V2C1

Chapter 1  – Child of Fate, Journeying Through the Land of Hyperborea

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1

「……Going on a trip on foot like this, it’s really giving the feeling of 『The – Journey!』 isn’t it!」

Yukino declared vigorously.

「Yes. We keep trudgingly walking, and walking, and keep walking until I can’t ignore my feeling of being fed up anymore but, I’m always telling myself that it can’t be helped because this is a journey. ──But, how nice it is that Onee-sama can fly……」

It was already a week since Mononobe Yukino came to this heroic world Hyperborea.

The city that became her start line was the City of Pleasure.

It was a city state that was ruled by Queen Cassandra. It was a city that was created by Earthians with the concept of “a paradise where all pleasures of human would could be enjoyed” like entertainment and food.

Right now Yukino was travelling together with them.

With a group that had greatly innovated the way this world work by audaciously spreading the knowledge of 21 ^st century earth culture in this primitive mythological world Hyperborea.

The representative of that group was this Onee-sama, Toba Riona.

She was someone overflowing with knowledge. Not only she was a thoughtful person, she was also a god descendant who possessed outstanding spiritual ability. A perfect superhuman……but,

「……Haa!?」

Astonishingly, Onee-sama had the form of a “blue bird”.

She flew until Yukino’s shoulder and said this with a threatening tone.

「Just now, did you say something about how nice it is to fly!?」

「Yes. Because, I’m jealous. I have gotten a bit fed up with travelling by walking.」

Yukino answered nonchalantly. However.

Riona-oneesama chirped shrilly in anger.

「NNPIIIIIIIIIIIH!」

「My, Onee-sama. You are really like a bird when you chirp like that!」

「You are still saying that againnnn! You stupid girl, I’ve told you many times to not treat me like a bird! Bad! Bad! Bad!」

「T-that hurt Onee-sama! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!」

Yukino apologized after the back of her head got pecked a lot.

Onee-sama flapped her wings vigorously and flew around while scolding her with the blue bird’s sharp beak. Also this was a digression, but it seemed her species was blue jay.

Her feathers also had black stripes and light blue color at some parts that formed a splendid gradation.

She had a very nice appearance, but the Onee-sama herself apparently didn’t like it, so she frequently demanded to not be treated as bird.

Come to think of it, there was the form of“true Onee-sama” that she had seen in her mind before.

It was the form of Miss Toba Riona who was in teen age. She had a slim body and nice figure, and her uniform really suited a high school girl like her. She had an impressive beauty.

……But, right now she was a bird who talked with human language.

She flew around Yukino *flap flap* while,

「NNPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH!」

Letting out an angrily shrill chirp from her black beak.

Watching over that act of the two with cheerful smile in his mouth was a young man around twenty years old, Rokuhara Ren──.

「Riona has gotten really close with Yukino huh.」

「Don’t say something stupid like that Rokuhara-san! This is not like a scene in that four koma manga that depicted 『complacent and tepid beautiful girl zoo full high school girl characters』, but an educational guidance to this dimwitted and careless and rash hero-sama!」

「I──I myself has a vague awareness about that, but it’s horrible that you call me things like careless or rash Onee-sama!」

「Then at least show me that you can remember things just by being told once!」

「Ahahaha. You really have a lot of stress piling up there Riona.」

The young man Rokuhara laughed easygoingly while staring at the extremely angry Onee-sama.

He was basically always like this. He was always acting frivolously and also lighthearted. He looked like being passionate and serious when dealing with things was something completely unrelated to him.

Such personality wasn’t something that Yukino liked──

Her gaze met with Rokuhara Ren. He winked at her over familiarly.

……As she thought, this guy was frivolous. Yukino averted her gaze ‘puih’ away from him.

However, she heard the voice of a lovely girl right after that. Yukino immediately turned her gaze toward 『Rokuhara-kun』 once more.

「You are noisy bird girl.」

The one who made that annoyed statement was a minimum beautiful girl with height of 30 cm.

The doll sized girl was sitting on Rokuhara Ren’s left shoulder. She was told that this small girl was a goddess who was usually fused in his body.

It seemed that she was actually a really famous god, but she made everyone called her Stella.

「……As I thought she is really cute♪」

Yukino secretly whispered.

She had been attracted to that loveliness since their first meeting.

Stella who had just materialized outside stared sharply at Yukino──or to be more accurate, at the “blue bird” who was flying around her.

「You know, it has been bothering me a little. Bird girl, you──」

Stella spoke frankly.

「For these several days, you are getting more and more like a real bird aren’t you?」

「Nnpiiih!? What’s your base for thinking like that!?」

「That annoying girl also said it right? For example, that chirping of yours.」

「NNPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH!」

「Aa. Certainly, her chirp has become even more like a bird compared to before……it also feels like the Riona factor when she is in her human form has also thinned down somewhat.」

「Perhaps, the shape of her soul is getting influenced by the shape of her flesh body.」

「Then, there is a possibility that in the worst case, Riona will completely become a bird……」

After muttering that, Rokuhara Ren made a thumb up vigorously.

「But it’s fine. It doesn’t matter how you look like, we will still be a partner, one in body and soul! Let’s do our best working together with a single purpose!」

It was a really shallow and irresponsible encouragement.

Yukino scowled in response. The bird shaped Onee-sama staggered down on her shoulder. It seemed she was extremely shocked by what was pointed to her just now.

「T-this Riona-sama is like a real bird……」

She was muttering incoherently with a dark tone.

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Yukino and co headed toward the east after departing from the City of Pleasure.

They were at a grassland where they could see steep mountains stretching out at far away──.

It was a plain without any manmade road, even so there was almost no obstacle at all on their way. It was easy to walk through. They were steadily going through the trip by walking through here.

There was a large river with great volume of water halfway. They asked someone to ferry them until the opposite side with a boat.

After that, they walked once more toward the east.

They were heading toward the sea.

Right now Yukino was at the second island of the Claw Archipelago.

The City of Pleasure was located at the west coast of the island. They were heading at the opposite side the east coast through land route──.

The destination was something that Yukino decided by her own thinking.

『If given the choice, I want to try seeing the original culture of Hyperborea, a country that hasn’t received the influence of godslayer or Earthian.』

She said.

It was a coincidence that there was a city state called Fire Country at the east coast that belonged to Hyperborea people. Yukino made her decision after Riona told her that.

They travelled on foot. However they had procured a horse for carrying their luggage before leaving.

It was really handy to carry their heavy luggage like food and other miscellaneous goods.

……And then at that day when the commotion of “Doesn’t Onee-sama becoming a lot more like a real bird?” happened, Yukino and others stopped walking when the sun was starting to set.

There wasn’t any inn at the area, so they were camping in this night.

Stella made herself scarce while the blue bird Riona found a suitable branch to perch on. Yukino and Rokuhara Ren wrapped themselves in the blanket that they brought and slept──.

However late at night, Yukino woke up due to a rustling sound.

Someone was rummaging through the wooden box that was fixed on the pack horse. It wasn’t Rokuhara Ren. Unexpectedly it was the blue bird Riona.

She was using telekinesis in her blu jay form that didn’t have any hand to unfasten the luggage──

「Uuuuuh. I can’t keep going anymore unless I have a drink……」

A jar that was sealed with honey wax unsteadily floated in front of the “blue bird” who landed on the ground.

Before their departure, Rokuhara Ren said 「This might be good for gift」 and added it to their luggage. It was filled with the specialty mead of the City of Pleasure.

Riona opened the seal using telekinesis instead of hand and put her beak into the jar.

「What the hell……saying that this majestic queen Riona-sama is acting like a bird, say that kinda stupid thing only when you are asleep, damn idiots……」(TN: She was talking with a heavy Kanto dialect here)

The blue bird was chugging down the alcohol while grumbling.

Yukino reflexively launched a retort before that preposterous scene.

「Onee-sama, this time even your character is totally out of place!」

「Fueh!?」

Riona was terribly shocked. It seemed that she didn’t notice that Yukino was awake.

「Onee-sama, you can tell me anything if there is anything worrying you. I want to be of help for you even if just for a bit.」

「And here I wonder what are you going to say. I’m just thinking of drinking some alcohol before sleeping because I couldn’t sleep. I have no worry or anything!」

Riona forcefully tried to dodge the topic. But Yukino wouldn’t draw back if she was being difficult like that.

「In the first place, how did Onee-sama become a bird like this? Actually──the form that I saw when we exchanged a contract before this is your true form right?」

「There is nothing that you could do Yukino even if I tell you! Bye!」

The blue bird Riona quickly flew away.

She went to outside of Yukino’s sight while carrying the mead jar together with her using telekinesis. Thanks to that the conversation was forcefully ended.

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2

「It’s a bit mean for the local people if I say this but……」

Yukino honestly spoke the impression that formed in her mind.

「This place is really dreary……」

They had finally arrived at the coast city.

They walked through a dirt path that seemed to be hardened from being stepped on by the passing people and livestock. On the way the number of single-storied house was increasing bit by bit (Though with the standard of 21 ^st century Japanese like Yukino, she wanted to call those houses as hut instead).

That was where the city began. There wasn’t any partition like a rampart around the city.

All the houses that were built here and there had compact size. Most of them were pit dwelling residence. Sometimes there would also be the “latest style” of house that was built by piling up bricks.

This was the Fire Country. The city state with largest scale in Hyperborea.

However, Yukino was bewildered by the “shabbiness” of this place that betrayed her expectation in a negative way.

Along the unpaved road that laid its earth surface bare, there were small houses that were built sporadically──this city only consisted of that kind of landscape that continued on endlessly.

But, Ren──young man Rokuhara Ren said this with a beaming smile.

「Oh man. In Hyperborea’s standard, this place is an amazing metropolis you know?」

「I-I see.」

「Yep. Compared to Cassandra’s homeland, Troia……that capital──」

「Are they similar?」

「Nope. It’s more similar to the fishing villages around Troia’s capital. Those villages also had this kind of really rustic atmosphere. Ah, but the scale of this city is far larger than those.」

Troia, the name of a place in Greek mythology that seemed to happen at BC era.

In the first place Yukino didn’t know just how flourishing the center of Trojan War was.

While she was troubled of how to reply, Stella who was sitting on Ren’s left shoulder shrugged and commented with a condescending tone.

「It’s shameful that a destitute village at the sticks like this dare to call itself a country. There is no way it can even compare itself with the jewel of the sea Troia that received the protection of Apollo and me. ……Well, the place around here is still a bit better though.」

「Ah, certainly.」

Yukino nodded.

After they kept walking for long inside the dreary city, the pedestrian traffic increased in density.

The people they passed were all Hyperborea people. There were children, young people, and also old people. They also caught sight of merchants who opened stall, cart, or small shops.

There was also carriages that had fishes piled up on them. They seemed to be the catch of the fishermen. Such sight was really suitable for this coastal area.

And then──there were also warriors carrying bronze sword or spear.

They also caught sight of people wearing loose garment like they were priest or monk.

But, when they surveyed the surrounding in a glance, the number of warriors and swordsmen carrying weapon seemed unnaturally a lot more than those who didn’t.

Most of them were also wearing things like leather protector, bronze armor, or helmet.

「People dressed like warrior are walking around in great number here……. Come to think of it, the number of weapon shops here is also really many……」

Before long Yukino and co arrived at a square that seemed to be the city’s center.

There──a terribly long and large sword was pierced. Its blade astonishingly almost reached twenty meter in length.

It wasn’t a size that the average human could wield. It was truly a sword for giant.

Furthermore at the plaza there was even a──palace (!) that was built with completely different architectural style than the excessively simple houses that they saw on the way here.

It was a white palace that seemed to be made from marble. The stone pillars that were lined up were supporting a dome shaped ceiling.

「I-isn’t this palace too splendid compared to the rest!?」

「Yeah, sometimes you can find something like this in Hyperborea.」

Ren spoke casually.

「It seems there was this great flood that happened several hundred years ago in this world. There are ruins of prehistory culture here and there that were sank into the sea at that time that now came out from the bottom of the sea like this.」

「W-what’s the deal with that-!」

There was abnormal threat and mystique even in place where there was no Earthian.

This was the moment Yukino saw a glimpse of the heroic world Hyperborea’s absurdity. Furthermore, Stella who was looking around restlessly was──

「I find it, over there.」

She pointed at a direction that seemed to be west.

Over there was a range of mountains that stretched high toward the sky. Stella was pointing at near the summit of the mountain that was especially high even among them.

「Around that place there should be a god──he must be the war god who owned this pointlessly big sword anyway. A goddess’s instinct can’t possibly be wrong.」

「Eeeeh!?」

Yukino was shocked by the oracle of the minimum goddess.

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From talking to the swordsman who happened to pass by,

「We are people who believe and serve the War God of Flame Sword devoutly.」

He replied like that proudly.

According to him──when flame was lit from that huge sword and the world was dyed by dawn, the war god would be resurrected from the sacred mountain that towered at the west.

In this world not only god descendant, there was even real god sleeping in the land.

Yukino was impressed by this heroic world Hyperborea that contained something like that. In addition, Rokuhara Ren ran his mouth to say something disquieting beside her.

「Hmm. That’s similar like Vahagn-san who we met before this.」

「That kind of war god might be sleeping everywhere in this world.」

Even Stella spoke such thing casually. Yukino yelled.

「You two, you are saying that you have met god before!?」

「Hahaha, what are you saying after this late.」

「We are in the same world with godslayers you know? In other words, this place is an arena where you might encounter a genuine god and enter into a confrontation against them──. It might even happen as soon as tomorrow. You should resolve yourself.」

「I-it’s not like I have any intention to get into a fight with the gods!」

「Even if you annoying girl don’t have any plan like that」

Stella sported a mean smile widely.

「There is no guarantee that the other side won’t try anything with you. You too are a god descendant after a fashion──a part of the clan of god although of the lowest rank. Gods doesn’t get into a fight only against godslayer. They also get into a fight with other gods.」

「S-stop threatening me with strange words like that Stella-chan!」

「『-chan』 you say……annoying girl. You should seriously watch yourself. With the way you speak condescendingly like that in front of a goddess of beauty, sooner or later you might seriously anger a god somewhere. With that divine punishment will be brought down on you and──」

「A-and what?」

「At best you will experience something that will make you think that you are better off dead. At worst you will die right away. There are only those two choices.」

「…………」

It was an ominous warning from a goddess, regardless of how small she was.

Yukino called out to her reliable “Onee-sama” to cover up her uneasiness.

「I’ll be fine right? I think I’m not acting that rude──」

「Uiii……what did you saaay, hic?」

Since this morning Riona hadn’t said anything even though she was usually so talkative.

The “blue bird” who perched on Yukino’s left shoulder had been looking at empty air in a daze with cloudy eyes all this time. Furthermore her small body smelled of alcohol.

She was perfectly in a hangover state.

Riona who only opened her beak after so long just now spoke with a peevish tone.

「Fufu. Someone like me is fated to become a real bird completely just like this anywaay……ah, we have arrived at the city before I realized ittt. Wait a second Yukino, please buy some alcohol and snacks from around thereeeee, huicss~」

「O-Onee-sama, the alcohol hasn’t gotten out completely from your system……」

「Wow. Riona is really peevish right now huh.」

「She is always so vigorous usually, but in exchange her whole self got smashed to pieces when her heart broke in a snap isn’t she?」

「Rokuhara-kun, Stella-chan! Don’t make it sound like the breakdown of Onee-sama’s personality like other people’s business, be more worried for her!」

When Yukino pleaded at her heartless travelling companions like that,

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*DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONN!*

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A very large sound could be heard from far away.

It sounded like a firework that was launched or a cannon fired. Was a very heavy object falling from the sky?

Yukino raised her face with a gasp and looked around restlessly. That sound shouldn’t exist in this mythological world Hyperborea but──

Right now, a lot of Earthians were gathering in this sanctuary.

「Don’t tell me, they are also coming here!?」

Yukino started running toward the direction from where the sound came from.

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*DOOOOOOOOOONN! DOOOOOOOOOONN!*

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The sound didn’t come only once. They kept coming in repeat.

In addition there were even the screams, yells, and shrieks of the people──.

「The pirates are coming again!」

「Warriors, please protect this city!」

「Kyaaaaaaah!? Stones! Stones are raining down!」

Yukino held her Onee-sama to stay perched on her shoulder while running at full speed with her prided nimble legs.

She quickly arrived at the incident scene. That place was right beside the sea. A lot of small ships were anchored. This place seemed to be a harbor.

Yukino muttered with her chivalrous spirit blazing.

「Pirates, that’s a word that I can’t possibly pretend to not hear!」

When she stared at the inlet that was facing the harbor, there was a single ship anchored.

It was a wooden sailing ship that seemed to greatly deviate from the technology level of Hyperborea. Furthermore there were several spring catapults installed on the deck.

Those contraptions──continuously launched several hundred kg of rocks.

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*DOOOOOOOOOOONN! DOOOOOOOOOOONN!*

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The launched rocks gouged the harbor and the ground near the sea one after another.

Naturally the rocks also smashed the wooden ships of various sizes that were anchored. Great number of wooden parts and wooden fragments scattered everywhere.

Perhaps their aim was inaccurate. There didn’t seem to be human who got flattened by the rocks but──

The people in the harbor was completely suppressed by this terrifying flying projectile and trembled in fear.

Furthermore other than the ship installed with catapults, there were also more than ten other small sailing ships that were rapidly approaching the land.

Each small ships had seven or eight crews on board.

Some seemed to be young, while some others seemed to be middle-aged. It was few but there were female crews too. Everyone had white cloth wrapped on their head and masculine look──

Yukino yelled.

「Those are the pirates right!?」

「…………Pi – ra – tes? Wait, those are Byakurentou’s bunch!」

Yukino’s ear heard how Onee-sama suddenly muttered.

The blue bird aka Toba Riona who kept perching on Yukino’s left shoulder due to hangover suddenly flapped her wings powerfully!

「Nice timing! They conveniently come just when I’m irritated like this!」

「Onee-sama, do you know that bunch!?」

「They are sandbags that can be beaten up legally and one-sidedly right now-! I’ll have them become the substitute for that hateful honorable master!」

「W-who is this honorable master~!?」

Riona ignored even Yukino’s question.

Onee-sama suddenly changed completely from her drunk and peevish mode and flew away energetically.

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3

Toba Riona, her true identity was the sacred bird Yatagarasu──

Even Yukino had been told about it. However she hadn’t seen “Onee-sama” actually transformed into the sacred bird and exhibited her divinity.

She had only got a vision of Riona’s true form while fighting the sacred king Theodorick.

She was also told that right now many of her ability as Yatagarasu was sealed.

That was why, when Onee-sama flew to the sky above the pirates while still in her blue bird form, Yukino was worried for her wellbeing and yelled.

「Don’t, it’s dangerous when you are in bird form like that!」

「I told you don’t treat human like a bird! No need to worry! I’ll show you how I take care of small fries like them like a piece of cake even though I can’t transform!」

The reply of Riona who flew away came from the sky.

The gorgeous blue jay flew high to the sky of Hyperborea and spread out her wings fully to the left and right with haughtiness that didn’t suit her small body──

「Ka~mi~ka~ze~no~……jutsu~~~~~~!」(TN: Divine Wind Technique)

She let out chanting words while dragging out her spelling a lot in between.

Immediately wind──a very powerful wind began to blow.

Furthermore the wind’s force immediately became severe and whirled in the air like a typhoon. It blew violently in the area.

A typhoon suddenly manifested. It was truly the arrival of the divine wind.

「Onee-sama, you chanted the Divine Wind Technique!」

Yukino gasped in realization.

It was none other than Onee-sama’s words of power that called his powerful wind. She was impressed, as expected from the divine power of Yatagarasu. It was then──

She caught the conversation of Ren and Stella.

「As expected, looks like Riona really isn’t in her best form.」

「True. Usually that bird girl would burn all the ships to ash with her favorite flame……. No matter how much she try to act tough, in the end that form is only an ephemeral form. She is unable to use her magic and divine power satisfactorily in that state.」

They said that even though the divine wind’s power was already this terrific?

Yukino blinked her eyes at the comment of the frivolous young man and small goddess.

The pirate group that came attacking the inlet of this Fire Country──their mother ship the large sailing ship was swept by the wind and capsized.

They ended up obliterated instantly by Onee-sama. It was really an anticlimax.

Naturally all the small ships that were advancing toward the land also got wholly overturned without even a single one spared.

The pirates that crewed the ships were thrown to the sea and they weren’t in the state to attack anymore. They swam and swam toward the harbor or land in order to survive.

When they somehow managed to arrive on the land and crawled on the ground after desperately swimming with all their strength──

「Oh war god of fire, bring us victory!」

The warriors rushed with unsheathed sword and swung their blade to subjugate the pirates!

There was no rain, but the powerful wind had just swept over the sea like a storm. The pirates had just swam through such choppy sea, so all of them were completely fatigued.

The warriors who served the war god of fire swung their swords──

The pirates helplessly received their sharp slashes and thrusts. They were wounded. One pirate, then one more were falling here and there. There were also screams.

「Guah!?」

「Kuh──don’t falter, face them my comrades!」

「We aren’t allowed to fear death! As chivalrous members of the glorious Byakurentou, show them our valor that is worth a thousand warriors at the seven seas under the heaven!」

The pirate group didn’t lose morale even when they faced this great force.

They swung around a long wooden pole──the weapon called a cane in martial art while still being soaked wet to face the warriors of Fire Country. Among them there were also pirates who wielded metal cane.

Furthermore they also shouted at their other pirate comrades who fought nearby to heighten each other’s morale.

「The only person we the disciple of Byakuren will bow is only the great Sea King!」

「Rather than running away as a defeated dog, we should engrave the teaching of the Sea King into our heart and die in this trial!」

More than half of the pirates had been defeated. There weren’t even thirty of them remaining.

In contrast the Fire Country’s side had more than double that number who were still capable to fight. There was no doubt that the pirates would be overwhelmed at this rate with this flow.

And yet, the pirates’ few survivors showed no sign of backing down at all.

For example of the pirates who got stabbed by a Fire Country’s warrior was──

「Ha!」

Astonishingly he threw away his weapon and let out a spinning kick.

The side of his leather boot kicked away the sword that the warrior fighting him carried. It was a surprise attack by doing a suicidal act of discarding his weapon to take his opponent by surprise.

When both the enemy and himself became unarmed, that pirate switched into the attack even more.

「Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!」

His right fist punched straight, then his left fist struck, and without a pause he launched a consecutive left and right punches that knocked down the Fire Country’s warrior in the blink of eye.

「……The technique just now!」

Yukino who was watching from afar was shocked.

It wasn’t a brawling technique of rowdy pirate, but a refined martial art combo.

──That one reversal became a trigger that blew a fresh breath into the pirates.

One pirate lowered his waist until grazing the ground while launching a spinning kick to sweep off the legs of a Fire Country’s warrior and he fell on his back.

One pirate charged toward his enemy’s sword without fear and violently tackled him with his back.

In addition, one pirate took out a weight that was tied to a string from his chest pocket. He swung it around with a practiced motion──

He took down a Fire Country’s warrior that was fighting some distance away!

The weight that was fixed to a string hit the forehead of the target and impacted the vital spot hard.

「……What’s the meaning of this? Whether it’s the movement just now, or that weapon, they all don’t look like Hyperborea thing at all!」

Her instinct as a swordsman and martial artist told her that.

Ren who was beside the puzzled Yukino spoke nonchalantly.

「Well of course it is. Those are the sure-kill Chinese kenpo that Luo Hao-oneesan taught to them.」

「W-who is that person!?」

「She is an Earthian, a great teacher of martial art who is said to be beyond compare under the heaven, a grand magician, and in addition she is also a Campione. She is also the leader of the pirate group Byakurentou. She is the Sea King who rule over the Sea King’s Capital too.」

「On top of that she is a self-important woman who always put on air pointlessly!」

Even Stella who was sitting on Ren’s left shoulder added on the explanation in displeasure.

Yukino was dumbfounded by the sudden avalanche of information.

「Aren’t her attributes too many just for one person!?」

「It can’t be helped. After all she is a superman who can serve as Riona’s honorable teacher.」

「Eeeeeeeeh?」

「Oops, even this place won’t be safe anymore soon.」

Ren smoothly muttered.

The battle of both sides was unfolding near the water like on the beach or the harbor’s wharf.

But the pirates who got cornered like a drowning rat──were rampaging with the preparedness to die. As the result one, and then one more pirate broke through the encirclement of the Fire Country’s warriors.

The pirates were also coming toward the area where Yukino and Ren were standing!

「Then, I’ll leave the rest to you!」

「Rokuhara-kun, where are you going!?」

Ren cheerfully ran away. Yukino shouted her question toward his back.

「I’ll just become a burden even if I stay there right? I’ll get lost for a bit with my prided nimble feet, so just take care of them nicely♪」

「Geez. You won’t even try to pretend to face them!?」

Yukino was exasperated. Then an ebony wooden sword appeared in her right hand.

A pirate rushed toward her at that timing and brandished a cane that was about six feet──around 180 cm long to hit a high school girl of 21 ^st century Japan.

His handling of the cane was quite good. His attack was sharp. However.

Yukino performed a reverse diagonal slash. Her wooden sword sprang from below to diagonally right above.

「Guaaah!

「Well of course I can take care of these pirates no matter how many of them there are even without Rokuhara-kun watching over me, but still……」

She whispered while ignoring the groan of the pirate.

Yukino started moving later than the enemy.

And yet, the wooden sword that struck from below repelled the six feet pole that approached her body. And it didn’t stop there, the wooden sword immediately struck the pirate’s cheek bone too hard──

The sea thug fainted in one swing.

There was no second swing. Repelling the opponent’s weapon and striking the vital spot. Mediocre swordsman would need to perform two strikes at the very least to accomplish those, but Yukino ended this fight with a single powerful strike. Such feat was possible from complete mastery of Go no Sen(post-initiative) that could be said as the essence of Japan martial art and swordsmanship.

Yukino calmly looked up to the sky after repelling that trouble.

The typhoon that Riona unleashed had settled down when she realized it. In exchange the beautiful blue jay danced in the sky while spreading open her wings once more.

Even her hangover had vanished to somewhere. The animated voice of Toba Riona reverberated.

「Ha~ne~shuriken no~jutsuu~~~~~~!」(TN: Feather Throwing Stars Technique)

Dozens of feathers were fired from the blue bird’s small body.

They rained down on the ground and stabbed all the remaining survivors of the pirates who were fighting back desperately──right on the back of their neck.

In addition, not a single one of them hit the Fire Country’s warriors and Yukino.

Feather throwing stars that hit one hundred times out of one hundred throw with just the right force. The pirates all collapsed in heaps without a single one remaining. Furthermore they began to let out rhythmical breathing of a sleeper.

「Something like this is just like a game for Onee-sama huh……」

「Well, regardless of everything she is the reincarnation of a god, the avatar of the bird of fire after all.」

「Yep yep. Actually she is even more amazing than this. Even when we got into a quarrel with Theo-san the other day, if Riona was in a perfect condition then she might be able to fight him equally──」

「……Eh?」

Rokuhara Ren was beside her before she realized it. Stella was sitting on his shoulder.

Yukino was dumbfounded. When did he return to her side again? She didn’t notice him approaching her at all.

She was Mononobe Yukino, a god’s descendant of a martial art god and also someone who excelled in swordsmanship more than anymore!

She unconsciously made excuse with a small voice so Ren who was laughing easygoingly couldn’t hear.

「How careless of me. It looks like I was too distracted by Onee-sama……」

「What’s wrong Yukino?」

「N-nothing at all! More importantly Onee-sama, her mood has become really good isn’t it-」

「Well of course. After all she isn’t a match against her honorable master who put that bird curse on her, but she was just able to vent her stress by bullying that person’s subordinates in exchange.」

「That bird girl should just go for broke and challenge her teacher Luo Hao already.」

Ren and Stella said that.

Yukino comprehended the meaning of what they said and felt astounded.

「The one who transformed Onee-sama into that form was──her godslayer teacher!? Then, she just need to ask that person to lift the curse!」

The Onee-sama in question was comfortably flying in the sky as the “Blue Bird of Victory”.

And then the warriors of Fire Country pointed at that elegant flight and,

「Everyone, that bird is the messenger of god!」

「The war god of fire dispatched it in order to protect us, no doubt about it!」

「Everyone, kneel! Offer your prayer to the bird of victory!」

They yelled their high praises in great excitement.

.

4

After the pirates were repelled.

The local people praised Riona as the Blue Bird of Victory and they even welcomed her companions Yukino and others.

By the way, when they were told that they would also get invited to the celebration tonight,

「Woohoo! Of course we will also attend!」

Rokuhara Ren answered like that cheerfully faster than anyone.

It was a bit irritating for Yukino who at least also contributed to the victory a little.

「Rokuhara-kun, you only ran away to somewhere didn’t you……」

「There is no problem isn’t it, after all this is a matter of celebration after such crisis. Besides it would be a disaster if Byakurentou was allowed to land at that time.」

「True, after all it was a pirate attack──」

Yukino shuddered when she imagined the tragedy that might occur.

「A lot of innocent people would be killed, and many important things would be taken away……」

「Ah. It might be actually a bit different from that I think.」

「Eh? Those guys wrapping white cloth on their head, they are pirates right?」

Yukino was perplexed. Ren indifferently told her.

「Their boss is a really strange person you see. All his subordinates are people like pirates or mounted bandits, or outlaws that act like wandering bodyguard, but she made all of them obey the rule of 『Don’t bully the weak』 strictly.」

「I think most people are weaker than a pirate group though……」

「Yep. That’s why Byakurentou has rule to not attack unarmed people and people who don’t know martial art. They also don’t really use bladed weapon.」

Yukino yelled at that surprising new information.

「They won’t be able to do pirating like that!」

「In exchange, they beat up the soldiers and guards without reservation. They won’t show any mercy to that type of people and use the martial art that their great leader has taught them to their heart’s content.」

Stella also added more to Ren’s explanation from his shoulder with an exasperated face.

「And then when a city doesn’t have any more protector, they will collect “membership fee” in really large amount from the citizens.」

「Membership fee, just what kind of membership fee!?」

「It’s fee for something like a club that worship that godslaying witch──Luo Hao. Isn’t that right Ren?」

「Yep yep. Also, they will permanently station Byakurentou members in the city they attacked and become “uninvited bodyguards” who do things like maintaining the city’s public order, or chasing away external enemy, so the citizens will also have to pay a lot of money for that “bodyguard fee”.」

「In the end they are still a very bothersome outlaw group huh. Thank god.」

Yukino was relieved.

The attack she used to defeat the pirate before this didn’t inflict deadly damage, but it should take two or three months for the pirate to completely recover. If that pirate group was actually a “good pirate” like a certain straw hat gang──it made her uneasy when she considered that.

「After knowing that, there is no need for me to be considerate to the pirate’s leader at all then.」

Yukino clenched her fists tightly and resolved herself.

「Onee-sama-. Let’s immediately ride to that pirate group’s den and talk directly to that outrageous godslaying woman! Let’s tell her to return Onee-sama to your human form already, and she doesn’t do that then we will let our fist do the talking!」

「No way.」

Yukino got heated up. In contrast Riona coldly replied right away.

Until now the bird of victory aka “Onee-sama” was perching on Yukino’s left shoulder in a really great mood from all the people fawning and pampering her.

But now she spoke with an irritated tone in a bad mood that was the complete opposite of just now.

「You really don’t know about just how outrageous that honorable master is-. Even though I myself has leveled up considerably, I’m still not a match against that person no matter how hard I try! ……Even my last ray of hope──san can’t use Nemesis’s authority……」

「I’m sorry. What did you say at the end there Onee-sama?」

「I’m just talking to myself so don’t mind it. Anyway listen, what will you do if we failed with our direct talk and instead of being turned into a blue bird, I get turned into a glasses or cricket instead!? We are talking about a monster that can really do such thing here!」

Riona spat that out before she flew away.

The figure of her back that was covered with blue feathers quickly vanished from view. Then the young man who claimed to be her partner who was one in body and soul nonchalantly spoke.

「But, this problem is certainly something that has to be solved soon.」

「Indeed. With how the bird girl is changing to be even more bird-like every day, we can’t just leisurely prepare forever. That’s what my instinct as goddess is telling me.」

Stella also made a comment coolly.

「If she keep staying like that for a half month more, that bird girl’s soul might be unable to return back to normal anymore.」

「So it’s no good unless we make her feel motivated somehow huh. Well, but, Riona herself seems like she is quite shaken up about it──I’ll try to do something.」

Ren muttered. Yukino reflexively stared fixedly at his face.

This young man only stood out in regard to frivolousness and smooth talking. Could someone like that really able to do anything? Rokuhara Ren in question winked at her with a made-up cuteness.

「……You see, actually I have a “way” that I had thought up together with Stella before this.」

.

That night──.

In that city where there were only small houses, the group of bird of victory that included Yukino was invited to a very magnificent estate and participated in a feast there.

There were a  lot of dishes that were overflowing with rusticity like cow or pig that was roasted whole.

Tables and big plates of dishes were lined up at the spacious garden and they had barbeque outside.

They were also treated to wine and spirits made from wheat and the like. The lady of the hour Riona kept being addressed by many people and she drank up the congratulatory drinks that were offered to her (she drank by plunging her bird beak into the cup and drank really skillfully from there).

However, perhaps because her body was the body of a small bird.

It seemed that the alcohol circulated quickly throughout her whole body. When the party was in full swing, Riona’s head began to sway drowsily.

Finally she laid face down on the table and fell asleep soundly *suyaa*.

(It’s a bit earlier than planned, but this might be just the right time.)

Yukino was also eating her meal at the same table while watching over Riona.

She kept to the moderation as someone underage and a high school student and didn’t drink any alcohol at all. Yukino who had been waiting for a chance with great patience until now looked around her restlessly──

「……You are really having fun, Rokuhara-kun.」

She was exasperated.

He mixed in with the local warriors of the Fire Country, took position right beside the wholly roasted cow, cut off the beef meat with a knife and stuffed it into his mouth while also emptying his wine cup.

But, Rokuhara Ren’s mouth was more busily moving for talking rather than eating and drinking.

Using his natural frivolousness, he talked to the people near him without any reservation, laughed brightly, and enlivened the place greatly.

Looking closer, even the girl who seemed to be the mansion owner’s daughter was also laughing shrilly beside Ren.

「His clubber aura is staggering even though he is a Japanese boy……」

Yukino unconsciously frowned.

No, although she said that Mononobe Yukino was also someone who lived in civilian society. Near where she lived there was also quite a lot of partygoers with type that was often called as mild yankee. If she went to karaoke, she would also sing the songs of musicians who were greatly popular for that kind of people.

But, as expected she hoped that a Japanese boy would act more taciturn and awkward──.

Because of her personal preference, she unconsciously directed a criticizing gaze toward Rokuhara Ren who was making merry like that.

Even though they were separated quite far like this that he wouldn’t notice her unless she called out really loudly.

Before Yukino did just that, Ren easily noticed her gaze and grinned at her. With overflowing charm.

Then Ren immediately stood up from his seat and came to the table of Yukino and Riona.

「Oh. Riona has fallen asleep.」

「Yes……. Rokuhara-kun, I’m amazed that you noticed even though you were making merry like that. Just because I was looking that way」

「Aa, that’s like my special skill.」

Ren easily spoke.

「When you are going drinking or in a party, before I realized it I often got attention from some girls or ladies. That kind of thing often happened right? That’s why it made me sensitive at other people’s gaze──it’s something like that. I myself don’t really intend to mind that kind of thing though.」

「I-I see. You are also casually boasting of how popular you are to me huh……」

You damn frivolous normie, Yukino thought with a twitching face.

He just proclaimed that he was especially eye-catching even when he was in an event where a lot of people gathered, furthermore he often gathered the gazes of girls. Surely this person would immediately talk to that kind of girl and enlivened the place.

However, certainly she also understood how he could gather such attention.

She didn’t want to say it but, not only this young man’s look was high level, he was bright and skilled in talking, and in addition he wasn’t dense by any means.

If only her preference wasn’t like that, then certainly he was an existence that was overflowing with charm……

「Forget about that! Please take care with that strategy okay, Rokuhara-kun!」

「Leave it to me. Also Yukino. You should just call me Ren already……」

「I won’t-. Come on, go go!」

She almost felt intimacy toward the amiableness of Rokuhara Ren──

Yukino panicked. She mustn’t get deceived by that kind of frivolous man. She saw off the back of Ren who was going away for the sake of the strategy while sighing in relieve.

Rather than that the priority right now was Onee-sama.

The blue bird was slovenly sleeping face down on the table in front of her.

And then after waiting for around ten minutes.

Yukino suddenly shook the body of the small bird gently.

「Onee-sama, Onee-sama.」

「Nn……how embarrassing, it seems I fell asleep……」

「You see. Just now Rokuhara-kun skulked away to a room inside. After he checked that Onee-sama is sleeping──」

Yukino informed Riona just like how she was told to say.

She didn’t hear about the detail of the so called strategy. She was uneasy wondering if thing would go well just by saying these words.

Onee-sama muttered in suspicion.

「That person did that, after confirming that I’m sleeping? I smell a wrongdoing going on here……」

「R-really?」

「That’s right. As you can see, Rokuhara-san is a frivolous man and a playboy just as his appearance suggested. Him going behind the back of me his fiancée to do bad thing has not only happened twice, or thrice, or four times──」

「Wait a second, that’s the first time I heard that!」

Yukino retorted to that explosive statement in panic.

「I never heard that both of you are engaged with each other!」

「I never told you? Well, anyway, this need to be checked!」

Riona spread open her wings and flew away.

A room had been prepared for them after the owner asked them to stay here for tonight. Riona flew into the mansion from the garden that served as the banquet venue.

She immediately headed toward the room where they left their luggage.

Also, it seemed that door still hadn’t existed in the houses of this Fire Country, so there was only a cloth that was hanged at the room’s entrance to act as partition.

The cloth that was embroidered with vivid colors decorated the inside of the room brilliantly.

Riona──the blue bird stood up in front of that cloth. She landed on the floor to stand on her two thin bird legs. It seemed she was shocked by something and couldn’t fly inside.

Yukino noticed.

Onee-sama was eavesdropping at the conversation that was exchanged inside the room behind the partition. Furthermore she was also peeking inside the room from the gap of the cloth.

Yukino caught up to her and imitated her action. There──

「Stella-chan-!?」

She almost yelled before she hurriedly covered her mouth.

There was a terrifyingly beautiful woman inside the room. Her radiant golden hair was braided up and her body was wrapped in white garment that exposed her chest and amazing body line. Her body was extremely voluptuous in places like her chest or her butt, while places like her waist were perfectly slim. Her arms and legs were slender and most of all her look was like a two peas in a pot with the small goddess Stella who had such minimum body.

She wasn’t doll sized. She had the size of an average human like Yukino and others!

(Stella-chan, she has gotten so big……)

The one who was together with the big Stella was of course Ren.

Rokuhara Ren was sitting on the bed. Big Stella was sitting on his lap. She was in the middle of leaning on him and acting spoiled.

Her bewitching lips approached Ren’s ear and she whispered with a sweet voice.

「Hey Ren……don’t you feel like doing it already?」

「We must not Stella. You already know, that I have a fiancée. I can’t possibly answer your feeling.」

「You stupid. It’s already over for that bird girl. She will stay in that form forever.」

Big Stella chuckled with a scorning smile.

Even though she had childish face, alluring and mature aura was wafting off from her thickly. Even Yukino who was also a female was startled by that and her spine shivered. If love was whispered to her with such voice and expression, would she be able to maintain her rational mind──.

Big Stella continued speaking in front of Yukino and Riona who were peeking in.

「Even her soul will be reduced into the soul of a tiny bird if she keep staying in that form. Her life will end without any hope of her entering a relationship of love with human male. But, I’m different. Sometimes I can become the same size like you Ren, just like this. I can even sleep together with you to your heart’s content……」

「But, I’m not looking for that kind of thing from Riona.」

「Right right. You two are only engaged on paper, while the true aim of this engagement is to make use of each other’s position and power──that’s what you want to say right? But, if that’s the case then there is even less problem. In the end she is just a good-for-nothing woman who can’t even bring herself to confront her teacher Luo Hao. She will die while her soul is still being imprisoned in that flesh body of bird pitifully. Well, if she has the courage to at least be defiant and challenge that bossy teacher, then perhaps a path might open up for her but……you can see how she is in a wretched state like that right now.」

「W-who is she calling good-for-nothing and wretched-!?」

Riona finally screamed when big Stella chuckled mockingly.

She hopped on her feet in an approximation of a run, slipped through the cloth that was hanging as door’s replacement, and barged inside the room. She proclaimed to Ren and Stella who were glued to each other.

「M-my honor as woman will turn obsolete if I get a cold feet after you are insulting me that far. Bring it on, we are going to charge to Houraiha Island right away tomorrow and talk directly to honorable master! After that I’ll make you boil tea with your stomach at the dawn of my comeback as a super beautiful girl, Stella!」(TN: Boiling tea with stomach, it’s an expression from doing something so stupid it makes other laugh)

「Oh, you overheard that? Very well, I’ll do just that if you can really return to your human form!」

The blue bird clamored. Stella brushed her away with a scoff.

The one picking a fight and the one taking up the challenge──no.

It was a situation that was arranged at this critical timing to lit fire on the pride of Toba Riona whose personality was about to break down.

One of the plotter of this scheme, Rokuhara Ren was watching over their conversation with a cheerful smile.

……His eyes met the eyes of Yukino who was behind the cloth hanging at the entrance. He winked playfully. As expected he was really frivolous.

However, Yukino also faintly felt “something” that didn’t feel like a mere frivolousness.

What in the world could this be? Her heart jumped inside her chest just for an instant. She thought that it might be the remain of the allure that Stella displayed just now but──.

This was the first time Yukino experienced this feeling of bewilderment.