Tortus Travel Journal ㊾ Unexpected Talent?
A deadly battle was unfolded between a black angel and a silver angel. It was a battle that was truly worthy to be called a “proper” battle.
The feeling of powerlessness from being unable to keep a promise that was exchanged in the past.
The sense of inferiority that was brought about by one’s own weakness.
Jealousy, anger, regret.
One’s own ugliness was thoroughly beaten into oneself, which strengthened the fake rapidly. The dancing blade and magic were materializing her heart’s weakness into a physical embodint.
But at the sa ti that battle was also beautiful.
The way the past Kaori desperately resisted, hanged on, and continued to fight, coupled with her swordsmanship that was gradually getting refined to look like a dance definitely possessed a certain sothing that pressed on the heart of the people watching it.
It was definitely touching, but……
『Actually even after conquering the underground dungeon you――』
「Attagirl, HIT HER KAORIIIIIIII! BEAT HER UPPPPPPP-」
『I(You) am a saint? Fufu, what a joke isn’t it? At the bottom of my heart I――』
「What’s so funny!? She’s a saint no matter where you looookkkk!? There isn’t any room for argunt!」
『Your(My) heart is this ugly――』
「What did you just say you bastard–! How dare you grin like that with Kaori’s face since so ti ago! I can’t take it anymore. Kaoriii! Otou-san’ll help you nowwww!!」
Tomoichi-san was being terribly annoying.
Ever since this part of the past replay started, his tension had gone through the roof and he acted annoyingly just like Haji when watching the fake Yue. But he had completely snapped not long after the fake started throwing verbal abuse to the past Kaori. Even now he kept shouting angrily nonstop. It made the others couldn’t really catch what the fake was saying.
Kaori was covering her face with both her hands. Apparently her father’s heated reaction stimulated her embarrassnt far more than her past self’s action. It was only natural.
Tomoichi finally rolled his sleeves while readying himself to charge toward the past fake, but Kaoruko hugged him from behind with a wry smile to stop him.
「Well, it’s not like I can’t understand his feeling.」
「That’s true. This trial isn’t a pleasant thing to watch even from the outside like this.」
Shuu and Sumire were also smiling wryly. Koichi also nodded strongly in understanding as a father who also had a daughter.
「Not to ntion Kaori-chan is going through this trial in the right way in a sense.」
Yes, it was a deadly battle because Kaori was facing her “negative emotions” head-on.
Even while she was fighting back against her gradually strengthened fake self, little by little she solidified her feelings, comprehended them, overca them, and then she advanced forward.
The “preciousness of human’s growth” could be felt even more from her appearance compared to Yue, Shia, and Tio who conquered their trial using a slightly unique thod.
To prove it,
『The strengthening, stopped?』
The fake’s expression finally changed. The tilting scale of strength was starting to regain its equilibrium once more.
The two clashed fiercely inside the past replay. Their swords locked with each other. But, Kaori didn’t pull back. She didn’t get pushed back. She stared straight toward the manifestation of her own negative feelings from point-blank range despite wanting to avert her eyes from it so much.
And then she laid her feeling bare.
『I myself want to change. I want to be kind like Yue. I want to be strong like Shia. I want to be wise like Tio. I want to be cute like Shizuku-cha――』
「KAORIIIIIIIII, how honest and adorable! Bravooo! Angel! It’s alright! Otou-san knows! There isn’t anyone as strong and kind as you in this――」
「Otou-san, STAYYYYY!!」
「GYAA!?」
Hearing Kaori’s honest feeling made Yue, Shia, Tio, and also Shizuku to blush slightly. Even so they were sending warm gazes that enveloped Kaori.
That too was a precious sight that enveloped everyone’s heart in gentle feeling――or it should be, but everyone’s expression turned stiff from Tomoichi-san’s idiot father act. Papa who doted on his daughter didn’t have the words reading the mood in his dictionary!
And so the beloved daughter finally couldn’t endure it anymore and the flat of her great sword smacked the father’s head. He was down for the count. He was rendered unconscious with his eyes rolled up.
「Oi Kaori. You overdid it.」
「I don’t care for this kind of Otou-san!」
Kaoruko who caught her husband’s body couldn’t continue holding him up forever as expected. She sat down on the ground while looking at her unconscious husband like he was a hopeless person. Then he made him faced up and gave him a lap pillow. As for Kaori, she looked aside sullenly even after being reproached.
「So he has to miss the climax in the end……」
「This isn’t the first ti this happen. Fufu, he’s really adorable no matter how much ti has passed.」
「I never understand ever since a long ti ago why your expression always turned loving at this kind of ti.」
Akiko-san looked exasperated while Kaoruko-san’s affectionate expression deepened for so reason while she caressed Tomoichi’s head. Kirino who had known her for a long ti was looking like she was enduring a headache from watching that.
But putting aside the Shirasaki husband and wife who were being like that,
「……Hmm? Hoo? So Kaori think of as kind?」
「Hee, hohoo? So Kaori-san wanted to beco storng like ?」
「I seeee, thy often looked at as though I’m a pitiful thing and yet, fufu, thy art actually looking up to as a wise person.」
「Y-you said you wanted to be cute like ……geez, even though you’re cuter than no matter how you looked at it……geez!」
「Nnn. W-well, I think you can say that perhaps I might feel sothing like that or perhaps not once or twice I guess? I guess!」
Kaori turned bright red and her speech beca really rapid when the four girls looked at her with four different kind of grinning.
The scale of strength inside the past replay had gotten overturned. Kaori’s swordsmanship and magic were starting to graze the fake bit by bit.
「Kaori……is really amazing just as I thought.」
Liliana muttered with an emotional tone.
「It reminded how after Haji-san fell into the abyss, you were the only one who believed in his survival and frantically did everything you can.」
「Lily……」
「It was also the sa during the final battle. You were the only one who lifted your hands toward the sky while everyone else was despairing in front of the apostles’ all out bombardnt. You stopped it till the end.」
Liliana looked at Kaori. She looked proud to be Kaori’s friend.
「There were also tis when you were hurt and fell on your knee, but you always stood up and carried through till the end……I really respect you for that.」
「uu……Lily, it’s embarrassing if you told straight like that.」
Kaori mumbled her words shyly. Liliana chuckled.
Aiko also smiled seeing the two of them like that while opening her mouth. She looked proud in so way. It was the look of a teacher who saw off a student leaving their nest splendidly.
「That’s true. When Haji-kun fell, I too felt like my heart was going to break because there was no more hope of all of the students going back safely to Japan. It was pathetic of . I couldn’t imdiately console the students because I myself was in shock……」
「Ai-chan-sensei……」
「Right after you woke up, you declared that you’re going to search Haji-kun, that you won’t give up until you see it with your own eyes. That strength of your encouraged too. At that ti I felt that a student like you are too good for soone like , but that’s exactly why I can’t just keep feeling down. It was because of you that I managed to get back on my feet you know?」
「I-is that so……ehehe」
Kaori smiled happily and also bashfully while fidgeting shyly from hearing Aiko’s honest feeling, but Kaoruko looked even happier than her as her mother. ……Of course, Tomoichi was still unconscious. Even though her daughter was getting praised. It was too bad. In various senses.
The past replay was reaching the climax. Haji spoke teasingly, but there was also respect and praise in his voice tone just like Liliana and Aiko.
「You’re dense, like to charge ahead without thinking, and even when you get beaten up you make it into the source of your growth and get stronger……thinking back now, Kaori was filled up with a lot of main character attributes wasn’t she?」
「Even though she kept charging at Haji every chance she got before we got summoned, she wasn’t even aware that she loved him until he fell into the abyss.」
「H-Haji-kun! Even Shizuku-chan!」
「The dying scene of a loved one is a common trope for the hero’s awakening event. Haji, you were actually Kaori-chan’s heroine……」
「Okaa-san(Mother-in-law)!?」
「Wait a second. In that case, Haji encountering Yue-chan and getting together with her was really an NT――」
「Please don’t say anymore than that, Otou-san(Father-in-law)! It feels like my brain is going to explode even now if that thought entered my mind!!」
「……Kaori-kuuun, you alriiight? I’m going to do awee~so thing with your beloved Haji-chan noow~♪」
「I take it back! Yue isn’t kind at all-」
Haji and others were screwing around excitedly like that while the past Kaori was clearing her trial splendidly. anwhile Myuu was making a troubled expression outside the commotion. She took Remia mama’s hand and looked up to her with a frown.
「Kaori-oneechan is amazing nano.」
「Yes, she is.」
「Even though she’s so amazing……she’s so amazing right now……but then this scene will beco like that right after this!」
「T-that’s true.」
Myuu covered her face in sorrow. It was as though she was watching a tragic fate that couldn’t be changed.
No, it wasn’t as though, there was really a tragedy right in front of them. It was even more tragic because the trial was going on swimmingly in an emotional way.
A part of the ice wall inside the past replay exploded. Yue stumbled out from there.
「「「「「Ah……」」」」」
Nobody had forgotten, but the past Kaori had been really doing her best in proper and respectable way that everyone unconsciously avoided thinking about it. Everyone’s voice trembled seeing how the past unfolded from there.
「Thank you for watching.」
Kaori quietly closed the past replay. The expression she had at that mont was the clear expression that only soone who had accepted the past could have.
「Uu, Kaori-san. Please let say it once more! I’m really really sorry desuuu!」
「Yes, it’s alright now. I don’t mind anymore that Shia punched my fake to use her as cannonball or used her as shield against a lightning dragon.」
「That’s completely the line of soone who completely mind it desuu」
Kaori’s affectionate smile whipped up terror and guilt inside Shia instead. Shia hurriedly elbowed Yue beside her. She urged her 「Co on, Yue-san too! You have to apologize too for that ti!」 with a small voice. Kaori’s gaze slowly turned toward Yue with a radiant smile still sported on her face.
「……K-Kaori. Umm, err, I……」
「Uh huh, whaaat?」
Kaori smiled cheerfully while urging Yue 「Co on, it’s okay for you to apologize you know? Be honest to yourself」. Yue kept sending upward glances at Kaori while her face kept reddening more as ti passed.
Uh, guuh, Yue was groaning while looking terribly conflicted.
「Yue-oneechan, it’s better to apologize properly……」
「Fuguuh」
「Is it just my imagination that there is this sound of teeth grinding?」
「Thy hands art turning white from clenching too hard there.」
「Y-you really hate it to that degree……」
Even Myuu was rebuking her while looking conflicted. Yue-san’s conflicted feeling reached the peak.
And then, a beat later.
Yue sighed 「Fuuuh」 as though she had let go of so kind of a big burden. She faced Kaori. She called 「Kaori」 with a look of determination.
And then, 「Whaat?」 Kaori asked her with a saintly smile. Yue’s expression tensed and she strongly declared.
「Even if I’m 100% at fault! I don’t want to lower my head and neither will I do so–!!」
「「「「「You’re the worsttt」」」」」
「That’s what I thought you’ll say!!」
「「「「「Your understanding of her is staggering-」」」」」
Everyone looked exasperated or looked they had gotten a headache, but Haji alone said 「What a witty remark. ……I also want to use that line soday」 while looking deeply impressed.
「Yue-oneechan……」
「……Myuu, rember this. Each person has sothing that they can’t give up to anyone. Such thing has to be protected even at the cost of your life!」
「Not bowing to Kaori-oneechan is sothing that worth your life?」
「Of course-」
「……The feelings of “No, I think that’s no good as a human” and “I see. So there’s also sothing like that” are clashing inside Myuu nano.」
「Myuu, choose the first feeling without hesitation. Promise that to mama.」
「Myu……」
It seed that the bad influence to Myuu didn’t co solely from Haji papa.
「Haa, that’s enough already. It’s a past matter. And if I’m in Yue’s position then I too absolutely won’t apologize! Even if it killed !」
No, so you’re the sa!? Such retort could be filled from the gazes of the parents toward Kaori.
「But, Myuu-chan, you don’t need to rember this example. You have to properly apologize when you do sothing wrong you know?」
「Y-yes nano……」
Myuu was radiating an atmosphere that was clearly showing how she thought Kaori’s words had no persuasiveness at all no matter how she looked at it.
Kaori too must be feeling it. There were also the gazes from the parents piercing into her, so she cleared her throat.
「Next is Haji-kun’s trial isn’t it? I can’t wait!」
「Is Tomoichi-san alright?」
Haji smiled wryly at the blatant change of subject while his gaze moved toward the still unconscious Tomoichi. Kaoruko answered him.
「It’s fine Haji-kun. Rather he would just beco noisy saying things like “One more ti!” or “I need to record this!” if he wake up now, so if it’s not a trouble to carry him in this state then I want to keep him like this.」
「Err……well, we can carry him the sa way like we carried Lily just now so it’s not a trouble……」
The madam made an unexpectedly severe decision. Haji looked toward Tomoichi with so agreent in his expression.
He summoned the aforentioned wooden coffin once more. Kaoruko lifted up Tomoichi in her arms and put him inside the coffin. She was wearing an affectionate smile the whole ti.
It was strange. She didn’t look like she was having difficulty at all even though she was lifting up an adult male. The way she put him inside the coffin looked excessively polished.
You should keep your treasure in a safe place~~ It felt like they could hear soone saying that.
「……These mother and daughter are really similar.」
「Yue? What do you an by that hmm?」
It went without saying what she ant by that. Everyone understood it. That fact was clear from a glance of everyone’s face other than the Shirasaki mother and daughter.
Haji shivered slightly while opening the “gate”. anwhile Akiko whispered to her daughter with a twitching expression.
「……Hey, Aiko. Thinking back, aren’t there too many people who fainted during this trip?」
「Eh? That’s not……」
Adol who watched the beginning of Tio’s fall from grace, Yue who got punched on her stomach by Shizuku at the empire, the nobles who felt terror toward Hauria, Altena at the sea of trees, and not to ntion Liliana.
「Eh? Aren’t there too many people who fainted in our trip?」
「A trip where people lost consciousness everywhere the group goes……put in words like that, it’s like this trip is cursed.」
The Hatayama mother and daughter looked at each other’s face and laughed drily together. And then they passed through the “gate” behind Haji and the others as though nothing had happened.
In this world there were things that would only be a waste of ti or even harmful to be concerned about. The returnees knew that fact very well.
.
.
.
Haji’s trial was replayed. After a while,
「「「「「O-oo……」」」」」
Voices that were hard to differentiate whether they sounded impressed or shocked arose from here and there. Everyone, even Yue and the girls were watching with rapt attention.
They looked like movie-goers who were leaning forward on the edge of their seat while watching a well-made action movie.
The trials that they had watched until now were also intense just like action movie. But, they were all heavy with fantasy elent. Those were fights of other world fantasy.
That was why Haji’s trial was sensational in a sense.
Especially for those who were born on earth. This fight felt far more realistic than the trials of Yue and the others. And yet the battle ought to be called as the very picture of an action movie.
「When it cos to battle between two gunners……the fantasy elent get drastically thinned down.」
Shuuzou muttered that while rubbing his chin. Nobody replied back, but they strongly agreed inside their heart.
Repeated gunshot sounds. Bursts of gun fires and black and red flashes flying every which way.
The fake’s white Donner was thrust out. In respond Haji’s Schlag swept it away to diver its firing line.
Donner fired at the sa ti, but the fake half spun to dodge and fired back with his white Schlag.
Haji also spun to dodge. Both sides aid at each other with their respective Donner. The instant each gun muzzle fixed their aim, two bullets collided on midair right on the center without the slightest deviation. They were squashed flat from the impact and fell on the ground.
Aim, sweep, fire back, dodge, aim again, shift firing line, fire back.
Originally it should be punches and kicks that were exchange in such close quarter. But there both sides escaped from the firing trajectory by a hair’s breadth while trying to make their own bullet landed on the enemy.
Close quarter combat was being perford through an exchange of crimson flashes and black flashes as though they were using bullets in the place of fist. The sight of bicolor flashes flying every which way with the two at the center could only be described as stunning.
Yes, that was the combat which was brought about by the interweaving Gun Kata of two gun users.
「Papa is so cool nano! Amazing nanooo!!」
「Oh, is that so?」
Everyone had understood from the course of their trip until here that Haji’s gunmanship was at the realm of extremity. That was even truer for Myuu who had actually travelled with him during their adventure.
But, as expected it was just as Shuuzou said. A battle between two equally extraordinary gun users was so fresh that it made them temporarily forgot that they were in a fantasy world. The sight sent their heart to dance in excitent. That was clear from a glance of the expressions of the parents and the girls.
「Oi oi, you shot down bullet using bullet even when you aren’t sticking close to the enemy! Were you aiming for that Haji-kun!!?」
「Y-yes, well」
Koichi’s excitent was through the roof. It was a far different look from the composed personality――excluding the tis Yaegashi family went wild as the whole――that he carried himself with until now. The way his eyes shined like a kid made Haji felt slightly taken aback.
「My father love Hollywood’s action movie. Especially those with stylish gun action.」
「Is that so? He has great taste.」
「Haji-kun! Is that feat possible for you only because you’re facing your fake whose movent you can predict-? Or you actually can do that feat against anyone-? Which one is it!!」
「Isn’t his character crumbling down? His intonation is similar with a certain muscular actor.」
「Which one-, is iitttt-」
「I-it’s the latter.」
「EXCELLENTTT-」
「Otou-san, calm down!」
Putting aside the breakdown of Koichi-san’s character, the confrontation between the fake and the past Haji was truly flashy. There was no denying that it was a show worth seeing.
Midair gun spin reload, six consecutive shots on the sa spot, using the dent on the ground for a ricochet shot, even space jumping sniping using chakram.
「It’s really an impressive show. Haji-kun’s technique really shines in a gunfight.」
「You’ll never be able to watch this kind of gunfight in real life.」
The fake and the past Haji separated for a mont inside the replay. Kirino and Kaoruko let out a long exhale because there was finally a break in the fight.
……Actually, a certain top class secret agent of Japan or Britain could also perform movie worthy gun action in real life, though of course it would still be far away from Haji’s level but……
They would only learn about that fact so ti in the future.
「There’s nobody who can be Haji-kun’s match when it cos to guns, so this is also fresh for us.」
「That’s true. ……Though it feels like I can get used to the railgun’s speed if I strained my eyes really hard, then I might be able to have this kind of fight too using Drucken’s bombardnt mode desu……」
「Shia……just now, art thou aware that thy just said sothing absurd about reacting to speed that equaled lighting――」
「I’m not going to do it though because it’ll be faster to close the distance and punch rather than wasting ti firing bullets!」
In the future she would be able to evade not only railgun but even using her sight to dodge the attack from the avatar of lightning that turned into lightning itself, but this too was still far in the future.
Aiko sent a terribly doubting sidelong glance at Shia and said.
「If it’s Shia-san then she might say sothing like “I can just let sothing like railgun hit and keep rushing ahead desuu!” rather than dodging it. I have the feeling that even if a bullet hit her body it will only make loud clanging sound.」
「Ai-chan-sensei……you’re describing Termina**r there.」
「……Haji in white coat is also really cool♡ I’ll make him wear one next ti. And then we’ll have a date.」
「Y-Yue-san is the only one looking at sothing else……this is my first ti seeing soone with heart mark on their eyes for real……」
「M-my my……is it magic?」
Liliana and Remia watched Yue with their eyes widening in astonishnt. Yue was clasping her hands in front of her chest while putting on the expression of a maiden in love. Her eyes certainly had pink heart mark on them. It might be the work of tamorphosis magic or illusion.
In any case, the exciting screening stopped there.
『――Do you really think that you still have a place to belong back ho?』
The fake finally started attacking verbally. He also started firing bullet of words.
He stated how there was no way a human killing monster could have a place to belong among humans. Surely his parents would feel shocked seeing what their son had changed into.
Haji’s core was none other than his desire to go ho. That was why he feared being rejected by everything that was related to that, the fake said.
Yue and the others understood this aspect of Haji, but Liliana and the parents other than Sumire and Shuu were surprised, because they thought of Haji as soone who always laughed fearlessly no matter what stood on his way as he overca them all.
Sumire and Shuu laughed in amusent while glancing at their son.
「Really, our son is so cute. Fufu, I rember how nervous he was when he showed up in front of our ho.」
「His body completely relaxed with relieve the mont we hugged him tightly.」
「Stop that, it’s embarrassing.」
Haji’s cheeks reddened when his parents revealed what happened right after he went ho.
Myuu too found this side of her papa surprising. She softly held Haji’s hand. Her eyes looked up at Haji. Of course there was no disappointnt in there. Rather there was joy there for being able to know about her papa’s weak part.
The other parents must also feel the sa.
「Hmph, I can finally see a childish side of yours. It made feel relieved.」
「Tomoichi-san, you’re awake?」
「Of course I’ll wake up when there are this many gun shots. My head is throbbing though.」
Tomoichi crawled out from the coffin while Kaori’s healing magic flashed on his head. Tomoichi had a quiet expression, which made a very surreal image. The way mysterious light like in ani shined on his head made him looked like an uncle with barren field on the top of his head.
「You were forced to go through this kind of experience and had to mature ntally, even so you returned ho. Then you better rember that you’re still allowed to be a kid.」
「…………Yes, I’ll rember that. Thank you Tomoichi-san.」
「Hmph. You’re still a kid, so you need to keep your relationship with Kaori in moderation too!」
Tomoichi spoke his usual abusive language at the end to hide his embarrassnt, but surely his words before that were his true feeling.
There were a lot of things that Haji had to do. He could do a lot of things, and there were also a lot of things that only he could do, but there was no need for him to forget how to depend on the adults near him. That was what Tomoichi said to him.
Shuu looked at his son and Tomoichi back and forth while feeling just a little bit fretful 「Eh? Isn’t he acting more fatherly than ?」. anwhile the fake’s verbal attack entered the climax.
『That’s why you couldn’t ignore Hatayama Aiko’s words――』
「Fuhee!? !?」
Aiko raised her voice hysterically when her na suddenly ca out from the fake’s mouth.
「Aa, I also ntioned it when we were at Ur right? I told you I was thankful for your admonishnt about my way of living.」
「I-I see.」
He certainly told her that. Although she never imagined that Haji took it so seriously that it even got brought up in this trial. The fake was also saying “You looked up to her as your teacher~” which made Aiko’s cheeks reddened in bashfulness. While Aiko was like that, Akiko took her place to puff up her chest as a mother who was proud of her daughter.
『――It’s just dependence.』
The fake even denied Haji’s love toward Yue. He stated how his feeling toward Yue was nothing more than an insurance in case he found out that there was no place for him at his birthplace.
The parents looked surprised once more to hear that. They unconsciously glanced at Yue but,
「……Nn. It would be even better if Haji is completely dependent that he is useless without .」
「Don’t talk like Kaori.」
「I never said anything like that right!? Right!?」
「Kaori-san……it’s sothing that is radiating out from your whole being.」
「You’re lying right!?」
The parents sighed in relieve seeing them having such noisy exchange like usual, because that ant that this was sothing that they had already shared with each other beforehand.
「But papa, you’re starting to get wounded nano. How did you win from here nano?」
「Nn~, well, I just acted defiantly and forced my way through. It even made feel embarrassed when I compared my way with how Kaori did her best. You’ll see it after this.」
Myuu was feeling in suspense even though this was a past that had already happened, but it was just as Haji said. The conclusion was imdiately put into display.
One of Haji’s attack finally caught the fake. According to the fake, it seed that the scale of strength still hadn’t tilted to either side. Haji wasn’t averting his eyes from his own weakness, but he also hadn’t overco it, the fake said. But since that one attack that hit, Haji was gradually surpassing the fake.
The fake was confused. Then Haji told him this.
『I did nothing different than usual. Not being able to move until your worry is resolved, do you think that kind of childishness can be allowed?』
Everyone automatically recalled the struggle for survival that they saw Haji experienced in the bottom of the abyss.
Certainly it was just as he said. A “luxury” like worry wasn’t sothing that was allowed for Haji. Even then he continued to move forward. Because he would die if he didn’t advance. Because without doing that, he wouldn’t be able to make even a ager wish of going ho co true.
In other words for Haji, this trial wasn’t anything different than that ti and all the battles that he had gone through until now.
『I’m grateful you know? Thanks to you I can take a careful look at my own movent.』
Haji hadn’t even faced the fake from the start. Because even though he had been aware of it, he had been moving forward while holding close to his chest “his own negative emotions” the whole ti until now without any single one of them getting resolved.
What Haji was watching for was only “the enemy’s movent” like usual.
He observed, analyzed, and then did everything he could to surpass the enemy, even just for a little bit. From watching the fake he found out his own quirks and pointless movents, then he took a step forward from there. To reach to the present, to this mont.
That was how he managed to survive until this point. By keep moving forward.
「I see. Certainly this is what you Haji-kun did in that abyss.」
Shuuzou nodded in understanding. The match was decided right after that.
Although the past Haji didn’t deny that a part of his feeling toward Yue was as a guarantee for his ntal wellbeing, he declared that 99,9% of it was love.
Yue writhed. 「Geez! Haji you dummy!」 She said while acting angry. Kaori and others looked at them coldly. Are you two won’t feel satisfied unless you boast about your love even at this kind of ti, their eyes asked. See, even the fake is looking exasperated! Their eyes said.
「W-well, my trial is sothing like this.」
Haji averted his gaze a bit awkwardly.
The past Haji looked toward the ice tree that stood tall at the center of the room with just a small ripple of emotion in his eyes. But he then imdiately moved toward the new path that just appeared. After seeing off the past Haji’s back, Yue cleared her throat too while turning off the past replay.
Haji’s back at the end there really resembled the ti when he just killed the claw bear in the abyss and advanced into the darkness with a renewed resolve.
「What’s this? You kept saying how you brute forced this trial like it was your dark history, so I was really looking forward to just how pathetic you are in here……but you actually did your best.」
「Certainly you might not have faced your own feeling properly in here but……to persist in what you have decided to do no matter what happened is also a splendid act you know? You did great Haji.」
「……Nnh. This is why it’s embarrassing.」
「……I managed to see a lot of Haji’s embarrassed face since coming to this room. I’m super satisfied.」
「Yue-san, please read the mood. It’s parents-son ti right now!」
Sumire and Shuu placed their hand on Haji’s shoulders while gazing at him gently――at the side was Yue-sama capturing the mont of Haji’s embarrassed face into flashing cara that made shuttering sounds repeatedly. This stupid couple, like boyfriend like girlfriend, Shia and others thought with an exasperated look.
They didn’t know whether they should feel warm from the atmosphere of the Nagumo parents and son or whether they should put on an exasperated look at Yue who kept clicking on her cara. The emotion of Tomoichi and others was in chaos.
「Next is Shizuku. That will be the last one.」
Haji was about to open a “gate” to the last destination, partly to cover up his embarrassnt too.
But there, Myuu tugged on Haji’s sleeve insistently.
「What’s wrong Myuu?」
「Papa, Myuu want to shoot at target again nano! Myuu also want a gun to shoot with nano!」
It seed the desire to shoot gun welled up inside Myuu after she watched Haji papa’s gunfight.
「Papa said that you will give exclusive Donneer and Schlaag for Myuu one day nano. When will it be nano?」
「Haji-kun! You’re really-! You’re going to give gun to a small child like this……no, wait a second? “Want to shoot at target again”? Don’t tell you already allowed her to shoot gun before!?」
The guardian of moral and common sense, Tomoichi-san raised the corner of his eyes.
「No, well, Myuu once said that she wanted to try shooting during our journey, so I transmuted a small gun for kid and let her tried shooting that ti……」
「You aren’t seriously going to give her gun as a present right!? Remia-san, you should say sothing too here as a mother!」
Tomoichi claid that this would be bad for Myuu’s education. Certainly from the perspective of Japan’s common sense, sothing like this was impossible to think about but……
Remia-san looked troubled for so reason. She said 「Certainly it might be just as you said but」. She sounded evasive.
「Otou-san, see, Haji-kun too didn’t let Myuu shoot a gun thoughtlessly you know? He kept the safety for everyone at mind, and at first he didn’t plan to give Myuu her own gun.」
「Kaori? What do you an?」
「……I’m saying that Myuu-chan, she has talent in shooting.」
「Talent in shooting?」
During their journey, everyone once played around and tried their hands on shooting, as a bit of a side entertainnt.
Yue, Shia, Kaori, and Tio. The result of the four of them shooting gun was terrible, as befitting their beginner status. Their shooting couldn’t even graze a target the size of a dartboard that was placed ten ter in front of them.
Then Haji created a mini sized Donner for Myuu and let her shoot a target that was placed in the sa distance like the others.
Naturally Myuu too couldn’t even graze the target.
However it was only for the first several shots.
She corrected her shooting trajectory bit by bit. And when everyone noticed, the target had beco filled with holes. When Haji prepared another target for her and she fired another ten shots, they saw the sight of all her shots hitting dead center. It went without saying that everyone’s eyes there turned into saucer.
「After that I also tried making her shoot at moving target. After firing several tis, she corrected her mistakes on her own and started hitting the target. My daughter is seriously a prodigy.」
It seed that this one wasn’t simply a stupid parent’s statent.
Seeing is believing. So Haji quickly transmuted a small revolver the size of a derringer. He also prepared bullets with reduced gunpowder and handed them to Myuu.
「Myuu, let’s try shooting for a bit. Go to the corner of the room okay?」
「Is it okay nano!? Myuu will do it nanoooooo!!」
Myuu hugged the revolver tightly like it was a treasure before she ran away to the designated position with her small footsteps *sutetetetee*. The parents and Liliana and Aiko looked like they were still half in doubt. Haji led them to follow Myuu while scattering so fist sized gravity stones along the way.
Myuu followed what Haji had taught her before to load the bullets with a practiced motion, then she took the weaver stance beautifully.
「I-is she going to be alright? The recoil from handgun is powerful right? I heard that it can hurt your arm and shoulder.」
「I reduced the gun’s strength so she’ll be fine. Besides……that Myuu, she can bleed off the impact like its nothing.」
「Ee?」
The parents were watching over Myuu with worried gaze. anwhile,
「Papa! Myuu just need to shot those rocks nano?」
「Ou」
「Muufuu! It has been a long ti nano!」
She was fully motivated and her eyes were sparkling. The gunner’s beloved daughter seed to love shooting very much perhaps because she had seen how her papa fought using them until now.
Although she was a little girl. Everyone there doubted that she would be able to hit the targets that were bobbing up and down in the air dozens of ters away from her――
「Suu—–tsu」
「「「「「!?」」」」」
Myuu took a deep breath once. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled deeply before her breathing stopped completely. Myuu’s eyes slowly narrowed in that mont.
It was as though the innocent and cheerful bright girl who was standing there until now was just an illusion. That was just how striking the change that happened to her gaze was.
Those eyes were truly――the eyes of a hawk!!
The gun’s trigger was pulled so naturally like a flowing water.
*Baang* The gunshot resounded. The bullet grazed one of the gravity stones before it passed through.
Myuu wordlessly pulled the bolt and reloaded. Correcting target. Trigger, pulled.
「I-it hit……」
Those words slipped out of Tomoichi’s mouth in disbelief.
During that ti the percussion hamr was getting cocked, targeting, and then shooting. The next gravity stone burst open. Sharp gaze that couldn’t be imagined coming from the usual Myuu had caught the target and wouldn’t let go!
「By the way, I had also tried making her using rifle to snipe at drone that flew randomly from more than 100 ters……Myuu hit it before saying this.」
――Muu, Myuu can’t do it like papa. It was off by 5 mili nano
「……I see. No wonder you want to give her a personal gun.」
「I’m also thinking about creating a shooting range under our house using space expansion. Though I still don’t have the ti to make the present because I was busy with taking care of commotions related to the returnees.」
The parents went 「Oh my」 with dumbfounded look from witnessing Myuu’s unexpected talent. But it seed they understood Haji’s feeling now. A mont later they ca back to their senses and started praising Myuu effusively.
Her sharply narrowed eyes that were losing their highlight were regaining their softness and brightness, back to their usual adorableness. It was as though her predatory gaze just now was just a dream.
Liliana asked Myuu with a tone that sounded impressed from the bottom of her heart.
「Myuu-chan, that was amazing. I too once tried shooting a gun as a test during the final battle, but it was really, really impossible for to shoot accurately like you just now. I thought that a ton of practice is required for a precise shooting……is there so kind of secret to it?」
「Nn~~~~~?」
Myuu cutely pressed her index finger on her cheek while thinking, but nothing ca to mind even if she was asked what her secret was.
With a puzzled face she said,
「It’s not like it’s that difficult just to hit the target nano. You just need to imitate papa!」
「A, aa~, it’s like that……」
It stood to reason.
But, in Myuu’s case the level of her “imitate” must be in different level. Atmosphere, subtle movent, gaze, the way to look at the target. It was only by imitating them all in high level that she managed to produce such result.
In other words, not only she had inherently high shooting sense, it was also boosted by her “high power of observation toward papa”.
Putting it another way,
「Fufu. Myuu-chan really love Haji-kun isn’t she?」
It must be sothing like that. Myuu had been looking very, very carefully at her papa that she was able to imitate him to such high level just from watching.
「Myu? Yes nano! Myuu love, love, love papa so much nano!」
「M-Myuu……kuh, your adorableness is brutal-」
Myuu honestly expressed her affection with banzai pose * radiant smile. Haji felt violently embarrassed and he was downed from it. He hurriedly covered his face with his hands while his body trembled emotionally.
On the other hand, Yue and others who heard the basis of Myuu’s shooting sense was also,
「……T-that ans, I who can’t even graze the target no matter how many tis I tried firing is……」
「Inferior to Myuu……in mine comprehension of Goshujin-sama……?」
「D-don’t say that Yue, Tio! It makes feel a horrible sense of defeat now!」
「Shizuku-san, Aiko-san, and also Liliana-san too. How about trying your hand in shooting here? Co on, let’s do it. Do it.」
「Shia!?」
「I don’t want to give it a try after this kind of developnt!」
「I just said that I couldn’t do it didn’t I!?」
Covering their face with their hands from the vague feeling of deafeat.
「By the way……what about Remia-san?」
Akiko quietly whispered that question to Remia’s ear. She had been erasing her presence and didn’t say anything all this ti.
「……Let’s see. After the final battle I tried my hand on shooting a gun once when we were staying in the sea of trees.」
Everyone was busy at that ti while Yue and others were also coincidentally absent. Remia accompanied Haji and Myuu who were shooting at targets for fun and she also gave it a try then.
「Hee, is that so. And, what was the result?」
「Ufufu, it’s a secret♪」
「Ah, I see.」
Try shooting too, we are comrades right? And then miss the target completelyyy~, Yue and others who had snatched Haji’s Donner & Schlag chased Shizuku and the others around while saying such thing.
Although Remia didn’t say anything definite, Akiko had guessed everything from the way she was smiling softly with composure. Akiko whispered 「As expected from mother and daughter」 while keeping her mouth shut from saying anything unnecessary after watching Yue and the others running around to chase Shizuku and the others.
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AN: Thank you very much for reading this every ti.
Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.
※Material introduction
– NTR Yue-san
=> From Nichijou.
– Myuu’s shooting
=> From the LN’s short story compilation, [The Hawk’s Offspring Was a Hawk]
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