Magika no Kenshi to Shoukan Maou

He had a feeling that he had already caught a glimpse of that concept called romantic.

Last night he could make everyone happy more than usual and passed the time in a sweet atmosphere.

{If you could grow until you could create that kind of flow deliberately, then My King will become an excellent playboy!}

Leme came transmitting her voice with Telepathy.

No, it was one kind of training to acquire skills and knowledge for the sake of spending an even better time with his precious people. It was not like he was aiming to become a playboy or something but…

The problem was that everything he had done yesterday could go well because the other parties were the amiable people of the Witch’s Manor. He didn’t know if it would also go well if he did the same thing to Kazuha-senpai.

However…nothing would change if he didn’t even do anything. To face the [romantic] problem assigned to him by senpai seriously was the responsibility of the one who kissed senpai forcefully.

As a Hayashizaki swordsman, he couldn’t run away from romance!

{However when Leme thought will something happen…or nothing will happen…}

…What?

{No, it’s nothing. My King, don’t worry and make the girl fall!}

As always, the yell from Leme that made him feel bad superbly, he thought.

After school, Kazuki finally came to the Sword Division’s school building searching for Kazuha-senpai’s figure.

With Leme’s ability―the power of <Positivity Level Map>, he could perceive that for some reason today too Kazuha-senpai was at the abandoned school building. Most likely she was just alone.

When he finally arrived at the club building after traversing the Japanese garden, his timing was just right with Kazuha-senpai coming out of the abandoned club room. Toward senpai who was raising *kan kan* footstep sounds descending the outer stairs, Kazuki hurriedly called out to her.

“Senpai, I was looking for you.”

Kazuki too raised his voice in nervousness, but even more than him, Kazuha-senpai jumped in surprise. And then as if leaping down, she descended the stairs and turned her back at Kazuki. Then she dashed away like a startled rabbit.

“Wa, please wait a second senpai!?”

Kazuki chased her in a panic. The story was different with what she said yesterday when she didn’t even give him a chance to talk.

“Hayashizaki, don’t tell me you…you are coming here to do something romantic!?”

While escaping, Kazuha-senpai looked back. Her cheeks had already become slightly red.

“Even though senpai is the one that said if I didn’t do something romantic you will cut ties with me, why are you running away!? I won’t be able to do anything romantic like this!!” 𝒇r𝙚𝙚𝓌𝙚𝑏𝗻𝑜𝘷𝗲𝘭.c૦𝑚

“I, it’s fine even if you don’t do it! As I thought it’s fine even if you don’t do anything romantic!!”

What irrationality. With this the chance that she promised to give was only a lie and she was going to cut ties without any questions asked. No…Kazuha-senpai’s positivity level was not that low that she would cut ties that absurdly.

Or perhaps had senpai came to become embarrassed later on after she demanded that [romantic kiss]!? The senpai at that time was in an absurd temperament after all, it was not impossible…

“Wait senpai! It’s dangerous to run away while not looking at your front you know!?”

“Eh!?” Kazuha-senpai raised her voice and looked back at her front, but it was too late.

While she was looking back here, senpai, who was dashing through the Sword Division’s garden with Enchant Aura at full power didn’t notice the excellent pine tree that stood in front of her, then she splendidly collided with it head-on. “UWAAA!” She tottered while scattering away blue defensive magic power.

Kazuki caught up right there. All of a sudden, [wall bang chance] such an idea floated in his head. The escaping Kazuha-senpai was overlapping with Koyuki’s figure.

Kazuki approached Kazuha-senpai and sandwiched her between his body and the pine tree. Kazuha-senpai turned to look his way. He thrust out his right hand through the side of her face to the trunk of the pine tree with a ‘DON’. Wall bang stance―success.

“Senpai, please talk to me.”

Kazuki naturally brought his face closer. Kazuha-senpai meekly shrunk herself.

“Why are you running away? Isn’t this different from the promise?”

“Be, because when I thought about it calmly, what kind of romantic thing you were going to do, it’s strange I thought…”

“But I’m troubled if there's no chance for me to repair my relationship with senpai. Even though it’s for the sake of that, I plan to show that I will do whatever romantic things I have to do.”

“E, even if you become that overly serious to do something romantic…”

“Please give me a chance to do something romantic. For that I'd done lots of training.”

“You said training… …You don’t have any reason to be that attached to me right? Let’s stop this already, there are a lot of other girls after all…”

“There's only one Kazuha-senpai though.”

“………Lusting for me that much, just stop it.” She was talking in a voice that became smaller and smaller.

“Maybe this is lust, but I don’t want my bond with senpai to be gone. But, if senpai rejects me from the bottom of your heart then I'll give up, but like this, won’t the both of us just be left sad?”

“…You can't do something like a proper kiss anyway…”

“I’m sorry, but that time there was no other choice except to kiss.”

Kazuha-senpai fell into a dead-end because she had no outlet for her emotions, she was slightly trembling with a bright red face. Then suddenly “WAA―!” she yelled and pounded at Kazuki’s chest *poka poka* with both hands repeatedly.

“Even though you don’t really like me that much! Just let me go already―!!”

Kazuki hugged Kazuha-senpai tightly altogether with the arms that were hitting him.

“Why does senpai think that? There's no way I don’t like everything about senpai.”

Just like what Mio said, his own feelings had to be conveyed completely.

Exhaust all my words.

“The same magic swordsman like me, and you love kenjutsu even more than Summoning Magic. Even when you were at the very bottom of failure, you kept trying to crawl up with your sword and hard effort. That figure of senpai made me arbitrarily think of you as a companion that is similar to me.”

“Don’t just think of me as someone similar to you as you please. At any rate, someone like me is completely weak…”

“Please don’t talk like that, I want to become stronger together with senpai.”

“If you think like that, doesn’t that mean you only see me as a swordsman and nothing else…”

He thought it was a little unexpected. Senpai’s way of talking just now could be thought as behaving like a spoiled child that wanted to depend on him.

“That’s not true. Senpai is a lovely person with that straightforward personality of yours. You scold me not to hurt girls. I was anxious whether I was hated by senpai or not but senpai came to rely on me for your kenjutsu. Through one thing or another senpai worked really hard for the sake of my battle election that didn’t have any connection at all with senpai. You also cooperated with me even though it was for saving Karin who was an enemy…”

The more he looked back at his memory, the more he realized that Kazuha-senpai was a [good person].

“And then you got angry, you laughed, you got angry to hide your shyness…senpai is an energetic lovely girl. I don’t want to see such a senpai to have a sad face.”

“…Just like everyone else?”

“Yes. Just like everyone else, senpai is precious to me.”

“Even though you understand my feelings you still say something like that, how unfair…”

Certainly it might be unfair. But he had decided not to do anything unfair. It doesn’t matter even if I become a pet or I become someone with a harem, either way I will devote my everything for my precious people.

“Kazuha-senpai. It’s okay even if it is not immediately right now, so please recognize me. Because for the sake of that, I will continue to do romantic things for senpai. And then…I will kiss senpai one more time.”

Kazuki proclaimed such in Kazuha-senpai’s ear while hugging her body tightly. Senpai groaned “uuuu…” while burying her face into Kazuki’s chest―an avatar of a small key flew to Kazuki.

It was the proof of a positivity level that surpassed a value of 65. She didn’t hate him, on the contrary.

“Senpai, just now, your positivity level had gone up.”

“Wha!?” Kazuha-senpai opened her eyes wide, “Release me, release me, release me, release me alreadyyy―!!” She struggled violently and ran away from Kazuki’s arms. And then without delay she speedily slipped away through Kazuki’s side.

“I really…really, really don’t like someone like you at alll―!!”

After shouting that, she turned her back to Kazuki and dashed away.

####################

“Kazuha-senpai, let’s eat lunch.”

―From there on every time Kazuki had time between his work as the Chief Student Council President, he showed his face as much as possible in front of Kazuha-senpai. If the wording was changed that just meant that he followed Kazuha-senpai around.

“Hayashizaki…from now on I’m buying from the canteen…”

Seeing Kazuki who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, Kazuha-senpai showed a forced scowl.

“I know, I heard from Kohaku. Usually senpai ate Kohaku’s homemade box lunch together with her at the abandoned clubroom, but unexpectedly she has work in the Sword Division’s student council during the lunch break so senpai is having bread from the canteen right? But isn’t it lonely to just eat bread alone?”

Because of the Chief Student Council President’s sudden entrance, the surrounding students of the Sword Division were making a stir.

“He's taking consideration for Tsukahara-san who lost her lunch companion.”

“The Chief Student Council President is so kind~” f𝒓𝗲𝗲𝒘𝑒𝚋ｎoѵ𝒆𝗹.co𝗺

Listening on the surrounding conversations, Kazuha-senpai was grumbling “gunu” and making a bitter face. Kazuki was also a little surprised by the surrounding reactions and looked around restlessly, but then he chose not to mind and continued to talk.

“Tha, that might be, but…there is no reason to eat together with you just because of that.”

“Senpai, didn’t you say before that my box lunch was delicious?”

“Even the bread from the canteen is tasty.” Kazuha-senpai turned her back in a huff.

“Hohou…does senpai like bread that much? Cheap bread with cheap quality that has unbalanced nutrition. …Senpai’s desire to improve yourself as a swordsman is only to that degree in the end.”

The canteen of the Sword Division, because it wasn’t provided with a satisfactory budget until now by the Knight Academy, they only stocked up from vendors that could be called anything but first class. Of course this matter is also one of Kazuki and his group’s targets for reform.

“Wha, what did you say!” Against Kazuki’s cheap provocation, Kazuha-senpai quickly turned back.

The moment she turned back, Kazuki took hold of Kazuha-senpai’s hand tightly,

“I brought senpai a box lunch with a more balanced nutrition, so let’s eat together. I won’t overlook this aspect as your master in swordsmanship.”

From Kazuha-senpai, whose hand was caught, a heart mark came flying. However Kazuha-senpai still resisted.

“Do, don’t grip my hand! You are just too overbearing!!”

“Hayashizaki-kun is so kind―!”

“Don’t tell me you're refusing Chief President’s invitation, don’t be like that Tsukahara-san.”

The surrounding conversations were on Kazuki’s side. Kazuha-senpai was groaning “gununu”, and she continued to get dragged away by Kazuki. Just like that the both of them walked to the abandoned clubroom.

“Senpai, your positivity level just went up a little again you know?”

“You lie-! I don’t feel happy even a tiny little bit being treated like this―!!”

Kazuha-senpai kicked and struggled in vexation.

“Ah, senpai. I forgot to prepare chopsticks for two people. There's no other way except to feed senpai with ‘aa―n’ using my chopsticks then.”

“Youuu―!!”

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

Of course there was no way he could devote all his time just following Kazuha-senpai around.

Around the start of June, finally the first edition of the academy newspaper was finished in the form of data at the student council room.

Next they only need to print it and they would be in a situation where they could distribute it to the whole student body of the school.

The content was first about the introduction of Kazuki who became the Chief Student Council President and his declaration of opinion in the form of words, and also the introduction of the Magic Division and the Sword Division’s student councils. They also especially took pictures of the introduced characters and published it in the newspaper.

And then the introduction of various policies that Kazuki thought he wanted to perform from now on, and also the collection of opinions from the students regarding his policies. It became that students could express their opinions by mailing it to the student council.

Furthermore, the newspaper also consolidated the fundamental introduction of the Magic Division and the Sword Division. It was because the Magic Division and the Sword Division didn’t know much at all about each other. What kind of system each Division had, what kind of classes they received, what kind of activity they spent their time on…the first edition of the newspaper became really varied in its content.

“Even though I wanted to write about battle articles if there was leftover space, or maybe a poetry corner.”

Mio pouted her lips and booed. Well, he had the feeling that he wanted to try and read such things though.

“The committee chairman had also done her best and reduced her sleeping time you know?”

Yumeno-san had the color of exhaustion peeking out a little in her expression, but she directed him a smiling face filled with a sense of accomplishment.

“After that, for the time being, we're going to have Headmaster Amasaki do the last check including the design. Though I think there'll be no problem, because he had looked over the main manuscript.”

When Kazuki murmured that, the monitor that was attached on the wall of the student council room made a ‘putsun’ sound. It was receiving a signal and started automatically. On the monitor, Headmaster Amasaki’s face was projected.

This monitor was the hotline that connected the staff room with the student council room.

{Hayashizaki Kazuki…not just you, but everyone else seems to be present. Well fine.}

“Headmaster? We're just finishing the academy newspaper here. We have also sent the data to the headmaster’s address but…do you have any business?”

The time from when they had sent the newspaper data and him contacting right now was too fast for him to have finished checking already.

{This is something that I’m really not clear on either, so I’m getting right to the point…Board Chairman Takasugi had disappeared.}

“…What did you say? What is the meaning of this?”

{That’s also what I don't understand. He didn’t even leave a note of explanation, there is no trace of an incident. It’s just so sudden, that bastard’s figure vanished just like that. Even the guy’s family can't be contacted. There was a search request coming from the Knight Order.}

His family too, did that mean that the Takasugi brothers had also disappeared.

{Because of that, there will be a new Board Chairman coming in the near future. The front page for the newspaper’s next issue is decided already with this big scoop isn’t it? Hahhahha.}

“…What hahhahha, this is not the time.” Kaguya-senpai was making an amazed face with all her heart.

After leaving behind a careless laugh, the communication was cut.

Board Chairman Takasugi―all of his student protégées lost in the general election. Hayashi Shizuka also failed in her assassination of Hayashizaki Kazuki. Had he judged that he had no business anymore in this academy?

Even so there was supposed to be some value left that could be used in the position of Board Chairman…

In the end everything ended with their inability to grasp any proof of that man’s true colors.

In the end their excitement of finishing the newspaper was completely poured with cold water by this unknown uneasiness.

####################

The night of the same day.

Kazuki, together with Kaguya-senpai and Koyuki were playing card games in Kaguya-senpai’s room.

Reading the opponent’s thoughts and building the road to victory with [strategic thinking], for Kazuki who had experienced a lot of matches as a swordsman this card game was something familiar. However Kaguya-senpai and Koyuki were also extraordinarily strong opponents in strategy games, the match was being well fought.

Koyuki, who was set up by Kazuki and Kaguya-senpai and fell into last place showed a lovely sulky look with her cheeks bulging. During that time Kazuki’s cell phone rang out.

“WATCH THE NEWS RIGHT NOW!”

It was Headmaster Amasaki on the line with a voice so loud that it almost made his defensive magic power activate to protect his eardrums. When Kazuki tried to turn on the TV while he was soothing Koyuki who was silently burning for revenge, from the living room in the first floor “Kazuki, Kaguya, this is bad!” Hikaru-senpai’s voice came calling them.

The three people descended down from the room on the second floor to the living room. Their group was also joined by Mio who heard the commotion. In the living room, Hikaru-senpai, Lotte and Karin were becoming glued to the TV.

It looked like this group of three people were originally watching anime. However what was currently projected in the living room’s large screen TV that was bigger to the one in their room was a totally different image.

{…This is a relay from a helicopter. Please look, The Knight Order’s subdivision is burning! Amidst the flames and rubble, a state of fighting between Magica Stigma can be confirmed!}

The reporter raised an upset voice with a rough breath.

They could see that the news was transmitted in real time right from the actual location from the image’s rough quality. It was an image of a town that was reduced to rubble, reminding them of [Tokyo’s Great Destruction], and then the [flames of war].

The knights that formed the Heaven and Earth Formation to take control were unfolding a fierce battle with Magica Stigma.

{These Magic Dresses belong to Solomon's 72 Pillars.}

There was also a small clip of the news studio’s situation on the screen. There was a man that looked like an expert in it pointed at the knights that were fighting in the Heaven and Earth Formation and explained.

{Then they are the Knight Order, and then the opponents they are fighting…}

The news caster at his side asked for answers.

{The Magic Dresses of the opposing Magica Stigma―there is nothing corresponding in the database even when we make comparisons, they're unidentified.}

{So in other words, they are illegal magicians?}

{Correct. Moreover this enemy is in fairly large numbers, they are moving to take control. …Please look, right now they are showing action of taking prisoners by capturing the knights that used up all of their magic power and fainted. A movement that is taking control like this, it’s a characteristic that could be seen from <Loki Einherjar> that is led by Loki from the Norse Mythology at the center of repeated terror attacks recently.}

{Then this attack, is something caused by that Loki?}

{However…this is something on a larger scale compared to Loki Einherjar until now…Moreover, look here, we can see figures of [swordsmen] that are supporting them. There shouldn’t be any swordsmen in Loki Einherjar. Also the Magic Dresses of the illegal magicians, for some reason their design looked of Japanese origin…}

The screen image shook fiercely. The reporter’s panicked scream rang out.

{We're being targeted! The helicopter is being targeted by them!!}

Intense lightning and fireball attacks were heading to the screen one after another flying closer. The screen was disturbed together with explosive sounds―after it blacked out, the screen changed to the news studio.

{The image just now comes from Nagoya city, but information is coming in that repeated attacks are occurring in a large number of areas at the same time. The information is complicated but just now we have collected accurate information. Since the afternoon there have been reports of mass internet and radio wave disruptions in western Japan but, presently, western Japan is in a state of being isolated from all kinds of long range communication. The situation is that there is no information at all coming from the west…}

Kazuki and Kaguya-senpai were both taken aback and rooted on the spot in front of the TV.

From the cell phone that he'd even forgotten was still in a call state, he could hear Headmaster Amasaki’s voice.

{On my side as well, I’m still in the middle of collecting information from the political world but, Toyama - Gifu - Aichi, the boundary line of the archipelago including those three, all the branches of the Knight Order located on the western side of that line were attacked, every one of them has fallen. There are also branches that are still holding out but we cannot make contact, they'd already been completely isolated. This is terro…no, this is a coup d'état. On top of losing this country’s western half police - national defense ability, information is also blockaded.}

After a moment for taking a breath, Headmaster Amasaki informed him of something that was hard to believe.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

{In other words, western Japan has seceded from our country.}