Volume 4 - CH 2

(translation)

Around the time that the sun's weak rays reached the ground of the snowy country, Alice had finished the work that the crime gang of his hometown called him for, and was on his way home.

The air temperature of the time near dawn was murderous. Against the stinging cold, the feel of the scarf that his little sisters had made and given him was heartwarming.

「Hey there, Alice.」

A loud voice suddenly descended from high. When he looked up, a red-haired girl was walking on top of the stone wall above him. While laughing at the thought that she looked just like a cat, Alice returned the greeting.

「Yuuri… it's rare for us to go back together, isn't it?」

「Yeah, right?」

Leaping down the two meter wall, Yuuri stepped next to Alice.

And hugging her shoulders, she shook with cold.

「Ooh, so cold so cold. That scarf looks really warm. How nice.」

「Ha ha, are you envious?」

To Yuuri who was sending a greedy look, he showed off the fluffy scarf.

「Lend it to me for a while.」

「Never. You'll get it dirty immediately, Yuuri.」

「Uuu…. A boy letting a girl freeze, how terrible.」

「You're only a girl when it's convenient. …But….」

Alice invited Yuuri closer, unwrapped the scarf around his neck a little, and pulled it over Yuuri's.

「There. This way we can both use it, right?」　

「…It-It's a little embarrassing….」

「Isn't it fine? Embarrassment makes you even warmer.」

To Yuuri who was showing a rare girlish blush on her cheek, Alice gave a mean smile.

The two of them walked side by side along the deserted neighborhood's brand new street. Along the way, they chatted about the rite of passage with the two younger boys from before.

「The way those two wanted to become adults, it was pretty impressive, wasn't it?」

「We picked them up around two years ago, huh? But they're still brats. When we were their age, we were a lot more strong-willed.」

At the mention of their younger selves, Alice made a bitter expression.

「…I don't really want to remember those times.」

「It was harsh, huh? The stab wound I got from you is still there, you know?」

「We're the same as far as that goes. Because I lost to you, I'm still below you, so don't play innocent.」

While pouting sourly, Alice reminisced a little about the old days.

Alice and Yuuri were both orphans with abilities. Because they had half-baked powers, it took a lot of blood and time getting to the kind of calm relationship that existed between them now. The number of fights that went almost to the death because there weren't enough food or beds to go around was more than they could count on one hand.

But both of them had grown tired of those days, the kind of empty days where they stole from others to benefit themselves. So the two of them ended those barren days by drinking that alcohol and making an oath.

If everyone could be as strong as they were then, many children surely could have been protected. That was why they were no longer using their powers to steal, but to care for people beside themselves. In that way, they had become cool adults.

Since then, they had lived as they had vowed over alcohol. Pulling together a team of powerless orphans, the two watched over them all.

「…It's certainly true that we also tried to kill each other along this street, huh?」

「Yeah, the way this place is now is much prettier compared to back then.」

Exactly as Yuuri said, the street that the two were walking along was covered in beautiful white stone, and the buildings along the road had been coated in new paint. The places they had competed in, the familiar road of neglected stone pavement which even cars could not traverse properly, was a place where a traveler who didn't know anything would have all his possessions stripped away in a matter of seconds.

And there was a reason for the change. That was―in places here and there, there were emblems stretched out on the walls, each of five colored rings.

「What a big festival. Since people come from all over the world, this place can't be seen as dirty, probably.」

「A disgraceful place, huh…?」

Yuuri let out a dark mutter. In response, Alice guessed what was in her heart immediately.

「―The government people came again, right?」

「Yeah, yesterday.」

…Although it was poor, Alice liked his current life. Even if it was modest, it was good as long as everyone could live. But recently, the Olympics had drawn near, and the world was wildly enthusiastic, so his livelihood had been pushed into the shadows.

Hunting the homeless.

The country, the city, they didn't want to show disgraceful things. The adults who thought so held a conference in a nearby neighborhood and began evicting the homeless and the street children.

They offered no care to those they evicted. They just drove them out with rods and kicks. And the people who were doing this hunting had marked Alice's team.

「Those bastards. If they only came for you and me it'd be fine, since we have abilities.」

「It's out of the question.」

「Yeah, I guess. What would happen to Natasha and the others? Since even the Sister knows that much, she can only keep turning them away. It's not pleasing at all, those government people.」

「Well, looking at it from their side, us sponging off the tourists would be very shameful, right? It would embarrass them.」

However, Alice and the others couldn't say "yes, we understand" and leave. Being forced to go somewhere they didn't know left or right from during this remarkably cold and severe season was no different from a death sentence.

「If Natasha and the others could be sent to an institution at least, I wouldn't mind leaving, but―where would we live by ourselves?」

「That's also difficult, huh…? If leaving was that simple, people like us wouldn't be idling about in a place like this.」

As Alice said, homeless children were a social problem the entire country had to carry. Therefore, there was no way to save them. No, it may be possible, but at least the administration had no intention of doing it. They were busy building the street that wasn't being used yet, or the art museum with no display items, and had nothing left for looking after street children.

So they had to live by their own power. And in order to live, they couldn't let themselves be driven out of the neighborhood in this season. However―

「But ultimately, I think it's about time for it.」

Yes, Alice muttered his true opinion. In response, Yuuri also nodded.

「……We've received a lot from the Sister, huh? We can't give her any more trouble, after all.」

The Sister who had sheltered them in the storage shed was a good person. While taking care of a penniless church in a rundown district by herself, she provided them with soup out of her own funds. They had not lived even ten years, but she was the first person the two of them had met who was so kind. But… for that reason, the Sister had been yelled at by the city government, and the image of her being belittled and abused was something they could not bear to see.

「Then it's decided!」

Suddenly, Yuuri pointed a finger at the sun ascending into the sky to Alice's side.

「Alice, after this winter ends, once it becomes a little warmer, we'll all leave this neighborhood. Let's go south. I'm already tired of cold places.」

You're pointing to the east, though….

She was probably pointing toward warmth, but Alice didn't say that as he nodded.

「…Yeah. That's fine. Let's find a warm town.」

In truth, Alice had also been thinking of speaking to Yuuri about looking for a warmer place to move to. The younger brothers and sisters who they looked after had grown up enough that they had the strength to go. If they can just get through this winter, they can surely make a long-distance trip.

「We'll aim for the equator!」

「We're traveling for the first time, so let's take it a bit easier.」

Alice said it in amazement, but his expression was not as annoyed as one might think. He was also dreaming of starting a journey in the spring. It would be nice if there was a new city, a place in the southern countries that was easy to live in for everyone.

But―in the end, that promise of finding a new place to live would not be fulfilled.

Disaster would suddenly strike, and his modest happiness would be sharply broken.

Suddenly, next to the service road that Alice and Yuuri were walking, a black automobile passed, and the old person sitting in the car's back seat gave an exhortation to his secretary who was driving.

「…The renovation of this area isn't proceeding well, is it?」

「Eh? I don't believe that's true, sir. The pavement of the service road has almost been repaired, and the repainting of the walls is also nearing completion.」

「In the corner of the street just now, I saw something squalid.」

「…The street children?」

「You can cover the town with Persian carpets, but having such seedy brats running around on them would render them completely pointless. It would affect our good name if beggars were cluttering the city during the Olympics.」

「But street children are a problem all over the country, so what exactly can we do…? And the area around here is the territory of a group led by that Yuuri kid, and though most of them are very young children, the two leaders both have abilities, so it's quite troublesome for our personnel to deal with them….」

「Cowards. Why are they trembling over nothing more than two brats?」

「…Then, you want to have the police evict them by force?」

「Don't be ridiculous. Since the beginning, the police chief has been aiming for the seat of mayor. If he gave such an order, his opponents would gleefully use negative campaigns calling him on such inhumanity.」

「Then… what should we do?」

The secretary, to the boss who was doing as he pleases without caring for the hardships in this place, asked this in a bored tone. In response―the old man spoke as if it was trivial.

「Send rubbish to clean up rubbish. We can even save on labor.」

He said so as relaxed as if he was making coffee.

Late at night on the second-to-last day of Kyomon and Hagun's combined training camp, it was unfortunately raining. Not strongly enough to be a storm, but large powerful drops were coming down and hitting the windows noisily. While listening to it as if it was a rather delightful sound, Hagun Academy's newspaper club chief, Kagami Kusakabe, was in the accommodations kindly lent to the newspaper clubs of all the schools by the nearby institution. She was sorting through the data she had gathered during the training camp period.

Under the small light of the desk were many basic documents, the contents of many interview transcripts, and the information on each school's team traded between the newspaper clubs. The thing displayed on the laptop resting on the stack of documents was information on other schools' training camps collected by her staff members.

Checking all of that information from a big-picture perspective―the trends of the seven schools during this training period and the analyses of their respective fighting power―would allow her to come to a conclusion about the number of special cases during this Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival.

―It was the kind of work that would lead to discovery.

The imputus for this was the telephone call from Ikki who had been worried about Amane Shinomiya.

Speaking frankly, Kagami wasn't very interested in Amane Shinomiya. There were surely many mysteries among the teams. The powers they held were often not clearly known. But that was not just limited to the nameless newcomers who had no experience from the middle-school league. To begin with, the schools didn't go around blabbing about their Blazers' abilities, because there was no benefit to revealing one's own team members' information.

Moreover, this year there were several participants, not even including Amane, who had not been experienced representatives during the middle school years. Because of this, Kagami hadn't recognized Amane as more than one of the nameless newcomers, so she hadn't felt like investigating him deeply.

Ouma Kurogane, the Sword Emperor of Wind. Stella Vermillion, the Crimson Princess. And Yuudai Morboshi, the current Seven Stars Sword King. There were contenders who attracted more people's attentions.

However, Ikki's phone call had caused interest in Amane to sprout in a corner of her mind, so Kagami had searched through the data on the seven schools to casually satisfy that interest. As a result―

"…What is… this…?"

Kagami was astonished. Though the mountains of Tohoku were cool even in the summer, beads of cold sweat dripped down her back. What was in front of Kagami's eyes was Amane Shinomiya's school grade report that she had gotten at great effort. The results of coursework-mandated mock battles were there.

Six battles, six wins―six victories without combat.

Kagami had collected the mock battle summaries for many contenders as part of the newspaper club, but she had never seen a record as weird as this.

No, wait, if I'm talking about things I haven't seen before….

She's probably seen a battle record as odd as Amane's before, right? What she hadn't been paying attention to up until now, Kagami was forced to remember.

…Entering the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival himself as a nameless newcomer. There's never been anyone like that before.

It was an ordinary trend. If she thought of how things have been up to now, wouldn't that be expected? People who had power would desire everything they see in the world. In this world, there were many influential people who chose to be representatives in their first year, but…

It's as if someone had gathered all the people in the world who hadn't shown up until now.

Suddenly, Kagami felt it. As if she was in the process of realizing something preposterous. And that realization was preposterous even for someone who wasn't a student.

But because of that, I can't let it go.

Because she remembered that sense of discomfort, not investigating would be….

She was a reporter. Therefore Kagami gathered up all of her materials and questioned the discomfort within her. The information about all the seven schools' representatives. The schools' board members, and the members of the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival steering committee. Furthermore, the list of sponsors collaborating with the administration. She examined the big picture of all the components of the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival.

―And after a few hours had passed, it was the dead of night. Kagami Kusakabe had come to a conclusion. The exceedingly high abilities that she had polished as a reporter every day, they had arrived at the truth she had come to realize.

There's no mistake.

Kagami stared at the list of names in this year's Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, the names of the seven schools' representatives, and moaned.

"…Among the seven schools, there's… an extra one…!"

At that moment. Burning heat penetrated Kagami's back.

"―Eh?"

In front of the documents Kagami was looking at, she could see a dark gray knife emerging from her chest for a moment.

Kagami knew the shape of the knife that was illuminated by her desk lamp.

…I… knew… it."

The knife that emerged from Kagami's chest was the Device called Darkness Hermit. And the owner of that Device was….

"A…lice…-chan…."

Mustering the last of her strength, Kagami shifted her focus behind her. There, she saw a cold face that looked nothing like the schoolmate she saw every day.

Her schoolmate―Nagi Arisuin opened the lips on that cold face. Without a trace of emotion, a voice emerged from those corpse-like lips.

"You're a little bit too smart."

And then he withdrew the knife, making a squelching sound. At the same time, Kagami's body fell to the floor among the mountain of documents.

You can't….

She didn't have any strength to lift her body or run away. The forced blackout from a fatal wound delivered in illusionary form stole away Kagami's consciousness.

Senpai… Stella-chan… watch out….

So Kagami prayed. From her throat that could no longer cry out, she tried to at least deliver her hopes.

This year's Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival… is hiding a monster…!

And so, Kagami Kusakabe fell into darkness.

Crouching on one knee, Arisuin observed the fallen Kagami. She had entirely lost consciousness. With her like this, she would probably stay asleep for an entire day.

"How unfortunate. If Kagamin was just a bit duller, we could've been friends for a few more hours."

The conclusion she made…

「Among the schools, there's an extra one.」

What Kagami had realized―was certainly on target. At the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival this year, as she had concluded, there was a power maneuvering secretly beneath the surface.

The name of that power was―Akatsuki Academy.

It was a new school based on a huge organization with the sole purpose of destroying the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival. At present, there were seven students. They were almost all members of the huge organization that established Akatsuki Academy, but they were elites of the underworld society who employed the terrorist group Rebellion. They've snuck into the seven schools, and had already taken control of the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival framework. In order to create chaos in the tournament, the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival had been conquered, because this new power wanted to take out the League which supported the Seven Stars.

Kagami had realized this situation. Because she had made that realization―she had been attacked.

"It's really too bad, but it can't be helped."

Suddenly, the student datapad in his pocket vibrated. It had been putting out that notification many times now, but Arisuin had been watching Kagami from the shadows, so he had ignored it.

What Arisuin pulled from his pocket wasn't Hagun's student datapad, but a different school's tool. Though no one was displayed, he knew who the message was coming from. The only one who would use this datapad to contact him was the man in charge of communications for Akatsuki Academy. Only the Pierrot, Reisen Hiraga.

"What is it?"

「Ah, I finally got you. Since you didn't pick up at all, I thought you didn't like me.」

"I have such thoughts often, I think."

「How harsh.」

To the sounds of clattering laughter coming from the phone, Arisuin's eyes narrowed in distaste. There was no possible way he could like this man's voice, because although it was a tone that could easily calm someone down, the laughter seemed to appear and disappear frivolously as if sneering at everything.

「By the way, why didn't you pick up immediately?」

"There was a bit of trouble."

"Oh? What kind of trouble?"

"It seemed that a girl of Hagun's newspaper club started to suspect our operation, so I silenced her."

「…And how much did she suspect?」

Slightly, but clearly, the tone from the phone grew stiffer.

Arisuin picked up one of the documents Kagami had been looking at before she fainted, and replied.

"Donrou Academy's Yui Tadara.

Kyomon Academy's Amane Shinomiya.

Rokuzon Academy's Sara Blacklily.

Bunkyoku Academy's Reisen Hiraga.

Rentei Academy's Rinna Kazamatsuri.

Bukyoku Academy's Ouma Kurogane.

Hagun Academy's Nagi Arisuin.

Enough to list these seven names, including yours and mine."

「…That's certainly something.」

"Since I don't know any of our members except for you who communicates with me and Ouma-san who is a guest, I can't confirm that this list is completely correct. She seems to have predicted our intentions, so for the moment I've made her quiet, but… I wonder if this list is on the mark?"

「Alas, forgive me, I can't tell you the details of our members just yet. Right now, what's there is just a pointless list. Well, it's coming close to the festival so it'll be soon. Even though I don't like it, I have to show my face, so I'll introduce you then. …Still, that list hits three out of seven correctly. I wonder how she figured it out?」

"Looking at the data here, she apparently investigated all of the representative contenders of the past. Other than the guest, all of our personal histories were fabricated. They wouldn't hold up against a professional's thorough investigation."

「I see, I see. In other words, it was the ineptitude of the documentation people? Well, we'll deal with those responsible for that later―hah, your action was truly appropriate. That's what I expect from the Black Assassin. How reliable! Oh, by the way, how will you dispose of our perceptive little mouse?"

"I've only stunned her―though if you wish her killed, I'll do so."

Arisuin had not a trace of hesitation in his voice, even though his target was a girl who he had been friends with yesterday. That cold, blade-like dispassionate voice confused Hiraga who was on the other end of the line.

「Oh no, no! Killing would mean having to hide the evidence. After tonight, the whole world will know about Akatsuki Academy, so it's fine just to imprison her somewhere for the day.」

"I understand. It was just a small joke. …If there is anything else you need, you'll contact me?"

Arisuin hurried Hiraga to the point as if he was going to cut the call. From the beginning, this was an unpleasant conversation. He had no intention of talking at length. In response, Hiraga….

「No, no. It's not me who wants something. There's someone else who wants to speak to you. I'll switch with him now.」

With that, someone came on the call. The next voice he heard was….

「It's me, Alice.」

In an instant, Arisuin's face stiffened. He couldn't see who was on the other end, but he understood clearly. There was no way he could mistake what he was hearing. This leaden, severe voice was―

"It's been a while, hasn't it Wallenstein-sensei?"

「Ahh, you've gone to Japan, I see.」

The One-Armed Swordsman, Sir Wallenstein. One of Rebellion's leadership, the Twelve Apostles. The man who had discovered Arisuin's strength and trained him into Rebellion's top assassin.

"Sensei, you're also in Japan, aren't you?"

「Rather than entrust the supervision to others, I needed to come here myself.」

Wallenstein had already come to Japan. At that reality, Arisuin's body stiffened a little. It was probably from fear, because Arisuin knew that man's strength. According to the League's standard, he could certainly be called an A-rank. He had no vulnerabilities in ability or combat expertise, and his swordsmanship was excellent. Without a doubt, he was Rebellion's most powerful leader.

Now that such a person had come to take direct command, Rebellion's scheme over this year's Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival must be real.

"Then Sensei, what do you wish of me today?"

After the moderate greeting, Arisuin asked for his business over the phone. And Wallenstein brushed the question away with a stern voice.

「…Alice. You are the most superior among the pupils I've taken. The one who gained results against criminal gangs and cults and terrorist groups… assassinating the people who share the underworld with us in wars for territory no matter how important they were, no matter how much effort was needed to reach them. You may not have ever thought about it even now, but do you properly understand your role today?」

In response, Arisuin―became silent in an instant. And he closed his eyes, as if resolving himself to some farewell.

"Yes. I understand it thoroughly. And I will not falter. I have already earned the trust of Hagun's main team. I will crush them in one blow. And my Shadow Bind is a Noble Art that can steal all their fighting capacity in an instant. There is nothing to be concerned about, Sensei. On the eve of the festival, I will undoubtedly present success. On my name as the Black Assassin."

He made this promise with no hesitation in his voice. Hearing that answer….

「…I am relieved hearing those words.」

Wallenstein awarded encouragement to Arisuin with a voice sounding like he was smiling somewhere.

「I am counting on you, Alice.」

At that encouragement, Alice replied with a nod.

"Yes, please leave it to me."

At the conclusion of that exchange, Wallenstein ended the connection.

For Sensei to contact me.

It was something rare. But perhaps it was reasonable. The festival eve that was happening today was an order of the sponsor that employed Rebellion. It was the commencement ceremony for Akatsuki Academy, the power that would destroy the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival. No failure, no matter how small, would be permitted or forgiven. If there were any failures, Rebellion and its sponsor's hopes would turn to nothing.

Now, I have to tidy this place up.

For the festival eve to go as planned, Kagami and her documents would have to be concealed until tonight. So Arisuin directed his shadow magic, and submerged Kagami and the documents within the darkness.

"Don't think ill of me. In order to implement the plan, we can't have uncertain elements."

And all of the traces were erased.

After hiding Kagami and her documents out of the way, Arisuin returned to the lodging for training participants.

And facing his room straightforwardly, he opened the door―

"Welcome back, Alice."

In his room which was only illuminated by the lamp on his bedstand, Shizuku, sprawled on the bedsheets in a negligee and reading a paperback book, called out to him.

"Oh my, are you still up, Shizuku?"

"I'll go to sleep soon."

Saying so, Shizuku turned the page lightly with one finger. Certainly, there weren't many pages left.

"What are you reading, I wonder?"

"One Hundred and Eight Ways to Bully the New Wife. A must-read for mother-in-laws."

Scary!

"…At any rate, you've been out having fun quite a lot recently, Alice."

In the ensuing pause, Arisuin thought about how he should reply. After overhearing hearing Ikki's concerned phone call, Arisuin had gone out at night to watch over Kagami many times recently. If he went for a walk every night, it was only natural for others to become suspicious, he thought. On a night as rainy as this one, especially.

But giving an awkward lie would only leave him revealed as well. Shizuku was a clever young lady who could discern the subtleties of a person's mind. So….

"I haven't really been having fun, you know? The Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival is coming up soon. I have to make my own preparations."

Arisuin didn't tell the truth, but his answer was no lie either.

"Is that so?"

In response, Shizuku gave an answer that didn't sound very interested, and continued her reading. At that time, he was thankful for how unconcerned Shizuku was toward others. Her interests and concerns were entirely on her brother, Ikki Kurogane, after all.

I'm… a little envious, huh?

As he thought so, he realized that his days with Shizuku had come to an end. Once the festival eve was over, he would be leaving Hagun. And he would never come back.

―So.

"Hey, Shizuku."

Arisuin, who had entered the room, fetched a stained bottle of alcohol from the travel bag he had put in a corner.

"Would you like to share a cup with me?"

On the last night, he invited Shizuku to drink with him. Shizuku heard Arisuin's invitation, and raised her body slowly. And in the darkness, she focused on the bottle of alcohol he was holding―

"Is that the alcohol that smells like medicine we didn't finish from the bar we went to before?"

When she said so, Arisuin remembered.

Now that she mentions it, this is from the celebration after that first win in the selection battles, isn't it?

Rather than drink it, Arisuin had only tasted some sitting at her side. But no more than that, before Shizuku chugged water while teary-eyed from the smell of the whiskey chemicals.

"Sorry, I forgot. I guess I'll drink alone―"

"No, it's fine."

Saying so, Shizuku got up from the bed and sat down at the sofa.

"Are you sure? It's difficult for you, isn't it?"

"I'm fine with it today, because today's special."

Today's special?

Did something good happen? Alice wondered so, but if the person herself didn't mind, it should probably be fine to drink. Arisuin brought out two glasses, and faced the sofa himself. He sat down facing Shizuku, poured the amber fluid into the two glasses, and held one glass out.

Shizuku accepted the glass, and brought her nose close to it.

"Ugh."

She grimaced with all her might. The singular aroma piercing her nose was impossible to get used to in a single day, after all.

"You're different too, Alice. You have lots of other easier-to-drink alcohol."

"Ha ha, that's true."

Her words were quite right, Arisuin thought.

"But if we're talking about this alcohol, it's bad for it to be easy to drink, you know."

"What do you mean?"

Shizuku tilted her head slightly. In response, Arisuin shifted his focus to the bottle with the sooty label on the desk, and spoke.

"…Long ago, when I was younger, I made a promise with a neighborhood friend. Adults drink something this unpleasant, so whoever's able to drink it is an adult."

Hearing that, Shizuku let out something that sounded like a small sneeze.

"Hahaha. What was that? Such a cute idea."

"Yes, very much so. …Well, because of that, those kids who drank became adults."

"So it was a rite of passage for your group of friends?"

"Looking back, that was basically correct."

"You were a no good child, weren't you Alice? You hadn't had your coming of age yet, right?"

"Where I grew up, we didn't have that kind of custom anyway."

With his reply, Arisuin swallowed the contents filling up his own glass. The alcohol gave the inside of his mouth a tingling sensation, and put the scent of medicine in his nose. It was a peculiarly strong liquor. In truth, the drink was a very specific preference even among people who were picky about whiskeys.

"…Honestly speaking, I'm still not very good with this alcohol's flavor even now."

"But you still drink it?"

"It's a flavor that brings back memories, you know? Well, it's not like I drink often from this bottle."

"Hmm… but I don't have anything like that, so I just don't like the alcohol much."

While saying so, Shizuku raised her glass with a jerk and downed all the whiskey in it with one gulp. And she made a sour face.

"…It's not for me after all. My throat burns, and the medicine smell in my mouth makes my head hurt."

"You didn't have to drink it, though…."

"It's fine. Today's special."

While rubbing her throat with a finger, Shizuku answered so.

Special―he had heard that word a while ago too. What was so special? Arisuin asked in unease.

"You said so before, but what is this special day? Did something nice happen?"

In reply, Shizuku shook her head gently.

"Not for me. Alice, it's a special day for you, isn't it?"

…Eh?

At that moment, Shizuku's words made Arisuin's heart jump. Certainly, as far as he was concerned, this was the last night he would have with Shizuku. Once dawn breaks, and once the sun sets again, he would reintroduce himself as a member of Akatsuki Academy. But surely she wouldn't know anything about that. Even so―

"…Why do you… think so?"

Shizuku answered Arisuin who had a look of astonishment on his face.

"Because Alice, this was the first time you invited me to something."

The first time…?

"How can that be? After Ikki fought with the Hunter, didn't we go out to drink together?

"That was… because Onii-sama was hurt and I was worried. Including me, you've never approached another person for your own sake. You speak to anyone in a friendly way, in a kind way, and you're easy to get along with, but―no one has gotten close to you yourself."

Arisuin's breath had been taken away without him realizing it. Exactly as Shizuku said, Arisuin became conscious of it. Being favorable to anyone, being amicable with anyone, but never once opening his heart to anyone at all.

He had not allowed anyone near unnecessarily, because he had infiltrated Hagun with an underhanded motive. And because he had no intention of letting anyone suspect him, he had behaved accordingly.

But Shizuku had realized it. Arisuin was honestly surprised at this.

"…I'm shocked. You really see through me, Shizuku."

Shizuku seemed to have hit the target….

"Naturally, because you're my big sister, Alice."

Wearing a tiny smile on that adorable face like a bisque doll, she gave that answer.

"You called out to me yourself for the first time. I don't know how or why, but it must be a special day for you, right? So I'll share a cup of alcohol with you―but really, only one though."

This time she wanted to lay out the alcohol to drink. Shizuku replied so, pouted her lips as if sulking. At that cute expression, Arisuin's cheeks loosened in a smile.

"Ha ha, one cup is enough. …Thank you, Shizuku."

It was the nature of fatigue to accumulate. After Shizuku swallowed a cup in the beginning, it wasn't long before she started nodding off on the sofa. Soon, she drifted to sleep completely due to the hour.

Now that you mention it, when we went to the bar that time, she ended up falling asleep.

Maybe she had the kind of constitution that makes her sleep whenever she takes alcohol. While thinking like this, Arisuin picked Shizuku up like a princess. Though she probably wouldn't catch a cold sleeping on the sofa since it was summer, it was still ill-mannered to sleep on a sofa. That was why Arisuin decided to bring Shizuku to her bed.

"…Nnnuuu… Onii-sama…."

Along the way, Shizuku stirred in his arms, and a childish voice came out.

"Haha, what kind of dream are you having?"

"Get out of the way… I can't kill her… munya munya…."

"Wh-What kind of dream are you having…?"

With his face paling a little bit, Arisuin brought Shizuku to her bed, and placed her on it without waking her. He pulled the covers over her. When he did so, Shizuku broke out with a comfortable expression, and curled up in the futon.

"What a cute sleeping face."

While looking at Shizuku's adorable face, Arisuin sat down on his own adjacent bed, and he thought back on the words Shizuku had said before.

"Big sister… was it?"

Murmuring, Arisuin stared toward the sofa they had been sitting at a while ago. What he was staring at was… the sooty-labeled green bottle of alcohol that was left on the table. And… within the dim pale alcohol, the remembrances it brought back.

Associated with the bottle, the old memories of before he was found by Rebellion, and turned into an assassin. In a foreign country, raising up younger street children together with a girl named Yuuri, with children looking up to him as a big sister―the memories of those final days.

※　※　※

He would not forget. In the early morning of that day, rain was falling on the neighborhood. It had not become snow yet, but it was rain chilly enough to freeze the body.

In the cold rain, Alice was carrying a plastic umbrella, facing a tall man. The man was a bill collector from the local gang. The profit from the work brought around by the gang was brought to this man, and the part remaining after they took their cut was given to Alice.

But this was just an underling of the gangs. He was not a decent man who keeps his word.

『…Look.』

The share of the money that Alice handed over that should've remained with him was far and away too small.

『You promised twenty percent—』

Alice complained, and the man spat in his face.

『Don't make fun of me, you shitty brat. Just be grateful we let you do business on our island.』

Speaking with eyes that seemed to be looking at garbage, the man left.

After Alice couldn't see that back any longer, he stuck his tongue out a little.

Even though we're so alike on the outside.

Wiping the man's spit off his cheek with his sleeve, Alice took shelter and brushed off the snow that had fallen on him.

There, a pink-colored plastic container had been wrapped up and concealed.

『I wonder if it's become a little cold.』

Its content was a meat pie obligingly carried by a tourist.

If that man had seen such a thing, there was no doubt he would've taken it, so Alice had hidden it beforehand.

『It's been a while since we had meat. Everyone will be happy.』

I have to share it with the sister too. Ah, but there's a congregation today, so she went to the neighboring town, didn't she?

While pondering this, Alice hurried on his way back with quick steps.

He wanted to see everyone's happy faces as soon as he could.

But—

『…Eh?』

When Alice got back, the door of the shed behind the church was smashed, partially destroyed.

Seeing that, Alice who was used to seeing fights understood immediately. Some hostile people had attacked.

『…E-Everyone!』

Raising a cry, Alice dropped everything he was carrying and rushed into the shed.

But there was no one inside. It was still early in the morning. It wasn't time for the little sisters to get up yet. But they couldn't be found, and only the dirty blankets they used were left.

What happened!? Where did everyone go…?

And at the moment he picked up one of the blankets, Alice saw what was under it, and his breath caught in his throat.

There was a bloodstain. Furthermore, it wasn't dried, but fresh blood. And when he looked at the bloodstain closely, he found little drops of it scattered leading out into the main street. After being washed away by the rain, they wouldn't have been noticeable if he wasn't paying attention, but he was sure.

Alice, with his feet snarled by urgency, rushed out, and followed the trail of blood.

An unpleasant premonition. It was an extremely unpleasant premonition. Cold sweat was running down his back. The fact that there was a bloodstain meant that someone had been wounded.

Could it be, was it from his friends?

『That… can't be…!』

He had no basis, but he muttered this as if trying to persuade himself.

However, the truth was merciless.

The blood that Alice was following from the church to the road out front—it went in the opposite direction of where Alice had returned from after work. And he saw—

—Ah.

A red-haired girl with a torso dyed in fresh blood, leaning lifelessly against the brick wall beside the road.

『Y-Yuuriiiii!』

Screaming her name, Alice immediately ran to her side.

Yuuri, who was sitting at the roadside, certainly responded to his voice.

『…Ah….』

She slowly opened her eyes, and looked at Alice who was running up.

『…Ah… thank goodness… Alice. You're… safe….』

『Are you okay!? What happened here!?』

At the question, Yuuri's face twisted in both pain and frustration.

『…I don't… know. Sergei's people… suddenly attacked us… said they were cleaning up garbage…. Dammit, they took everyone…. How useless, huh…?』

『The gang did it!? Why…!? Even though we paid their tribute…!』

『Dunno… *cough* *cough*…!』

Choking violently, Yuuri spat out blood on the frozen ground.

『Yuuri! Don't talk right now!』

It would be bad for her to speak anymore. If he didn't get her to a doctor immediately….

Luckily, there were pedestrians on the road, and all of them noticed the situation.

『Excuse me! Will someone please call a doctor!?』

So Alice begged that with a raised voice. However—

At that instant, everyone who was watching the situation from all around them averted their eyes from Alice and Yuuri in a hurry. And all of them departed at a quick pace. As if no one had heard Alice's voice.

Eh…wh-what is this…?

『P-Please! Will anyone lend me a phone!? If it's money, I'll pay!』

Despite Alice's repeated requests, no one took notice.

The people who had been watching the bloody girl with interest from a distance all left in a hurry when Alice called out. Every single one of them, as if escaping from a troublesome matter. At that utterly bleak response, Alice doubted his own eyes.

Why…? Even though she's bleeding like this… no one will….

『Hey! You can hear me, right!? My friend is dying!』

『Forget it….』

To Alice who was screaming with a heartbroken voice, Yuuri spoke with strain.

『No one will… help. There's nobody here who will save people like us…. You know that, right?』

Yuuri's words. Alice understood them well. Because Alice and the others were abandoned people with no relatives or money. There was not a single benefit in helping them. That was something adults understood very clearly.

『But we're… different, aren't we?』

『Eh…?』

『We're… not like them…. We're cool adults…! R-Right!?』

Alice was taken aback at those words, and his eyes widened. Cool adults—those words were the vow between them, and he admonished himself.

On that day Alice and Yuuri first joined hands, they swore over that alcohol. They wouldn't think of only themselves, and would no longer be people of low birth. They had become cool adults who helped others, who loved others.

But—

『…You're right. You're exactly right! But why are you saying it now?』

But to his questioning voice, Yuuri didn't answer. She just looked at Alice peacefully, and,

『In that case, go and help… them….』

How could she… say those words as if she was entrusting everything to him?

At her words, Alice felt an anxiety he couldn't express, and grabbed Yuuri's shoulder.

『What stupid things are you saying!? Hold it together! I can't do some thing like that by myself, you know!? I was the one who lost to you!』

『…Ha ha, *cough*… no way. We've been together for a long time…. so I know… that you've always… gone easy… to avoid killing me…. With your power… you can protect them… so….』

『Stop it! I don't want to hear you make excuses like that!』

He shouted at her with tears spilling down his face.

But the eyes Yuuri looked at him with were already empty, and she said….

『…It's up to you… Alice….』

And at last, Yuuri closed her eyes, as if sleeping. At that moment, all strength vanished from her body.

『…Yuuri?』

Raising his voice, Alice shook her shoulder.

『Hey, answer me….』

But she didn't stir. She didn't wake.

『…Yuuri, you can't. You can't sit here like this. We said we'd go south. We promised… didn't we just promise….』

Drip drop. He continued to speak as the tears fell. But Yuuri didn't answer.

How could she? Alice understood, after all.

…That Yuuri wouldn't wake up again.

It wasn't like this was the first time, or even that rare an occurrence. It happened all the time in this city.

But he didn't want to acknowledge it. The place he wanted to protect, it was so easily, so abruptly broken.

He didn't want to accept it. This—bitter reality.

However, time continued on without stopping, and it wouldn't wait for Alice.

『Oh, here he is! Hey bro! That guy Alice came back!』

『Great, catch him. But don't scratch up his face. He's worth the price of twenty of those kids by himself.』

He could hear rude voices and many footsteps behind him. Turning his gaze, he saw the hometown gang members that he and Yuuri had associated with, all carrying guns and Devices. And they surrounded Alice in the blink of an eye, each of them pointing a weapon at him.

Alice stared at all the adults surrounding him with impassive, hollow eyes… and asked―

『…Why did you do this? We've always given you the money you wanted.』

『Heh heh. Well, it's because of the public officials. The big shots want this city to look pretty, you know? And the money you bring in just totals up too small. If we can get a big bonus for it, we can't refuse to betray you, understand?』

『Well, the strong eat the weak. That's just how the adult world is. Give up and don't resist, alright? We don't want to smash you into garbage like that idiot over there.』

Saying so, one of the gang members stretched out a hand. He grabbed Alice's hair, and tried to drag Alice up.

Staring at the arm pulling at him, Alice thought,

The strong eat the weak—yes, that's true.

After all, these were people who had lived longer than him and the other kids. What the man said was correct. Because if not, this tragedy couldn't have happened.

The world hadn't made a mistake. All of this… was neither unreasonable nor irrational. Cool adult—dancing to some fantastic ideal, it was he who was mistaken.

He understood that well, now. Truly so. He comprehended this, even if reluctantly. So—

—I'll take everything from you.

And at the moment the outstretched hand pulled Alice's hair,

『Ah—』

Alice's vision exploded in furious red.

『Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!』

And—everything ended in a flash.

When his vision regained color… Alice was at the gang's hideout. It was a room that apparently had a thick coat of red paint splattered all over its walls. He was standing above the wreckage of those who were no longer shaped like humans, only meat. Amidst the vapor rising from scattered entrails, Alice's entire body was colored by blood.

And as the color returned, he saw before him… in a corner of the room, the sight of his younger brothers and sisters, their teeth clattering noisily.

『H-Hiiii….』

『P-Please don't… kill us….』

『Ahh—aaaaahhh….』

Their eyes reflected Alice clearly. Murky eyes with terror and despair jumbled inside. There was no hint of the respect they always turned toward him. No shadow of their heartwarming smiles.

Seeing the expressions of his little sisters, Alice was convinced. That he had protected them.

And—at the same time, he had lost them as well.

※　※　※

When Alice came to himself, he was walking through the city alone in the rain without an umbrella.

He wasn't heading in any particular direction. He was just wandering like an aimless ghost. The freezing rain had soaked him thoroughly from top to bottom, and he was beyond caring. He was soaked in blood even before that, so what difference did it make?

The pedestrians who sometimes passed by him, once they laid startled eyes on Alice's blood-covered body, instantly turned their gazes and hurried away. Because whether he was a bloodstained orphan, or about to die, they had no relation to any of his life.

He couldn't remember his resentment anymore. Not frustration, not sadness, nothing. All of his feelings, they had flowed out along with his exhausted tears.

But… Alice thought that was good.

—He remembered. The last moments of his close friend, the warmth leaving her body as he held her. The terrified expressions of his little sisters as they gazed at his face. The pain of losing the sweet people he loves.

If he had to remember such pain, he would rather not feel anything at all.

At that time.

『I don't believe it, I'm the first to find such a child.』

Suddenly, behind Alice who was wandering like a ghost, a voice sounded.

Alice turned his head sluggishly, and looked behind him with murky eyes. There, a young gentleman wearing a black priest's robe was staring in his direction.

That expression, it had a certain atmosphere. Alice who had lived a long hardened life understood it—this man was not a decent person. He was even worse than the gang members Alice had just killed, but Alice didn't fear any unease. Because that emotion too had flowed out with his tears. So Alice asked without hesitation.

『…Who are you?』

『Just an idiot hitman who got his prey stolen by you.』

The young man answered so, that he was cleaning the garbage that was the local gang at the request of the mayor.

It was certainly ironic. Calling Alice and the others garbage, the ones who came to clean them up was scheduled to be cleaned up themselves.

Really, how stupid.

Lips curling in scorn, Alice asked again. This hitman, why was he here to begin with?

『…And? What complaints do you want to lay on me?』

In response, the young man answered.

『Not at all. Since you straightened out the business for me, I'm here to bring you your pay. Take it.』

From inside the young man's robe, he pulled out something round and rolled it to Alice's feet.

Rolling, rolling.

What fell there was… an old man's head. The head of the mayor of the city. In other words, the head of the man who had ordered Alice and his friends swept up.

Staring at that head without surprise,

『…It's truly a thoughtful gift, isn't it?』

Alice stepped on that head and crushed it under his foot without any hesitation. And,

『Hehehe… ahahaha….』

A rattling laugh emerged from deep inside him.

—Really, what a world.

Yuuri was killed by the gang, the gang that killed Yuuri was supposed to be killed by the mayor, and that mayor was killed by the hitman he himself called.

Alice was convinced. Hell was supposed to be a place one goes when he dies, but how ridiculous. If the place he was in now wasn't hell, where else could hell be?

In this world, protecting something… loving something…—how absurd.

Really, how comical are we?

Suddenly, to Alice who was laughing loudly with a dry voice, the young man spoke.

『The realization you've just come to is right. Love, money, ethics, morals—this world is full of fictions. Various deceits, excuses, lies, they obscure the world's truths. There is only one rule governing this world. The strong take, the weak are taken from. The outstanding ones follow their own egos. It is the sole providence of this world. And by realizing this, you have become qualified to join with us like-minded ones. We, who bring truth to this world replete with deceptions, are Rebellion. Your ability to kill is something that would be useful to us. Come with me, boy.』

It was an invitation from an underworld even darker than this place. In response, Alice asked―

『If I say no?』

『I've already said it. The strong take everything. That is the truth of the world. If you don't accept, I will claim you by force.』

Bloodlust surged from the young man's body.

But Alice stood against it as though it was only a breeze. Alice could no longer be threatened by violence. The man could take things away with violence, but Alice had nothing left to lose. However―

『Ha ha ha, I see. It's good that it's easy to understand, huh…?』

Precisely because he had nothing, Alice was interested in this discussion.

『I don't really mind. Anyhow, I have nowhere to return, no one to protect, nothing. …So if you accept one condition, I'll follow you.』

『What is it?』

『One hundred million–get that for me. If you do, I'll work for you.』

What Alice demanded was money. And not just a trivial amount, but a colossal amount.

『One hundred million to a brat without a background like you? That's a really exaggerated number.』

Of course, the young man made a grim face. And he returned a question.

『…If I refuse?』

In response, Alice laughed scornfully.

『Do you need me to say it?』

He was saying if the man demurred, he would take it regardless—at his utter arrogance, at his desperate attitude,

『…Hahaha, what an interesting brat. Very well. One hundred million, I will arrange it for you.』

The young man seemed exceedingly amicable. He consented readily to Alice's ludicrous demand, and asked again.

『Well then, boy. What is your name?』

『Alice. That was what everyone called me.』

『I am a member of the Twelve Apostles, the One-Armed Swordsmaster, Wallenstein. I welcome you, Alice.』

Wallenstein extended an arm from his robe, and sought a handshake from Alice. Alice also responded to that—and forged an agreement in this place.

Immediately after, he entrusted the full one hundred million he received to the Sister for the expenses to take care of his young brothers and sisters, cut off all his relations with that city, and left.

And as Wallenstein desired, he suppressed all the falsehoods of ethics and morals, focused his resourcefulness on murder, and exhibited full loyalty to Rebellion. As the Black Assassin—

That was the past life of the boy who called himself Nagi Arisuin.

It's funny, isn't it?

Reflecting on his past life, Arisuin laughed bitterly. As part of his infiltration duties, becoming an older sister as he was now was only a sham.

But that farce would end today. In a short while, this fictional relationship would go to meet its demise.

At that time, what kind of eyes would Shizuku look at him with? Arisuin remembered the terrified expressions on his little sisters back then, the eyes full of rejection and disgust against a murderer.

She would probably not forgive him. But he wasn't really sad about it. At best, it was a relationship for making his duties easier.

Hagun's key player, the B-rank knight called Lorelei. To get close to her, becoming like an older sister was the most efficient method.

It was nothing more than that.