature by reacting to the miniscule amount of magic power.
For some reason it seemed senpai was wearing this active underwear as her room-clothes.
However the problem of this underwear was that it made the line of the body perfectly stand out. It distinctly dug into the high leg line at her nether region, it also glued into the breast and bottom and just like that he could understand their shape. It was colored with two exchanging shades of deep blue and light blue, but it completely looked like body paint to him.
He felt like a girl must not be allowed to come out in front of a man wearing this piece of clothes.
“Senpai said man to man, but senpai is not a man right? Besides senpai is…looking like that already.”
Kazuki averted his eyes slightly from Hoshikaze-senpai who had an innocent expression.
“Hmm? Well anyway sit, sit.”
Hoshikaze-senpai dropped her body on the bed with her legs wide open and she sat cross legged, then she urged Kazuki to sit right in front of her. To take that kind of posture with that appearance, how could he call her a man right from the front seeing her like that, he thought. But when Kazuki sat where she was indicating at, Leme came near Kazuki in a toddle.
“The truth is…she genuinely wants to conquer her man phobia. Because of that she is wishing to cooperate with you who is her friend.”
“Conquering her man phobia…is it?”
Hoshikaze-senpai had a phobia of men. Despite the yearning as a prince that she received because of her androgynous beautiful face, the person in question herself was weak with men, even so she still longed for a man’s friendship. What a puzzling person.
“From now on the interaction with the Sword Division will increase drastically right? There are a lot of boys in the Sword Division, so I was thinking that I can't keep being like this. Especially if I’m thinking of winning against Kaguya and become the Chief Student Council President after this!”
“It’s certainly like that huh. But senpai’s phobia of men, what kind of problem is that?”
After Hoshikaze-senpai took a deep breath, she abruptly took hold of Kazuki’s hand tightly.
Even though she talked as a mature prince, what he felt was a soft hand of a girl. Kazuki felt his heart beat a little faster.
On the other hand―the blood was drained from Hoshikaze-senpai’s face very quickly. In the blink of an eye, tears were amassing in senpai’s eyes, and her cold fingertips were shaking.
“Sen, senpai, please don’t force yourself!”
He couldn’t bear to see her like this, Kazuki separated the hands by himself.
“But I don’t want you to misunderstand me, it’s not that I actually hate Hayashizaki-kun.”
“Of course I know that.”
“Talking while meeting face to face like this is fine for me. At first even that was scary for me, but in the time we were together I came to know that Hayashizaki-kun is a kind person then. I can keep my composure with my reasoning.”
Hoshikaze-senpai’s positivity level was―50. A good level where one could be said as a [good friend]. There was also the influence of her man phobia, but while doing sword practice together, their distance was shrinking little by little.
“Even so, things like touching and shortening the distance are still no good huh?”
“Yes. A rugged man that looks strong and their smell are scary. If just talking like this I can feel relieved that Hayashizaki-kun is a kind person, but when touching or the distance is too near, a fear is wells up somewhere deep inside me that is different from my reasoning…”
“Do I, really reek like a man that much? Though I think I’m not effeminate.”
“As expected when I touch you it really felt like you are a real boy. By the way when I consulted Kaguya, conversely Kaguya said [normally he is a kind younger boy, however sometimes there were times where he suddenly became forceful that made my chest tighten]. Keep this a secret okay?”
“She, she said that kind of thing…”
For Kazuki, Kaguya-senpai was someone that he felt the most conscious of as a [woman]. To think that Kaguya-senpai also became strongly conscious of him as a [man] in reality.
Thinking of how she kept treating him like a child… A, anyway this was not the time!
“Well then, how does senpai plan to treat this?”
“I don’t know, but isn’t it fine if I simply get used to a boy, that’s what I thought. That’s why I want to consult you, however…I want to freeload in this room!”
“Freeloading, does senpai plan to stay here!? Though from the beginning we had been living under the same roof, but for a boy and girl to live together in this cramped room will create problems.”
Certainly Mio, Lotte, and Koyuki also came here to play, but by no means did they come here every night.
“There's no problem! By playing together with the two of us in this airtight space and chatting at night while sleeping, a deep friendship between men will be born, with that I think I will ride past this phobia of men for sure!”
For him to do something like passing a long time together with this innocent senpai who was wearing that kind of suggestive appearance, this side’s reasoning would be the one that would become dangerous.
However…there was no one else that senpai could rely on.
“Understood, if it's really for senpai’s sake, then I will show you the endurance of a swordsman!”
Hearing that declaration, Leme was making a pouting face at his side, she sent telepathic message to Kazuki.
{Recently, my King keeps chasing Leme out immediately…even though it’s nice for Leme to be together with my King when it’s time to sleep. The Lemegetonfamily service is insufficient here…}
Sorry, Kazuki thought inside his heart to reply. Now that she talked about it, he didn’t think about Leme’s circumstances.
Leme materialized in this world using Kazuki’s magic power. That’s why when she was materialized she was at Kazuki’s side as much as possible, it seemed that sleeping together at night was good for her fuel consumption.
But when Mio and the others came playing in this room, Leme took them into consideration and withdrew to Astrum.
If Hoshikaze-senpai was staying in this room for a long time, it would be a big problem as far as Leme was concerned.
{Well, it’s for the sake of the harem so that’s fine. This is a rare chance, so Leme will go to Futsunushi no Kami’s place.}
…Now that she mentioned it, what became of the relationship between fellow Divas at the Astrum?
{Divas have this place called <Mythology DomainTerritory, the image is that Astrum is chaotic, but there is the feel of the divide of each Diva’s turf… This Territory could be entered and exited freely by Diva with good relations, but Diva from other mythologies cannot step their foot inside at all. In short, generally all the Divas are staying fixed in their own Mythology}
Of course even inside the same Mythology, there was also antagonistic relationships like Thor and others from the Norse Mythology with Loki however.
{Solomon's 72 Pillars are mutually connected strongly with each other, but Leme lost her memory so I am completely detached from them. Though thanks to the bond that you created, Leme is connected with those like Phoenix or Asmodeus. With Futsunushi no Kami too for the moment, Leme should be able to have a conversation with him. Leme was a little concerned with the trend of the Japanese Mythology, so Leme is going to ask that guy about various things. …After all the Japanese Mythology is this country’s original mythology.}
When she conveyed until that point through telepathy to Kazuki, Leme was going “That’s how it is, see ya!” She was saying that by moving the mouth of her materialized body, thereafter that material body vanished with a puff and withdrew to the Astrum.
“Ehh, what’s with Leme-chan? Even though I thought we were going to play with three people.”
Hoshikaze-senpai who didn’t have the self-awareness that she was the one that chased out Leme looked disappointed.
As for Leme, rather than playing with three people, it was more important for Kazuki to be alone together with a girl.
“Anyway, let’s play together first! Let’s play a game, game!”
Hoshikaze-senpai sat on the bed once more with a bouncing sound and took hold of the controller of the game that was in Kazuki’s room. It was the game system that he received to kill time when he was confined by Kohaku in the Sword Division.
Even now when Mio or Lotte came to play in Kazuki’s room they were competing together using this game system.
“The one who lose has to accept a punishment game!”
“Again with a thing that looked like something a high school boy will do… What kind of thing will be done in this punishment game?”
The playful prince Hoshikaze-senpai looked a little mischievous and her eyes was twinkling brightly.
“The one who loses, will confess to the class’s idol Mio-chan!”
“That’s really just like a high school boy ! …But let’s stop it, something like that.”
“Fufufu, you get cold feet~?”
“Please don’t stir up someone like a high school boy. Doing something like a joke confession is just looking down on girls you know? Also doing that will make Mio extremely furious. Besides Hoshikaze-senpai has a different class with her right?”
Also, Mio was not particularly an idol in the class.
“Mu. What raging objection power… Then the one who loses will rub Kaguya’s huge breasts from behind and run away immediately!”
Both Hoshikaze-senpai’s hands were groping around in the air while saying that.
“Isn’t that just falling down to the level of an elementary school boy’s prank!? Please just stop, that kind of thing only looks like harassment to girls. All of the things from just now are too vulgar.”
“Then how about the loser has to wear female clothing!?”
“Then the only one that would get embarrassed is just me right!? You'll just look normal with that punishment, won’t you!?”
“What are you saying! Even I'll get embarrassed with that!!”
“No, wait a second… Then if senpai loses please wear a maid uniform!”
Kazuki proposed something that leaned heavily in his own tastes.
“Ma, maid uniform you say? Wearing those clothes with a lot of frilly frills? This me?”
“Correct, for the whole day, senpai will provide service as maid-san!”
Senpai was pondering very hard while making a wrinkle with her eyebrows.
“Th, that severeness is really fitting for the punishment game… However, a man will not go back on what he's said! In exchange, if you lose you will become a cute girl and take a commemorative photo with the setting as my girlfriend!”
Imagining the picture of himself wearing female clothing while acting coquettishly at the side of a good-looking guy like Hoshikaze-senpai, Kazuki felt a chill. As a man, he must not lose this game no matter what!
“Then we are going to play a fighting game for three rounds!”
”Understood, I accept your challenge!”
Both of them faced the screen of the three dimensional game that was projected by the Phantasmagoria and grasped the controllers simultaneously.
―With frightful momentum, Kazuki lost.
“…Pl, please wait a second! No matter what, using [Ride Lightning] is cheating isn’t it!? That can't count as a victory!”
Using Baal’s magic, the electric signal running through Hoshikaze-senpai’s whole body was amplified, she beat down Kazuki mercilessly using the superhuman explosive power and reflexes.
…Something like that, when senpai suddenly chanted the spell beside him, he was wondering what in the world she was doing.
“Hehehe, did we decide any rules that forbid the use of Summoning Magic? To use all methods available within the range of the rule and aim for victory, that’s what is called as a fight between men!”
Certainly they should have decided the rule beforehand.
“Hayashizaki-kun is my girlfriend~?” Hoshikaze-senpai was singing a strange music.
Kazuki became seriously vexed hearing that.
“Then it’s fine for the first loss to go to this side, in exchange from now on there will be no more Summoning Magic!”
However, it must be remembered it was [Summoning Magic] only. Kazuki made such addition inside his heart.
“I got it, I accept your challenge!” With that senpai took up the controller triumphantly.
―With frightful momentum, Hoshikaze-senpai lost.
“Ha, Hayashizaki-kun, just now, you Foresighted the minute magical power produced from operating the game didn’t you!? You used the Extra Sense fully!”
“I got found out huh.”
Just like his experience when he played games with Lotte before, he couldn’t detect the premonition for the foresight from the digital movement of the game character on top of the projection screen.
However when a magician was going nuts in playing a game he was not used to, he would unconsciously invoke weak Enchant Aura from his determination to operate the game for even a little faster. That movement showed the user’s next action just slightly earlier even compared to the user’s actual body.
What Kazuki Foresighted was not the game screen, but the weak magic power of a human’s body that was operating the game itself.
“How childish! You are really childish! To do something like using the Hayashizaki-style’s secret technique just for a game!”
“Senpai is my disciple, so right now senpai’s condition is quite the same as a swordsman of the Hayashizaki-style. Senpai was defeated in a battle between swordsmen, that’s all there is to it…”
“What kind of reasoning is thatt―! I still haven’t learned the technique of Foresight! To show this kind of behavior, aren’t you ashamed as a swordsman!?”
“The Hayashizaki-style is a kenjutsu for real battle…the most embarrassing thing is to get defeated. Fuffuffu.”
“What [Fuffuffu]! I didn’t think Hayashizaki-kun is a kid like that! Then it’s fine, the fight before is your win. But for the next it’s unacceptable! Reinforcing your senses is cheating!”
“Understood. I too was losing before because there was that [Ride Lightning].”
While twisting her mouth in a pout (muu―), Hoshikaze-senpai took the controller again.
And then the curtain of the destined third fight was opened.
The character that senpai was using from the beginning was a character that emphasized speed and equipped with Japanese katana.
On the other side the character that Kazuki used was a character whose strong point was a long-range flame attack, a technical character that was weak in close-quarters combat even though this was a fighting game. The way to take distance was difficult
“Hayashizaki-kun’s character, she looked a little similar to Mio-chan huh?”
“Now that senpai mentioned it, that’s true isn’t it, I didn’t notice.”
“By the way I chose a cool character that feels like it resembles you!”
“Is, is that so? …no, I got done in while I get embarrassed!”
“Yo―sh, my Hayashizaki-kun, finish off Mio-chan!”
“Uwa, my Mio got done in by me!”
The moment she was approached closely, this Mio (resembling character) was weak! Before he can even say ‘ah’ he was beaten to the ground with a combo, he couldn’t even make use of the character’s specialty of long range attack and fell into this situation completely!
“Mio! My Mio―!”
Kazuki unconsciously raised a scream.
“You called? Kazuki? What’s with that ‘my Mio’…ehehe?”
The sound of the room’s door opening (gacha-) could be heard, Mio’s voice rang out.
For some reason it seemed the genuine Mio really came. However he didn’t have any room left to be preoccupied with that kind of thing!
“Mio! You have to do your best even more!”
Kazuki raised his voice without averting his eyes from the screen till the end.
“Eh!? I’m always doing my best though!? I always work hard several times more than other people!”
“Aah, Mio the quack magician! You’re really weak at close-quarters combat!!”
“How mean, even though I’m always worrying about that!! Why do you say mean things like that!?”
“Mio, move even faster!”
“Eh!? U, understood! I’ll do my best so watch me, okay!”
Mio was starting to do a repeated side-step (shutan―shutan―) beside Kazuki with amazing speed.
Kuh…he couldn’t concentrate when she was doing such interesting movements like that at the edge of his field of vision!
Right there Hoshikaze-senpai was torturing him severely without mercy.
“Go Hayashizaki-kun! Hack Mio-chan to pieces!!”
“Eeeh, I’m going to be chopped into pieces!?”
“Run, run away Mio―!”
Kazuki yelled desperately to Mio (resembling character) on the game screen.
“Understood!”
Mio was running away from the room in a flash.
She was really a person that was easily dragged into a mood. Though it seemed she vaguely understood the state of affairs in the middle.
In any case now he could concentrate on the game…!
His remaining life was only a little. However he was desperately guarding and evading for the time being and endured while amassing his special move’s gauge. In other words this was like chanting the spell of Summoning Magic.
“Running from place to place restlessly like that, how unmanly!”
At first Hoshikaze-senpai was playing the game using trial and error, but gradually she became able to produce the special moves smoothly, she was beginning to construct attack patterns in her own way. However that was a good thing for Kazuki. It was worthwhile to bring the battle into a protracted war, conversely her movement was becoming easy to read!
…There! While running away from the attack, he released the firing of the super finishing move from long-range with the timing that he wouldn’t get anywhere else!
In the place where Hoshikaze-senpai’s character was stiffening, the attack hit magnificently.
The other side had a lot of moves, but in the power of one shot, Mio (resembling character) had the upper hand!
Aiming for a timing like this turned out to be a good decision, Kazuki had got the hang of the fighting game.
While persisting with barely any life left, Kazuki kept repeating it again and again. And then―
“I won! Maid uniform!!”
―Finally he raised his hands highly to the sky.
“What enthusiasm! Do you really want to put me into a maid uniform and embarrass me that much!?”
Hoshikaze-senpai collapsed on her back with her limbs spread-eagled. To move dynamically with that kind of appearance made her chest shake and tremble, becoming poison to his eyes so he wished she would stop.
“I just want to receive a service from senpai when senpai is in a feminine appearance, that’s all.”
“Muu~. It’s unfair in the first place, Hayashizaki-kun had already gotten used to playing this game!”
“This is my game after all so it’s only natural. But, wasn’t senpai the one that proposed to play this game?”
“It’s fine to go easy on me―!”
While rolling around, senpai kicked and struggled around with her hands and legs.
“If senpai thinks like that, then please don’t propose a punishment game that makes people not want to lose no matter what.”
“But, I thought the first win was a sure thing if I used Ride Lightning, so…”
The prince was sulking. Such thinking was really petty, and yet that was still too na?ve of her.