Sensing a break in the conversation, Lefille took the opportunity to clear her throat.
Ahem... Suimei-kun, is now a good time?” she asked with a cough.
“Oh! My bad,” he replied.
“Honestly. It’s bad manners to ignore everyone else while you railroad the conversation,” Hydemary chimed in.
“You really gotta say that kinda crap each and every...”
“Bleh!”
Hydemary stuck her tongue out in response to Suimei’s reproachful gaze. Both her verbal abuse and gestures were extremely childlike... Not that that was out of character in her case; she really was a child.
“So does all this mean these girls... are people from another world? And you brought them here? Other than Hatsumi-chan, of course.”
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Mm. Long time no see, Hatsumi-chan.”
There, Hatsumi and Hydemary approached each other and shared greetings. Hydemary played the part of Suimei’s friend from overseas whenever she visited his house, so she and Hatsumi had crossed paths before and were well acquainted by now as a matter of course.
“I guess we’ll start with introductions,” said Suimei, directing everyone’s attention to Hydemary in lieu of a host.
He cleared his throat just like Lefille had earlier, and ushered Hydemary to step forward.
“This is Hydemary Alzbayne. She’s a magician affiliated with the Society, the same organization I belong to. She’s also my disciple.”
“Indeed. I’m Hydemary Alzbayne, the genius magician who’s more or less serving as Suimei-kun’s disciple,” she said as she twirled her wand around, took her hat off, and bowed precisely as a stage magician would.
Both Lefille and Felmenia were at a loss for how to respond to such a bold introduction. It wasn’t every day that someone proclaimed themselves a genius, after all.
“A g-genius?”
“Is that really something you say about yourself...?”
“I’m extremely, extremely, reluctant to admit it, but Mary here is actually a bona fide genius.”
“Aren’t I amazing? Teehee.”
Upon receiving Suimei’s endorsement, Hydemary pridefully puffed out her chest. Suimei, however, quickly tacked on one last thing.
“Also, she isn’t human.”
“What...? Suimei-dono, do you mean that in the sense that she’s a magician?”
“No, I really mean she’s not human. Mary is a so-called manmade lifeform. A homunculus.”
“A homunculus?”
“Manmade? You mean to say she was created artificially?”
Felmenia and Lefille were unable to hide their bewilderment upon hearing the word homunculus. But who could blame them? Artificial life was practically unheard of, and those who knew its secrets often avoided it for both practical and moral reasons. After Suimei briefly explained exactly what homunculi were, however, the girls’ bewilderment only increased.
“That all sounds quite... murky.”
“I mean... Life is a gift from the Goddess and the fruit of human love. Replicating that with one’s own hands is a little...”
Her very existence was difficult for them to accept, yet Hydemary spoke as though she knew nothing of their reluctance.
“Just about the only difference is whether you’re grown in a human womb or a test tube. And either way, I’m the result of someone’s will to procreate, so what difference does it really make?”
“I see... That’s one way of thinking about it...”
“There are those who also subscribe to your way of thinking in this world, but it largely falls under the religious approach to the topic. If they concede to the scientific approach, they feel it would be denying everything they’ve been taught to believe. And so they reject it under the convenient front of blasphemy.”
“Hey, you’re getting off track.”
Suimei jostled Hydemary’s shoulder and interrupted her enthusiastic lecture. He knew she could go on endlessly when it came to philosophical discussions of life.
“But you get it, right?”
“Yeah, I get it. So calm down a bit, okay?”
“Mrrgh...”
Hydemary still had much more to say on the subject, which was only natural as it personally concerned her. Objections to creating life by human hands were tantamount to objections to her very existence. Hydemary was undeniably artificial, but just as she was demonstrating now, she could move, think, and act all on her own. She was very much so alive. And she had no interest in hearing that her life and what had created it were wrong.
At last getting back to the introductions, Suimei looked over to Felmenia.
“My name is Felmenia Stingray. I’m currently under Suimei-dono’s tutelage as his disciple.”
“Huh? Ooh! That makes you my junior disciple!”
Hydemary’s previous discontent seemed to go flying out the window as she raised an extremely cheerful voice. She practically skipped over to Felmenia, who was visibly confused. Hydemary, on the other hand, was brimming with curiosity.
Upon seeing all this, Lefille leaned in and whispered into Suimei’s ear.
“Suimei-kun, this girl can be, um... quite childish, can’t she?”
“Well, despite what her appearance suggests, she is actually a child.”
“Pardon?”
Suimei decided to spare Lefille the details and leave that discussion for later. There was no rush to get into any of that yet.
“I’m... Liliana Zandyke. Like Felmenia... I have become... Suimei’s disciple.”
“This girl too?”
Hydemary leaned forward and peered at Liliana’s face. Her unreserved stare had Liliana, who wasn’t used to dealing with people, immediately recoiling. But for every step she took backward, Hydemary took one forward to keep the distance between them from growing. This cycle repeated itself as they slowly chased each other around the yard.
“U-Um... Uh...”
“No need to be so anxious.”
“Augh...”
Liliana reluctantly came to a stop, and Hydemary took the opportunity to observe her from every angle. She was like a photographer who wanted to capture every aspect of her subject. In the end, she even grabbed Liliana’s violet hair to inspect it.
“What’s gotten into you?” Suimei couldn’t help asking.
“Nothing, really. Looking at Liliana-chan just stirred up a little inspiration.”
“Ah, of course... But knock it off for now.”
Liliana’s appearance was incredibly striking, and she had a lot going for her visually. Youthful looks. Gothic lolita fashion from another world. That twintail hairstyle. Even an eyepatch. She was an ideal study for Hydemary, who made dolls as a hobby.
Once he realized what was going on, however, Suimei chided Hydemary as he pulled her away by the arm, forcefully putting an end to her study of Liliana.
“I’m Lefille Grakis. I’m not Suimei-kun’s disciple, seeing as I’m not a magician and all, but I guess you could say I’m his companion?”
“Oh?”
At Lefille’s introduction, Hydemary demonstrated an entirely different reaction than she’d had with the other two girls. She stared at Lefille closely as she charmingly cocked her head to the side. She then stepped forward and began poking at Lefille.
“Um...” Lefille muttered in a troubled manner.
Hydemary’s behavior was most rude, but her innocent demeanor made it difficult to reprimand her appropriately. Her intense interest in Lefille, however, was perfectly understandable. Any magician in this world would have been equally taken.
“You noticed?” Suimei asked from the side.
“How could I not? Lefille-san, are you...?” Hydemary asked in a perplexed tone.
“A spirit, yes,” Lefille answered. “Though, strictly speaking, only a half-spirit.”
“This other world sure is amazing. This is legendary stuff here.”
Though her face remained expressionless, Hydemary sung great admiration, causing Lefille to knit her brows in response.
“It is really that impressive? I mean, it’s pretty special even back in our world, but...”
“Come now. The very presence of a spirit is incredible, you know? In this world, they vanished from the face of the earth over a hundred years ago.”
“But there are techniques to summon them here, right? Using those, it shouldn’t be all that difficult to see one.”
“Spirit sightings aren’t all that uncommon, no. But what’s truly special is the way your existence has manifested. A summoning is merely temporary, but that’s not the case for you, right? Despite lacking the requisite offering or mana to maintain your presence here, you’re not vanishing... Moreover, you also exist as half-human,” Hydemary practically cooed with increasing enthusiasm. “It’s amazing. You’ve suddenly gotten me quite curious about this world of yours.”
“Th-That’s, well... Thank you, I think?”
Lefille seemed a bit bowled over by Hydemary’s excitement, but Suimei let out a languid sigh to put a damper on the whole thing.
“But their magicka is kinda...”
“Why the long face? Is it that disappointing?”
“Actually, speaking of... Menia, can you use it here?”
“A moment, please... Yes, it appears to work!”
“That so? Okay, then can you use that one spell you used to cast?”
Suimei urged Felmenia to demonstrate her magic, which immediately put Hatsumi in quite a fluster.
“H-Hang on! You’re planning on using magicka here?!”
“Yeah, don’t worry about it. It’ll be fine as long as we do it on this property.”
“You’re telling me no one’s going to notice you using magicka here?”
“Yup. I mean, if that wasn’t the case, don’t you think you would’ve found out about it way sooner?”
“...Don’t go performing weird rituals right next to my house.”
“We’re not some cult, damn it. It’s just part of our job as magicians.”
“Well, um, here I go... Truth Flare!”
Felmenia incanted her keywords in a casual tone and activated her spell on the spot. It was only a small invocation, allowing the chant to be omitted. A magicka circle... obviously didn’t show up. Felmenia had cast Truth Flare, a magic spell she’d used in her world before Suimei taught her the ways of magicka.
Nevertheless, a white flame—one just a little hotter than a regular one—danced in the air and illuminated the garden of the Yakagi mansion. The flowers hiding in the dark of night revealed their beautiful colors, and the world around them was suddenly far more vivid than before.
Any normal person would have been in awe of such a mystical and beautiful scene, but what came out of Hydemary’s mouth sounded much closer to disappointment.
“Mm, yeah. It’s kind of... questionable. It seems there’s something mediating with it from the outside, though?”
“It’s a phenomenon of lower class spirits called the Elements. They’re what’s mediating with the spell.”
“A phenomenon is?”
“It happens, right? You know, that. The law of parallel worlds theory.”
“Really? That super abstract theory that states that because other worlds are governed by different laws, phenomena unique to them can still occur here so long as the two worlds are connected?”
“Yup. That’s the one. The Elements are one such ‘law’ that gives rise to unique phenomenon in their world.”
“That’s amazing. It was considered a completely empty theory since it was previously impossible to observe other worlds to begin with, wasn’t it?”
“This just proves that it can be actualized.”
“That’s a big achievement, Suimei-kun.”
“Hey, don’t go standing on your tip-toes to hit my head. What do you take me for? Some sort of no-good detective?”
After wrapping up his little comedy routine with Hydemary, Suimei quickly returned to explaining the theory at hand.
“Moreover, there are pretty considerable restrictions depending on the type of law. It’s likely the divinity of their world added the law of the Elements as some sort of addendum to the original laws.”
“So this Elemental business is the mainstream form of magicka in their world?”
“Yup. They call it magic.”
Upon hearing that, Hatsumi cocked her head to the side.
“Wait a second, Suimei. What’s the difference? Between magicka and magic, I mean.”
“Nuance. Magicka concerns techniques to manipulate the mysteries, while magic concerns mystical law. Well, fundamentally, they both have to do with the mysteries.”
To a magician, the word “mysteries” generally encompassed all that was mystical in nature. This included, for example, the wonders and monsters of Japan. It could be used as an umbrella term for magicka, mana, and the laws of the world, et cetera—anything and everything mystical.
“In any event,” Suimei sighed as he turned to Felmenia. “It’s even weaker over here, huh?”
“Now that you mention it... Yes, it seems to be. It really doesn’t possess its usual power.”
The white flame that Felmenia had created was lacking destructive power for the mana it used. In essence, the amount of heat it emitted wasn’t particularly high. Contemplating the reason for this...
It’s just like what happened to me, huh?
It dawned on Suimei that this was similar to how he’d been unable to bring about his full power in the other world. Magicka utilizing the laws of this world lost its power there; and so too did magicka utilizing the laws of that world lose its power here. It was like how a radio would get staticky when moved too far away from the source of its signal. And that static, so to speak, prevented spells from manifesting at their full power.
“Okay, try the first spell I taught you next.”
“White Flame Hyacinth!”
When Felmenia unleashed her keywords this time, a magicka circle made of white manalight deployed, rotated, and expanded at her feet accompanied by white electrical currents. Shortly after, an identical magicka circle took shape in the air and a blinding beam shot into the sky.
The white light tore through the dark of night with the whistling sound of burning atmosphere. The moment it died out, the remnants of the white manalight came floating back down to earth like powdered snow. It was a truly fantastic sight.
“Oooh. It’s totally different. The last one was completely anticipated by the spell, but this time the spell properly generated the flames and is intervening with them.”
The magic of Felmenia’s world was based on the Elements. Said Elements became the medium for the magic, so no matter the spell, the effect always took a fixed form.
In the case of Felmenia’s Truth Flare, the medium was fire. So if an opponent were to take countermeasures against fire, that alone could render her spell powerless. However, if the fire she created wasn’t based on chemical elements and natural phenomena—in other words, if it employed a more conceptual fire—it couldn’t be dealt with so easily. As long as the foundation of the flames was magical, it would be impossible to dispel them unless the magicka behind them was unraveled. If one were to douse truly magical fire with water, for example, it wouldn’t show the slightest sign of weakening or dying out.
“What’s more, this spell was quite intricate and finely detailed.”
“Th-Thank you very much.”
Felmenia smiled upon receiving Hydemary’s praise. Meanwhile, Hatsumi was still staring up into the sky with her head cocked to the side.
“I can’t really tell the difference. Was that amazing?” she asked.
“Rather than amazing, it’d be better to say it was particularly well built,” Hydemary replied.
“There are a ton of people out there who would try to put something like that together in a slapdash way,” Suimei added.
The magicka users of the group understood what Suimei meant well enough, but both Hatsumi and Lefille seemed to find his commentary hard to digest.
“Suimei-kun, you once said that magicka can’t be used unless the proper procedures are followed, right? Is that what you’re talking about?” Lefille asked.
“It’s somewhat like a painting. Let’s say we have two people paint the same picture—one who pays attention to the finest details and one who doesn’t. Their paintings might look the same from far away, but when observed closely, you’d be able to see the rough work the sloppier painter did. That’s the difference meticulousness makes,” Suimei explained.
“If the sloppy portions of the spell aren’t cleaned up, they can be taken advantage of. That’s why it’s better for magicka to be finely detailed down to the smallest intricacies,” Hydemary added.
In keeping with the painting analogy, Hydemary essentially meant that the rougher elements of the painting diminished its value.
In the midst of this discussion, Liliana suddenly began tugging on Suimei’s sleeve.
“Suimei... it actually seems like... spells from this world... have become stronger.”
“Well, I mean, they utilize laws from this world, so that’s only natural.”
As she processed Suimei’s reply, Lefille seemed to realize something.
“Wait, does that mean the same is true for your powers, Suimei-kun?”
“They’re probably back to normal, yeah.”
Suimei was always diligent when it came to preparing his spells, so they were never lacking in craft. Even outside of battle and in times of peace, he was always fashioning them stronger and more intricate than before. He couldn’t help that his magicka had manifested weaker in the other world, but simply by returning to his own, he was already back at peak power.
Very suddenly, everyone but Hydemary—who already knew the true extent of his power—was suspiciously eyeing Suimei like some kind of swindler.
“...”
“...”
“...”
“...”
“What’s with all of you?”
When he questioned them, Hatsumi stepped forth as the representative for Team “WTF, Suimei?”
“Suimei, are you even more of a monster than we thought?”
“Monster...? It’s not nice to call people that, you know?”
“I’m surprised... you can say that... with that... constantly lying... tongue of yours.”
The one to utter such poisonous words with an air of astonishment was, of course, none other than Liliana.
“I can tell you all about Suimei-kun’s true abilities if you want. But it’s too bad. I would’ve loved to have seen him lose his cool over his weakened magicka. Breaking down at every turn, screaming at the top of his lungs, stamping the ground in frustration...”
“Erk...”
Hydemary had practically pinned Suimei to a T, so there was hardly any room for him to argue with her. Especially since he was still feeling self-conscious about the temper tantrum he’d thrown at Royal Castle Camellia in Astel.
“But if you were to come to our world, Lady Hydemary, wouldn’t the same thing happen to you?”
“Me? That doesn’t apply to me.”
“Oh...? Suimei-dono, what does she mean? I thought it was inevitable that magicians from this world experienced weakened magicka once separated from it...”
“The source of Mary’s techniques is Mary herself. They work as long as she’s present. She does, however, naturally still require the necessary tools to use her magicka.”
“But I always keep all those shut away in my room.”
Hydemary’s magicka was categorized as origin magicka here in this world. It wasn’t affiliated with any specific system and was based on laws that she herself gave birth to. Precisely because of that, the mediums and phenomena required for her magicka were at her full disposal no matter where she was.
And upon hearing this, both Felmenia and Liliana looked at Hydemary in shock.
“Th-Th-That means...”
“She’s... the founder... of her own magicka?”
“Mm, that’s about the short of it.”
That was exactly it. Hydemary had created a new system of magicka, which wasn’t in and of itself a particularly rare feat. Wielders of origin magicka appeared once every few decades; it was more a matter of whether or not they could manage to leave anything behind before being culled. Those who were lucky enough to keep themselves and their magicka alive were celebrities in the world of magicka in this day and age.
Turning from the subject of magicka, however, Suimei realized that Hatsumi was a little restless.
“Hatsumi?”
“Yeah... I was just thinking maybe it’s about time I show my face.”
It was the amount of time she’d spent away from home that had Hatsumi on edge. Suimei’s aunt and uncle knew he was a magician, so they likely weren’t too worried about him. But Hatsumi was different. There was no way they wouldn’t be worried about their daughter, and each day that passed by without seeing her only increased that worry.
“I’ll go with you. Intruding on them with a big group like this would be a little rude, though. The rest of you can wait in my house... Mary, take care of them.”
“Very well. I also think that would be for the best.”
Once Hydemary agreed to the plan, Suimei looked to the other girls.
“I don’t think we should be moving around on our own.”
“There seems to be a mountain of curiosities all around, so there’s a great deal we still need to have explained to us.”
“Knowing the local customs... is important.”
It was only natural for the girls to be wary in a completely foreign world. If one had to be mindful of cultural differences between countries, visiting another world was the extreme version of that. Furthermore, this world abided different physical laws than what they were used to. It went without saying that they’d need a certain amount of hand-holding while they adjusted to things.
Suimei then exchanged looked with Hydemary as she asked him a question.
“Suimei-kun, how advanced was civilization in the other world?”
“Somewhere between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. What’s more, the mysteries are close to the people, so there were areas here and there that dated even further back.”
“Wow... Aren’t they going to faint from culture shock?”
“They should be fine. I did explain what to expect beforehand.”
“I’m sure they’ll still be surprised.”
“I bet they will be.”
Suimei and Hatsumi had explained things to the girls before teleporting, but hearing about something and actually experiencing it were two very different things. The girls would need to see the world for themselves before they truly came to understand it.
“Let’s go inside for now and give your parents a call.”
With that, the group headed to the back door of the Yakagi mansion. The traps scattered throughout the yard were all automatic, programmed not to react to the owner or any of his guests.
Suimei opened the door and instructed the three girls from another world to take off their shoes before heading into the living room. Lying atop the antique furniture there were unfamiliar dolls—and quite a number of them. On the drawers, on the table, on the sofa... They were strewn all over the place. This, of course, wasn’t a decorative choice on Suimei’s part. No, the dolls had been put in place without his consent or knowledge. But he didn’t even need to ask who the culprit was.
Suimei turned to look at the principal offender, Hydemary, with a reproachful gaze.
“Say, Mary... What did you do to my house?”
“This is what you get for being gone so long. I made all of these because I got so bored waiting for you here.”
Suimei didn’t find that a terribly good excuse for turning someone else’s home into a dollhouse in their absence.
“And it didn’t cross your mind that this was trespassing?”
“Not really. I’m your disciple, so you don’t really mind, right? Hatsumi-chan comes over uninvited all the time too, you know?”
“Well, you got me there...”
There, Suimei glanced over at the other person in question... But Hatsumi was standing in the living room in wide-eyed shock.
“That’s a lot of dolls...”
The trio from another world was similarly in awe. They were each picking up dolls and admiring their delicate handiwork.
“These are pretty impressive.”
“They’re so finely made!”
“They’re... cute.”
“Well, I’m the one who made them, and I am a genius,” Hydemary boasted.
“You didn’t curse them or anything, right?” Suimei replied dubiously.
“There’s no way I would do something so terrible to my little children.”
“Yeah, right! What about that one?”
“That one? Oh, the Suimei-kun doll?” Hydemary asked as she pulled a stuffed doll out of nowhere.
It was a small creation with an adorably oversized head. The doll itself appeared to be a young man with black hair and a black suit... And that was no coincidence, for it had been modeled after a certain someone.
“Yup. Here it is: Mini Suimei-kun v.3.”
“D-Damn it! You made more of them?!”
“Uhuh.”
“That’s nothing to be fucking proud of! Get rid of that thing right the hell now!”
Suimei immediately tried to snatch the doll from Hydemary’s hands, but she skillfully twirled around to evade him. Felmenia couldn’t help perking up with curiosity at all the fuss.
“Um, what exactly is that? It must be something quite unusual for Suimei-dono to be so flustered.”
“This, you see, is a godly item capable of manipulating Suimei-kun however you’d like.”
“Oh?! Please! Do tell me more!”
“I’d really... really... like to play with it.”
“Hmm, now that sounds amusing.”
The moment they learned the true nature of the doll, the other girls swarmed Hydemary. They all probably wanted to play with the doll out of sheer curiosity, but Suimei wouldn’t stand for it.
“Stop! Stooooop! Don’t you dare let them touch that thing! And you lot! Don’t swarm around it! Mary! Don’t you fucking touch it either!”
“Do you mind if I see it first?”
The first of the girls to step forward was Lefille, and Hydemary congenially handed over the doll
“Here you are.”
“L-Lefi...”
“Heh heh heh...”
Lefille let out an eerie giggle... before swiftly handing the doll over to Suimei.
“Lefille-san...?”
“It’s immoral to make things like this, you know? The one being manipulated can’t resist at all.”
“Ugh, I can’t believe it...”
“Th-Thanks, Lefi.”
“I mean, this kind of thing is somewhat personal to me...”
“H-Hic... You’re my only ally, Lefi.”
Suimei was moved to tears by Lefille’s kindness. As for the others who’d gotten a little excited...
“I-I was also planning on handing it over to you, Suimei-dono!”
“R-Right. I definitely... wasn’t planning on... toying around... with you, so...”
“It’s too damn late to pretend now!”
Suimei quipped back at them before stomping over to the phone to give Hatsumi’s parents a ring. Atop a small table was a nostalgic rotary phone from the olden days... Or not. It was really just a vintage-style digital phone.
“Hey, um... It’s Suimei. I don’t really know what to say, but... I’m sorry for being out of touch for so long...”
Once Suimei was on the phone, the girls behind him began talking amongst themselves.
“That’s the object that uses technology to reproduce the technique of a long distance communication spell, right?”
“Yup, that’s right. You know about it?”
“Suimei explained it... using his ‘sell-fone’... and Hatsumi’s ‘smart-fone.’”
“We were apprised of the so-called technology available in this world. But... seeing the real thing certainly is mysterious. It emits no mana, yet Suimei-dono can speak with someone so far away...”
While the other girls talked, Hatsumi timidly walked up to Suimei on the phone.
“...Hey, are things okay?”
“Yes, I’ll put her on now... Everything’s fine. Here.”
There, Suimei handed the receiver over to Hatsumi. She looked troubled for a moment, as though words had completely left her. Her mind had gone completely blank on the spot. There were two or three words from the other side of the receiver before Hatsumi finally realized exactly what it was she needed to say.
“Hey, mom? Yeah, it’s me. Sorry for worrying you... No, I’m doing okay. Yeah, I’ll come home right away.”
After a brief exchange, Hatsumi hung up the phone and let out a big sigh like she’d just checked something major off of her to-do list
“With this, you finally get some real relief, huh?”
“We finally made it back and everything... I wonder why I still felt so guilty about it.”
That, undoubtedly, was because she was Japanese.
Leaving the visitors from another world behind with Hydemary in the Yakagi mansion, Suimei and Hatsumi headed next door to the Kuchiba residence.
★
In this world, there existed a class of master swordsmen known as the Sword of Swords. They were acknowledged to be very summit of all sword wielders in the world of martial arts.
The Swords were ranked from one to twelve, but each and every one of them was strong without exception. They were all so skilled in their craft that it was said the crown of the very strongest was within reach for all of them. They were the inheritors of unbelievable sword techniques, or those who had invented such techniques themselves. And when the brunt of these powers was brought to bear on the battlefield, they weren’t just unbelievable... They were capable of overturning common sense at its very roots, no matter the era.
A slash to cut through metal was but the lowliest of skills to them.
A range that wasn’t restricted to the length of their arms and blade.
An ability to move across land at great speed using a technique called ground contraction.
A roar of lightning that could cleave any enemy clean in two from top to bottom.
A slashing wave that rent and crushed its target with the pure will to decapitate.
An ability to control elevation using one’s posture and gait while soaring through the sky.
A sword of exorcism capable of freezing an enemy using divine aura.
A soundless blade capable of traversing shadows and sniping enemies.
A phantom illusion that manifested the legends of all the world’s swords.
No one, of course, knew these techniques officially. Just like magicka, such skill with a sword was so far beyond the norm that it had to be concealed from the general public.
But Suimei’s very neighbor was one such swordsman: the fourth seat of the Sword of Swords from the Phantom Sword of the Kurikara Dharani school, Kuchiba Kiyoshiro, who was recognized as the strongest swordsman in Japan.
“It’s nothing special. All I did was chase after my brother, and this was naturally what I achieved in the process.”
Those were Kuchiba Kiyoshiro’s own words. It was the answer he’d once given Suimei when he asked how Kiyoshiro had come to be so strong.
The brother Kiyoshiro spoke of was Suimei’s father, Yakagi Kazamitsu—the former head of the Yakagi family, a lineage of magicians of Society pedigree, who was heralded as the best magician in the Orient. He displayed prodigious power from a young age and went around the world suppressing mystical calamities and criminals alike. Even though he walked the path of righteousness, he was one of the mystics counted among the Greed of Ten.
Chasing after such a man with nothing but a sword in hand was beyond reckless. But that was precisely how Kuchiba Kiyoshiro had staked his claim at the summit of all swordsmen.
And it was that man—master swordsman Kuchiba Kiyoshiro—who stood before Suimei right now. He was casually dressed, seated upon a floor cushion with an arm propped atop one upright knee. He was ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice, like his zeal was too much to contain. It made him seem rather like a young man who still had too much energy for his own good.
But his behavior wasn’t the only thing that made him seem young. He was the father of a girl in her late teens, but his looks certainly didn’t betray that. At most, Kiyoshiro appeared to be in his late twenties, which really gave a sense of just how abnormal he was. To anyone who was none the wiser, he could easily pass for Hatsumi’s much older brother.
Kiyoshiro, however, was actually well into his forties—just on the verge of taking his first steps into middle-age. He wasn’t a young man by any stretch of the imagination. He wore a jokester’s grin, but his eyes contained a dreadfulness befitting his years. His long, black hair was pulled back, clearly revealing the scar on his face. His body was slender, but packed with muscles.
“Instructor, I see you’re just the same as always.”
“Not that I could hold a candle to my brother in that regard.”
That was the reply Suimei got upon greeting his uncle. Again, the brother Kiyoshiro referred to was Suimei’s father. Kiyoshiro had always looked up to and idolized Kazamitsu as an older brother, but it wasn’t until later in life when they both married—Suimei’s mother and Hatsumi’s mother being sisters—that they actually became brothers-in-law.
When Suimei and Hatsumi arrived at the Kuchiba residence, Hatsumi’s parents were waiting for her at the door. Her mother warmly embraced her and her father cheekily ruffled her hair. After their initial reunion, Suimei and Hatsumi then followed Hatsumi’s parents into the Japanese-style guest room where they were now sitting across from each other.
“Mmm, what a great smell.”
Hatsumi sprawled herself on the tatami with a soft expression, joyfully taking in the nostalgic scent of the room.
“It really is nice. So relaxing.”
“Mhm.”
“Oh, yeah. By the way, where’s Haseto?”
“He’s out of town right now. Didn’t I mention that on the phone?”
“I believe he’ll return tomorrow at the latest. He was quite worried about you, Hatsumi-san.”
The supple voice that followed Kiyoshiro’s belonged to Yukio, Hatsumi’s mother. She both sounded and looked the part of a warrior’s wife. She wore traditional Japanese clothing and had long, black hair, but uncharacteristic of Japanese aesthetics, her beautiful face was accented with red eyeliner. She had a very similar aura to Hatsumi’s, though their personalities were rather different.
In response to his wife, Kiyoshiro was no longer able to conceal his mischievous side.
“I wasn’t worried at all, though.”
“Oh? Then remind me who it was that went running around for help because his precious only daughter suddenly disappeared.”
“Hey now...”
Kiyoshiro’s bravado was countered with a reserved giggle. Yukio’s attitude was like a willow that warded away Kiyoshiro’s mischievousness. They’d always gotten along well in that regard.
“Suimei, I got calls from your branch asking about you too, you know? Seems they investigated the entire area, but all traces of you suddenly vanished at some point. Everyone was on high alert for a couple of months.”
“Aah...”
Suimei hadn’t dared to ask Hydemary about it, but he’d more or less assumed that was the case. With one of HQ’s executive candidates caught up in some sort of incident, it wasn’t unreasonable to assume that the rest of the branch might be targeted too. Every Society magician in Japan had likely slept with one eye open until it was confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was no lingering threat.
But it was on the subject of Suimei that the loose and relaxed expression Kiyoshiro had taken on chatting with his wife suddenly turned serious.
“Well, before we continue... This means Hatsumi’s found out, no?”
“Yeah. Like so,” Suimei said as he spread out his arm, pantomiming donning his suit.
Seeing that gesture, Kiyoshiro let out a resigned sigh.
“I see. Well, I did think it was about time to tell her... so I guess this sort of works out? I still feel kinda iffy about it, though.”
“Isn’t it a little mean to have kept it a secret from me all this time?”
Hatsumi, unlike her playful father, was clearly in a bad mood. The people she trusted most had intentionally hidden the fact that Suimei was a magician from her for years. She had every reason to be upset with her parents for keeping such a secret. She puffed out her soft-looking cheeks and threw a sulky look Kiyoshiro and Yukio’s way.
It was childish of Hatsumi to act like this, but now that she was back home, she was nothing more than a child in front of her parents. Kiyoshiro looked at his daughter’s adorable pouting face and strained a smile.
“Don’t be like that,” he said before turning back to Suimei. “So? What kinda nuisance did you get caught in this time?”
“About that... It’s a kinda crazy story, but...”
With that preamble, Suimei went on to explain what happened in the other world to Kiyoshiro and Yukio. About how he was summoned, how he’d fought monsters, and how he was reunited with Hatsumi. Hatsumi’s parents, naturally enough, furrowed their brows as they listened to all this.
“...This is awfully difficult to believe,” Kiyoshiro said incredulously.
“Everything Suimei said is true,” Hatsumi immediately interjected.
“Well, this is Suimei-san. In a sense, I do believe that anything is possible.”
“I’m surprised you can accept it so easily, Yuki.”
“Is it really that surprising? This is hardly anything compared to Kazamitsu-san, no? Come now. Remember that one time? Back when we saw him go upstream in time?”
“Aaah, yeah... That did happen, didn’t it?”
“...”
“...”
Kiyoshiro and Yukio began talking about some of the mysterious happenings they’d experienced after getting involved with Kazamitsu—and they ultimately came to the conclusion that Suimei’s antics didn’t hold a candle to his father’s. Suimei and Hatsumi were both at an astonished loss for words. Just what kind of ridiculous things had their parents been through that being summoned to another world didn’t seem like all that big a deal?
Suimei and Hatsumi looked at each other. They were now the ones with furrowed brows, reversing the earlier situation with Hatsumi’s parents.
“Good grief. My brother generally ignored all common sense, but I guess you’re perpetrating some pretty crazy stuff too.”
“No, I mean, this wasn’t my fault. I didn’t perpetrate anything.”
Resenting being mislabeled as the responsible party, Suimei rose to his feet and objected, but Kiyoshiro and Yukio merely exchanged knowing looks.
“But you know...” Kiyoshiro muttered.
“Right?” Yukio giggled.
“Y-You too, Yukio-san...?” Suimei despaired.
“This is your own fault, you know, Suimei? You always jump headlong into any trouble that comes your way,” Hatsumi retorted.
“Ugh...”
Suimei couldn’t argue there. That was indeed often how things turned out whenever he was forced to stick his nose into them. But this time, really and truly, Suimei was a victim. He was summoned to another world completely against his will. Moreover, since he’d actually figured out a way to get home, a little praise wouldn’t have been unjustified.
“Regardless, Hatsumi also got caught up in the summoning. It would’ve been a huge problem for us if you weren’t there with her. Thank you.”
“It was nothing...”
As though he’d read Suimei’s mind, Kiyoshiro corrected his posture and bowed his head. Suimei was a little embarrassed to have his own uncle thank him so earnestly and formally, but Kiyoshiro soon raised his head with a skeptic grin on his face.
“...You’re really not lying, right?”
“Do you think I’d lie to you with such a straight face?”
“Well, fair. But your story really is quite out there.”
Anyone would be suspect of a story about traveling to another world and back, but what could Suimei do to make someone believe him? Or, at the least, make it easier for someone to believe him? This was no different than trying to tell Kiyoshiro he’d been spirited away. Was there even a reasonable comparison that would work as an analogue?
In that regard, Suimei had one advantage. Kiyoshiro had worked with Kazamitsu, a talented magician, so he wasn’t completely oblivious to the ways of magicka.
“You know how some people say there are worlds on the other side of the astral plane? It’s a little offbeat, but it isn’t entirely impossible. I think it’s within the realm of reason for there to be other livable worlds among all those extreme cases like Mars, Venus, Hell, and other such planes.”
“Hmm... Well, when you put it like that...”
Suimei managed to frame things in a somewhat more understandable fashion. Kiyoshiro was still grimacing, but it seemed the only way to convince him past this would be to take him to the other world personally.
After groaning for a bit, Kiyoshiro suddenly changed the topic.
“By the way, was it just the two of you who came back?”
“My other friends who were summoned said they’d stay behind, so they’re still there. Aside from that, we brought back three others with us.”
For some reason, upon hearing Suimei’s answer, Kiyoshiro flashed a somewhat filthy grin his way.
“Say...”
“Yes?”
“These ‘others’ you brought back.... They’re all girls, right?”
Hearing Kiyoshiro’s question, Yukio elegantly lifted her hand to her mouth as she giggled. Suimei, meanwhile, was completely baffled.
“How did you know that?”
“Well, you are my brother’s son. This is no surprise.”
“That doesn’t explain anything, though...”
“But of course. What else would we expect of Kazamitsu-san’s son?”
It seemed there was no deterring Hatsumi’s parents. Suimei looked to his side for sympathy, but Hatsumi returned his pleading look with a reproachful gaze.
Just what were they basing all this on? Suimei couldn’t help but wonder nervously.
After that, Suimei discussed bringing Lefille to the dojo the following day with Kiyoshiro before finally returning home to the Yakagi estate and his guests from another world.