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"MISSING KINGS" (Novel)

CHAPTER 3: AWAKENING

* List of Chapters

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

She woke up feeling the gentle breeze.

Anna was lying on the bed and she stared out the window. She could see the blue sky with passing clouds. A soft warm breeze was blowing from the other side of the window.

(What was I doing?)

She thought to herself with a cloudy head. She looked out the window for a while feeling like she was in a dream, and she slowly moved her gaze around the room.

She saw Totsuka sitting on a chair next to the bed. Totsuka leaned forward and looked at Anna delicately.

"Tatara...?"

"Good morning Anna."

Totsuka said that with a voice that was warm and soft like the wind blowing in the room.

Anna was surprised and deeply relieved that Totsuka was there.

Totsuka had a kind expression on his face, but when he saw Anna, he frowned a little sadly.

"Are you okay? It seems painful."

Anna narrowed her moist eyes and smiled.

She was fine. The pain was gone. If Totsuka was smiling there, everything should be fine.

"I'm fine... I think I had a bad dream."

"Bad dream?"

Totsuka asked back and slowly got up from his chair.

Anna wanted Totsuka to laugh at the dream she had, so she started talking.

"Tatara... you were killed. Mikoto avenged your death and died."

Totsuka walked over to Anna's side and sat on the edge of the bed. Lying on the bed, Anna looked at Totsuka's face.

"So they all collapsed..."

Anna's words stopped there and were gone. Because Totsuka looked up with a sad and apologetic look on his face.

As she looked at that expression, the fog in Anna's head slowly cleared away.

She didn't want to understand.

"That is not right."

Sadness welled up at the words he spoke, and Anna pulled her face down onto the sheets so as not to let Totsuka see her terrible face.

"The dream is... this way..."

She was crying at the end of her words.

"Yes."

Totsuka's voice calmly affirmed reality.

"I'm sorry."

His voice was soft and gentle. Nothing had changed or was going to change. Time no longer flowed in Totsuka.

She could only describe it as a dream, but it was clearly different from the dream she had while she was sleeping. Anna's responsiveness, which had been closed off for so long, was now wide open. Anna's helpless soul was probably responding to the "Slate".

Connected to the "Slate", in a place beyond time, life and death, the souls of people who should never meet again were in contact.

She heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

Anna raised her face in surprise and raised half of her body.

Gotsun. Gotsun. And with the rhythm and footsteps she knew, the sound of footsteps came closer.

"Anna."

Totsuka touched Anna's shoulder.

"It's good to talk."

The sound of footsteps got closer and the person appeared. Illuminated by the dim light that came in through the window, his appearance was revealed.

Red hair.

A red flame hidden in her body.

The one who gave her monochrome world a beautiful red.

"Mikoto."

Tears welled up in Anna's eyes this time because she couldn't stop herself.

Anna jumped out of bed and ran. She hugged him with her whole body. Suoh didn't hesitate and caught Anna.

"You are an idiot, Mikoto!"

Before she knew it, Anna was yelling at him.

Those were the words that she couldn't say when Suoh was alive. Without saying a single word of resentment or words to hold it back, she just looked at Suoh's back.

But right now, anger, sadness, frustration, and love were overflowing like a torrent from inside Anna. It was as if the frozen emotions had suddenly melted.

"Ah."

Suoh accepted Anna's passion with one word.

"You are terrible!"

"Ah."

A low, deep and sincere voice.

Anna clung tightly to Suoh's body. Anna could feel Suoh's temperature much higher than hers. It was the temperature Suoh lived in, the kind side of the hellfire inside Suoh.

She could only count the number of times she felt Suoh's body temperature like this, but the temperature certainly made her feel nostalgic.

And that temperature continued to glow red inside Anna.

Anna gently released his body and looked at Suoh.

"But Mikoto..."

Anna put both hands on her chest that kept Suoh's warmth.

"Your red is still hot."

Suoh breathed out slowly with a smile.

"That's not my red."

Suoh's previous intensity disappeared and he looked at Anna with calm eyes.

"It's your red."

Anna stared at Suoh.

She reflected Suoh in her eyes so she wouldn't miss anything.

"It's your color."

Tears appeared in Anna's eyes again, blurring her vision, but the beauty of the red that Suoh possessed did not change.

Anna smiled without tears in her eyes.

"Mikoto's red... My red."

For Anna, Suoh's red was a salvation.

She is color blind, she is unable to recognize colors other than red, and because she was born a Strain, she has the ability to see things she doesn't want to see and hear things she doesn't want to hear. She even lost her family.

Even so, the reason why Anna was able to live without despair was because Suoh showed her a beautiful color of red, coloring her world.

Strong, terrifying, and most of all, beautiful, this red-lit place was the place where she believed she would live.

The color she thought was gone that day was still inside her.

"I wonder if I can use the power of this red to protect."

Memories of Suoh and Totsuka in the old HOMRA bar flashed through Anna's mind.

(Your power is not to destroy, but to protect.)

Totsuka said that to Suoh, who feared that the power contained within him would one day destroy everything.

In fact, Suoh used that power to protect Anna many times.

Anna will never forget the warmth of Suoh's red that enveloped her.

Suoh looked back as if he trusted the answer. When she turned around following Suoh's eyes, Totsuka was smiling while he was sitting on the couch.

"Anna, you won't let a nightmare remain a nightmare."

The reality was like a bad dream.

She lost someone important to her.

However, that's the past they lived to the fullest, and Anna has to draw the sequel herself.

Now Anna is very aware of the terror of that color red. Scared, restless, and unsure what to do, she stayed in her shell the whole time.

Now, she wanted to face that red.

Suoh knelt down and made eye contact with Anna.

He wasn't the type of person who would go out of his way to bend his knees for someone else's sake, so it might have been the first time she'd exchanged glances with Suoh on an equal footing like this.

Suoh's big hand touched Anna's face.

Anna tilted her face and let Suoh's hand touch her cheek.

"Anna."

She closed her eyes, feeling it deeply, and opened her eyes.

++++++++++

"Even if you continue to look away, nothing will come of it. Anna... No..."

Kusanagi called Anna by a name that wasn't Anna.

"Red Queen."

Anna opened her eyes.

She accepted the interference from the "Slate" that she had always feared and rejected.

A sea of boiling fire flowed towards Anna.

A fierce flame that could reduce anything to ashes.

Anna's world was dyed red with the color of flames.

Anna whispered those words into her mouth.

"No Blood..."

The disk below Anna glowed the same red as the sea of flames that was born within Anna.

"No Bone..."

The sea of fire inside Anna overflowed and gushed out of Anna's body.

"No Ash!"

Anna spread her arms. The birdcage-like cage that had trapped Anna opened like a toy.

A mass of magma-like flames erupted from below Anna, and turned into waves that filled the space between the "Slate". The air filled with heat and the windows shattered at the same time.

A flame like a rough and stormy sea. The flame of destruction hated to be bound and ran free, trying to burn everything to the ground.

It sought destruction and combustion with the same nature of the flames that the "Red King" had.

But Anna would not allow it.

(This is my red.)

Anna remembered the words that Suoh gave her at the intersection of souls in her dream.

(I don't want to destroy anything with this flame. But I can't sit still here anymore. I'll stop crouching alone in a birdcage while the people important to me are fighting. This red, this flame, is to take me where I must go outside the cage.)

That thought caused the flame to take shape.

The flames sent out from inside Anna took the shape of wings and spread widely across Anna's back.

The flames that came out like a belt from the wings swirled in the hall and shot up into the sky.

Anna looked up at the sky with glowing red eyes. With responsiveness released, she saw the scene in the sky.

On the rooftop of the Mihashira Tower, which pierces the sky, the space distorted and red light burst out.

The Green Clan swordsman and Kuro, who were fighting on the rooftop, looked up at the sky with surprised faces.

A red Damocles Sword emerged from the burst of light.

The Damocles Sword had a shape that looked like flames and a red rose with thorns.

Even though it is the same red Sword of Damocles, it is a new sword that looks completely different from Suoh's rough and crumbling sword.

Anna closed her eyes. She sensed many narrow paths leading everywhere from Anna. It was the thread that connected the scattered friends of "Homura" and Anna's power as the "Red Queen".

Is it because Anna still has Suoh's flames on her body? Or does she have something to do with the inherent ability to respond? Anna, who deployed her Sanctum, was also connected to the clansmen of Suoh, the former king.

"Amazing..."

Yata muttered in amazement.

Yata and Kusanagi, who are next to her, are also connected by threads. Beneath Yata's left clavicle and Kusanagi's right scapula, there are marks of "Homura". It hadn't given a fever since Suoh had left, but now it glowed red with Anna's power.

Along the connected thread, Anna's flames flowed towards the two of them. Anna certainly felt that the two of them had accepted it, which was different from Suoh's flame. It was salvation for Anna, who had ascended the lonely throne.

"The power is overflowing!"

Yata roared and sent flames from his body that matched Anna's flames. Yata's eyes became brighter, and he took on a lively expression that seemed to be that of the vanguard captain of "Homura", and turned his hand around. The makeshift weapon that he picked up immediately moved like a part of Yata's body, and the color changed due to the flames that moved from Yata's hand.

"Come on!"

Riding his skateboard, he approached the ninja who was shocked by the awakening of the "Red Queen". The ninja stepped back and threw many kunais. Yata swung his staff and knocked down all the kunais, then kicked the board and jumped high.

The flames helped Yata to jump, and he jumped at the ninja from above, as if he was riding a wave of flames.

"Urah!"

Yata's club, which he swung downward, grazed the ninja. The ninja staggered back.

Seeing that he had created a large opening, Yata clenched his fists as soon as he landed, and from a low position, he applied force and pulled himself up with all of his strength. Yata's fist went straight for the ninja's face and sent him flying.

His brain seemed to shake with all his might, and the ninja lay silent on the ground.

"Anna!"

Yata smiled triumphantly and looked back at Anna. But that smile faded when he saw Anna.

Anna was about to be swung by the flames that she emitted. The flame wings that spread out on her back also swayed, and she lost her balance and wobbled unsteadily.

It was too much power for a single person to hold in her body. Suoh had always experienced the conflict and depression of having that power.

Anna had glimpsed Suoh's nightmare by interacting with him.

In the nightmare unfolded the spectacle of a city that had been burned and destroyed by a fierce flame that swallowed everything.

(Anna, you won't let a nightmare remain a nightmare.)

She thought of Totsuka's words.

She thought of Suoh's body temperature as he called her and touched her cheek.

A flame that likely turns into intangible heat that breaks its form and swallows everything indiscriminately.

Sweating, Anna shaped it again as it tried to riot.

That was not a devastating fire.

It was meant to take off.

Even if it was lost or broken, it would revive and take flight.

Anna roared. Like a little beast, howling at the sky.

The flickering flames converged on Anna's body and took shape again. Following Anna's will, that became a giant bird to shape Anna's prayers.

A bird made of fire flapped her wings and flew into the sky. It burned the ceiling of the room and went up to heaven.

A bird of bright red flames circled Anna's Sword of Damocles in the sky.

But if she let her guard down, the flames were about to become another formless and ferocious force of destruction. Anna concentrated with all her might to calm the flames.

"Anna!"

"Are you alright, Anna?"

Kusanagi and Yata were calling her. They and Anna are already deeply connected. Not only that. Suoh and Totsuka were also inside Anna.

(This terrifying and incredibly beautiful red will become your ally.)

Anna put her hands on the floor and turned her face down.

Beneath the transparent floor, she stared at the enshrined "Slate".

"I'm not going to lose to you."

She sweated and closed her eyes.

She prayed that it would come back.

(My red, my power. Don't go on a rampage alone. Come back.)

As if responding to Anna's despair, the giant flame bird flapping his wings slowly disappeared as if it had melted into the red Sword of Damocles.

The flame of the "King" seemed to have settled inside Anna somehow.

"Anna! Are you okay?!"

Kusanagi and Yata knelt down next to Anna and looked inside.

Yata frowned in concern and it looked like Kusanagi was about to cry, Anna took a deep breath and smiled.

++++++++++

The scar on his back was troublesome.

He wanted to give himself first aid and run to Mihashira Tower, but he couldn't do it right because of his back. If he moved wrongly, pain would shoot through him and his wound would open up.

He might have to go to the hospital, but he didn't want to get stuck in long-term treatment.

Kamamoto was struggling to bandage himself alone in the HOMRA bar when a cold bell rang and the door opened.

"Kya?!"

"Ah?!"

Kamamoto was startled by the sudden shout and raised his voice.

Looking up, Kamamoto's childhood friend Nunohashi Ayumi was standing pale at the entrance of the bar.

"Riii-chan?! What happened that you have that wound?!"

Ayumi came closer as she turned around with a crying face.

"Why are you here?"

"My aunt was worried that Ri-chan and Anna would suddenly disappear from the store while yelling and screamed..."

Ayumi is the daughter of the Nunohashi Meat Shop next door to the Kamamoto Liquor Store. Since she is a member of the family, if something happens in his parents' house, the neighbors will hear it immediately.

"When trouble happens, don't come here carelessly because it's dangerous... Ayumi, I'm sorry, but bandage the wounds on my back tightly!"

"What are you talking about?! Please go to the hospital properly! Or rather, an ambulance..."

Kamamoto grabbed Ayumi's hand as she tried to get her PDA. For some reason, Ayumi's cheeks turned red.

"Please, Ayumi. I don't have time right now. Anna is in danger."

"Anna-chan...? What happened to her?!"

Ayumi's eyes wavered. While Anna was staying at Kamamoto's parents' house, Ayumi also became fond of Anna. Kamamoto had seen many times how she tried to take care of Anna by pretending to be an older sister, as if she had a younger sister.

"Anna was kidnapped. It's not a case that can be solved by calling the police. Yata-san and others are going to help now, but... I want to leave as soon as possible."

When he begged and insisted again, Ayumi looked up at Kamamoto with teary eyes and clenched her mouth to hold back the tears.

"Please sit down."

Ayumi took the bandage and said that.

"I'll help you."

Kamamoto sat on the chair at the counter and turned his back to Ayumi. He heard a gasping sound as Ayumi stepped back, facing the wound.

Ayumi is like a little sister to Kamamoto. Even Kamamoto didn't want to show her such an injury and force her to take care of it, but at that moment he couldn't heal himself.

As Kamamoto wanted, Ayumi wrapped him in a strong bandage to hold his wounds.

"Thank you! Now I can..."

Kamamoto quickly got to his feet, feeling that he was able to move thanks to his wound being firmly bandaged.

Immediately, his head felt dizzy and he fell to his knees on the ground. He was anemic.

"Ri-chan! After all, it's unreasonable! It's okay, just take a break!"

He borrowed Ayumi's hand and lay down on the couch. Kamamoto closed his eyes on the couch because he couldn't resist in a situation where his eyes would fly white if he moved wrong.

After resting for a while, his condition gradually calmed down, but he felt like crying out of embarrassment. When he thought about Anna's situation, his body didn't move as he wanted, and he was frustrated.

"Ugh... I'm sorry... Anna..."

Ayumi knelt down by the couch and rubbed Kamamoto's shoulder gently.

"Ri-chan. What does Anna-chan mean to Ri-chan?"

In response to Ayumi's question, the image of Anna, who was always by Suoh's side, and the image of Anna, who swallowed everything and stayed strong even after Suoh left, came his mind.

"Anna is a girl who was loved by a person for whom I had great respect. Of course, if something happened to Anna, who is important to all of us, I wouldn't be able to face Mikoto-san or Totsuka-san even if I were to die. Even though Kusanagi-san trusted me and left it to me... I had to protect her..."

Towards the end of his words, instead of talking to Ayumi, that became an internal monologue. He closed his eyes and prayed wholeheartedly for Anna's safety as he clenched his teeth in rage that he couldn't move.

At that moment, Kamamoto felt a glowing heat in the center of his body.

He opened his eyes and jumped. Ayumi let out a surprised voice.

His entire body was buzzing. In the center of his body, the flame that Suoh gave him, the flame that had grown weaker and thinner after Suoh disappeared, it now recovered its heat and attracted Kamamoto. And for some reason, he felt Anna's strong presence.

"Ri-chan?"

Ayumi looked at Kamamoto curiously.

He remembered that sensation of heat welling up from the depths of his body. It was very similar to Suoh's feeling when he deployed his Sanctum. The core of his body burned and power surged, and a particular part of his body emitted strong heat.

Kamamoto got up from the sofa, turned his back on Ayumi, and lowered the buttocks of his pants.

"Kya?!"

Ayumi yelled again.

"Ayumi! What's going on with my right butt?!"

"What do you mean?! Is something like a flame-like pattern glowing red?!"

"On second thought...!"

Kamamoto's "Homura" "mark" is on the right buttock. It's a tattoo-like pattern that appeared on his body upon receiving Suoh's installation. In Kamamoto's case, when he found out that he had appeared on his right buttock, he remembered very well how Suoh had a very confused expression on his face. It was a bit disappointing that Kamamoto didn't show it off as easily as Yata.

The "mark" on Kamamoto's right buttock was now red hot.

Kachan, the doorbell rang again.

"Eh?!"

The voices of two men shouting at the same time resounded. It was Akagi and Bando, the main members of "Homura", who opened the door of Bar HOMRA. The two of them screamed at the image of Kamamoto showing the girl his exposed buttocks.

"What are you doing, Kamamoto?! Hurry up and put that dirty ass away!"

Bando yelled that. For some reason, Ayumi, who had been shown her buttocks, protested.

"Ri-chan's butt isn't dirty!"

"What are you too?!"

With confirmation, Kamamoto pulled up his pants and pushed his buttocks away, then turned to look at Akagi and Bando.

"Both Shohei and Bando, you guys felt that and came here?!"

"During this time, you seem to have engaged in an unhealthy act of showing your buttocks to a girl?!"

"San-chan, calm down. Kamamoto-san's"mark" is on his buttocks, so it can't be helped. It's not bad, but I guess it's like that."

Akagi regained his composure first, calmed the excited Bando and rolled up the left sleeve of his own clothing. The "mark" on Akagi's arm was also emitting a red glow.

"We were finishing up our part-time job at the burger joint over there, but suddenly, it felt like Mikoto-san enlarging his Sanctum, and the "mark" got hot..."

As Akagi spoke, Bando calmed down and nodded solemnly.

"If the three of us feel the same, maybe other people are feeling the same. What the hell is going on?"

After Bando said that, a bit confused, he moved his eyes confidently.

"Also... for some reason, along with my "mark" getting hotter, I felt Anna's presence... Hey, how is Anna now?"

Kamamoto bit his lip once and opened his mouth to talk about what happened and what could happen now.

++++++++++

Munakata looked towards the red Sword of Damocles that appeared above the Mihashira Tower.

"No way..."

Beside him, Fushimi, who was also looking at the sword, muttered so. He was thinking of a person inside the Mihashira Tower who might have the ability to manifest that sword. Or maybe there was something more direct about Fushimi, the former Red Clansman.

Munakata was not surprised. Looking at the newborn sword without a single scratch, unlike the crumbling red Sword of Damocles that he knew, he even felt emotion.

In front of Munakata's line of sight, a bright red column of fire rose atop Mihashira Tower. The sound of destruction reached the ground with a slight delay.

The rooftop of Mihashira Tower was destroyed by fire, and a giant bird made of red flames flew out of the room, probably from where the "Slate" was.

The bird circled around the Sword of Damocles.

The high-temperature flames that burn everything to nothing was something Munakata had felt up close and faced many times. The beautiful firebird that danced around the sword was surely the same temperature.

However, the firebird did not reveal its ferocious beastlike appearance that Munakata was familiar with, but instead melted into the side of the sword.

As the members of "Scepter 4" held their breath and looked up, an explosion with a special power dyed in green light occurred on the rooftop of Mihashira Tower.

Debris flew conspicuously and nearly fell to the ground. It was like the aftermath of the battle of the green clan leaders who had occupied Mihashira Tower.

"What's going on up there?!"

"Kuh, it's going to collapse!"

The besieging members of "Scepter 4" were agitated. Awashima immediately called out with a voice that sounded like a cold whip.

"Evacuate while deploying the shield! Fushimi!"

"I understand! Back up twenty meters and re-stretch the siege net!"

Leaving command of the members to the capable vice-commander and number 3, Munakata himself remained motionless even under the rain of debris, never taking his eyes off the Sword of Damocles floating in the sky.

He kept looking at the red Sword of Damocles wielded by someone other than Suoh Mikoto.

++++++++++

"You're getting excited, right?"

Looking towards the red Sword of Damocles and the fire bird that appeared flying from the center of the roof garden, Mishakuji said that cheerfully.

"The appearance of the red Sword of Damocles, which should have been missed, is accompanied by a gigantic flaming bird. Fufu, it's beautiful. I also want to add some more flashy production."

A flash of green light went through "Ayamachi". Mishakuji felt the supernatural power exploding from him.

Until then, Mishakuji, who had been able to defeat Kuro using only his swordsmanship, began to display supernatural powers. The green sparks crackled violently and flashed brightly. His skin went numb just standing next to him.

Kuro instinctively took evasive action before thinking of anything.

At the same time, Kuro jumped back and Mishakuki brandished a bomb-shaped sword.

A sharp cut and a green electric discharge destroyed the place where Kuro was.

The scaffolding collapsed and debris flew conspicuously, and only the aftermath blew Kuro's body like a paper doll, falling into the hole made by the firebird earlier.

(How unpleasant. Get back to your feet and evacuate.)

Mishakuji laughed at Kuro, who was looking for a place to retreat as he fell, and his gaze wandered.

"Are you still running away? Kuro-chan!"

Mishakuji was free even in the air, as if he had been released from gravity while Kuro was falling.

Kicking the falling debris into the air, he changed direction, he wrapped around Kuro and struck him in the back with the hilt of his sword.

The air in his lungs escaped with a groan from the impact of being hit by a car, and Kuro's body, which had been falling, was thrown up.

Kuro desperately regained his balance in the air and struggled out of the helpless state of the fall. He kicked the debris off to the side and grabbed another piece of debris. As if trying to swim in zero gravity, he chose a large object among the countless debris flying through the air, used it as a foothold, and jumped onto it, reaching the wall and planting his feet on it.

"Kuro-chan, I'll tell you why you're definitely not as good as me."

"Stop talking nonsense!"

He got a little used to running up the wall. Kuro ran through the wall looking for a way to counterattack.

Kuro kicked the wall to challenge Mishakuji, who easily crossed the rubble in midair as if he had the ability to fly.

"My sword carries everything I have."

The two swords collided on the falling rubble. The supernatural powers repelled each other, causing flashes of light. Kuro's hands were numb from the weight of Mishukaji's sword, and he went flying without even being able to stand up due to his poor position.

Mishakuji's chase fell on Kuro's body one after another.

"Joy, anger, sadness, amusement, fear, confusion, surprise, excitement, pride, honor..."

With each word, Mishakuji's "Ayamachi" hit Kuro. Kuro could no longer block the sword with his sword, and all he could do was protect his body with his powers and reduce the damage so that it wouldn't be fatal. A sword imbued with each and every one of Mishakuji's emotions struck at the defenseless Kuro.

Kuro's body crashed to the ground with a blow that seemed to hit from above. Although he managed to get into landing stance somehow, he couldn't control the momentum and slipped on the ground as he kicked up clouds of dust.

"And love!"

Mishakuji lightly landed in front of Kuro and said that.

Kuro, still on his knees, managed to raise his head and looked at Mishakuji.

Zehyu, zehyu, his throat was ringing eerily. Thanks to the supernatural ability of a Silver Clan member with excellent defense left behind by Shiro, he somehow managed to keep himself physically satisfied, but the damage rebounded to the center of his body.

Still unable to stand up, he just shifted his gaze. The place where Kuro fell was a place like a machine room that protruded from the atrium between the "Slate". Looking towards the center between the "Slate", Anna, who was supposed to be trapped in a cage, was free and was able to see a red field that protected Neko from the falling debris.

Mishakuji also looked down between the "Slate" and said without even looking at Kuro.

"But your sword is empty. Miwa's beloved sword, "Kotowari", is like a makeshift stick. So of course, it's not as good as my sword, which dances with everything I have on it."

Kuro tilted his head. Kuro no longer had the courage to retaliate or the words to respond. In this battle, Kuro has not been able to land a single hit on Mishakuji.

A feeling of helplessness and exhaustion shook his spirit. The accumulated damage on his body was also great. The only reason he wasn't fatally injured was because Mishakuji was "playing around". Kuro's sword was not enough.

"Don't lose, Kurosuke!"

Neko's voice resounded loudly among the "Slate".

Kuro raised his face in surprise. When he looked at her, Neko was clenching her hands tightly into fists and looking at Kuro with her eyes straight at him.

"You will meet Shiro again!"

Kuro's shoulders trembled.

(Shiro.)

The hand that gripped the handle of the "Kotowari" gained strength and trembled.

(My sword is empty. What is my sword for?)

He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth as if to bite into his weakness. Everything that had happened so far flashed through his head like a flashlight on.

Miwa who taught Kuro how to use the sword.

Mishakuji treating a young Kuro who pesters him for lessons.

People who called the adult Kuro "Kuro-kun".

Miwa entrusting "Kotowari" to Kuro along with his will.

And...

The school island in winter. To end the conflict, Kuro knelt before Shiro, who acted as the "Silver King".

(Kuro Yatogami, as a member of the clan of the First King, Adolf K. Weismann, I promise to dedicate my life to the King.)

Kuro wanted to help Shiro. He wanted to help him, who is a talkative and unreliable man, but who loves people and works for the people who are important to him.

After being sworn in by Kuro, Shiro relaxed his expression after widening his eyes.

(You really are very formal. You don't need that kind of ceremony to be friends.)

Shiro said that and extended a hand towards Kuro who was on his knees.

(Come on.)

As he took hold of Shiro's hand and stood up, he felt Shiro's power flowing from the held hand. He was a warm and gentle force.

After receiving a fragment of that power that he had for many years, Kuro decided to once again wield its power for him.

Kuro slowly opened his eyes.

His hands stopped shaking and his mind, which had been turbulent until now, had calmed down.

(What am I wrong? That's right, it's okay that this sword is empty. This sword and I...)

He stood up and placed "Kotowari" in the scabbard.

A sword that had swung with a troubled heart, he returned it to its rightful place in the scabbard and held it up in front of him.

"I am a member of the clan of the First King, the "Silver King", Adolf K. Weismann. My name is Yatogami Kuro."

He declared that and took a surprised stance.

"I will never use this sword for my benefit. This sword is for the purpose of opening the way for my "King"! And it is wielded to protect my "King"!"

Kuro's sword is different from Mishakuji's.

He didn't want to be there. He was there for what he believed in, and for his "King".

Kuro himself became a sword.

Mishakuji looked at Kuro's face, narrowed his eyes, and smiled.

"Fufu, you finally have a pretty face... Then, I have to deal with you as a vassal of the "Green King"."

Mishakuji turned his sword around and took a stance.

Mishakuji's face changed. A bright and feminine face with a constant smile was suffused with sharpness and emanated a solemn voice.

"Mishakuji Yukari, ready."

He announced in a low, colorless voice.

A tense period of silence passed. Kuro maintained his unannounced stance and heightened his nerves as he looked at Mishakuji. He didn't miss it for a single moment. In order to insert the point of the sword into the point of the needle and open a path, he looked at Mishakuji with all his heart.

Mishakuji was the first to move. He ran straight to Kuro.

Kuro kept watching Mishakuji's movement until the last minute. Mishakuji's sword danced. Although he carried all kinds of emotions from Mishakuji, he was ruled by Mishakuji's strong ego and drew a trajectory that didn't falter one bit.

Kuro took a strong step forward and unleashed a sword with all of his might.

A cross. A glow.

The two blades intersected and shook violently.

A strong shock ran through Kuro's arm and body, but Mishakuji's body was also swept away by the momentum of Kuro's sword. He spun to kill the momentum and turned to face Kuro.

Kuro was kicking the ground hard and jumping.

His mind remained calm.

The fear, anger, anxiety, and hesitation were gone, and with the will to pave the way, he put all of his strength into his blade.

Kuro's sword, which glowed in a single color, drew a straight trajectory in contrast to Mishakuji's colorful sword.

Mishakuji's eyes were fixed on Kuro's sword.

To the extent that he made him think that he would be unprotected by the sword as he was, looking with admiring eyes, when the sword was about to hit him, he smiled happily and showed "Ayamachi".

The swords swung with supernatural powers.

The powers of the two collided violently, causing an explosion.

Kuro, who was concentrating all his nerves on reaching for the sword, received the aftermath of the explosion all over his body and flew away.

He managed to land on the ground between the "Slate" where Neko was, but fell to his knees and vomited blood.

"Kurosuke!"

Neko cried out in concern. Kuro endured the pain and raised his face.

Mishakuji, who emerged from the rising dust, did not appear to be damaged, but the sleeve on his upper right arm was cut and bleeding.

"The current sword was reasonably beautiful."

Finally, only the tip of the sword reached him.

(But what are you going to do now?)

Behind the hesitating Kuro, Anna stepped forward.

Kushina Anna. Probably the earlier red Sword of Damocles and the giant fire bird that went through the rooftop between the "Slate" and the roof garden. Was he going to borrow power from her? But...

Before Kuro could give an answer, he heard the sound of wings from above, and a parrot swooped down calling him "Yukari! Yukari!"

It's the bird that Mishakuji brought. However, things were different from before.

As soon as he landed on Mishakuji's shoulders, the sound from the depths of his beak changed from a parrot-like bird's voice to a fluent male voice.

"Are you ready, Yukari?"

From the parrot's mouth, there was little intonation, but a voice flowed with a deep presence.

"Please come back now. I'm going to go deeper than this. The person in front of you is no longer a clansman to be captured. She is the Third King, the "Red Queen"."

"But Nagare-chan. I won't be satisfied if I go home with my head down."

Mishakuji naturally chatted with the parrot and looked at Anna with eyes tinged with sword swallowing.

"Now that she's just born and can't handle her power, I think that will be enough."

In response, Kuro grabbed his sword again. Neko also instinctively protected Anna with her hands.

The man who speaks through the mouth of a parrot replied without hesitation.

"I was already able to fulfill my purpose to a certain extent. Let's stop doing something so declining."

Kusanagi was in a position to protect Anna, looking at the parrot on Mishakuji's shoulder.

"Nagare, Nagare Hisui, "Green King"!"

Yata's eyes widened at Kusanagi's words.

"What?! This bird?!"

"No, the bird is just a mediator... The Green Clan put a lot of work into things."

"As expected of the Reds' commanding chief, you are well informed. I admire you."

The parrot's emotionless eyes looked around the group and fixed its gaze on Anna.

"It's not a face-to-face meeting, but it's nice to meet you, new "Red Queen". I am the Fifth King, "Green King" Hisui Nagare. As an apology for leaving early, let me give you a birthday present."

Tension coursed through Anna's body.

Mishakuji lifted the edge of his lips amusedly.

"Or maybe it will be a parting gift. Show me how lucky you are not to die at this level, Kuro-chan."

Mishakuji turned on his heel and started walking. Kuro stretched out his hand to reach him.

"Wait!"

"See you soon."

Mishakuji bowed gracefully. At the same time, Mishakuji's body was engulfed in a strong green light that burned his eyes, and Kuro inadvertently turned around.

When he opened his eyes, Mishakuji and the others were gone.

Yata clicked his tongue.

"Dammit, he got away!"

"Though we lost them this time. For now, let's withdraw immediately."

Kusanagi was about to say that, but he frowned and stopped his words.

"What?"

The surrounding debris became electrified, and a green current erupted. Neko yelled "Meow!"

"My hair is tingling!"

Neko's long hair stood on end, like an animal charged with static electricity.

Anna looked up at the sky.

"Above!"

Above Anna's Sword of Damocles, a dark cloud slowly began to swirl.

It was not an ordinary cloud. With unnatural movements, black clouds flowed onto Mihashira Tower from all directions, spinning like coiled snakes and turning into a large black mass.

Green thunder flickered disturbingly in the dark clouds.

Kusanagi's face twitched.

"This is his present?"

The thunder within the black clouds grew violently and swelled with enough energy to light up the night sky.

"The Raiko technique?"

He heard a crackling voice through a broken voice changer. The ninja who had fallen into the rubble staggered to his feet.

Yata grabbed the ninja's necklace, who seemed to know why.

"Oh, damn, what's going on?!"

The mechanical face mask covering the ninja's face fell off. From inside, the face of a young woman appeared, and Yata rolled his eyes.

"It is a technique of creating lightning by gathering the energy of the lower members of the clan."

"Ah, a woman!"

Yata's face turned red, and as if he had touched something hot, he released her lapels and jumped back.

With a grim expression, she looked up at the thunder that was gathering in the sky and kept growing, and muttered.

"But why of this magnitude? Could it be that a group mission was dispatched that did not show itself to the intrusion unit?"

Hearing that murmur, Kuro remembered his knowledge of "Jungle".

When he was under Miwa's tutelage, he learned the characteristics of each clan. The Green Clan had a strange shape that set it apart from other clans.

Clan members who haven't even seen a "King" and a "King" who never appears. Normally, to become a member of the clan, one has the proper determination and a sense of belonging to the clan led by the "King". But "Jungle" doesn't have that. Inferior clan members join "Jungle" simply by installing the "Jungle" app without even being aware that they belong to the clan.

They act by participating in game-style missions as users of the application, not as members of the clan under the command of the "King". As expected, the people who participated in the Mihashira Tower raid were a limited number of people who were quite deep, but there were countless people who had just installed a popular game application. But what if you issue what the ninja calls a "collective mission" and gather that power?

It is said that the "Jungle" app began to become popular in Tokyo when Kuro was a high school student. It is not known how many users there are at the moment, but if they are trying to suck the power out of each one of them and throw it to that place, how big will it all be?

The thunder that gathered in the sky above the Mihashira Tower created a green sphere that was bigger than the Sword of Damocles. Dazzling green electricity violently exploded into a giant plasma ball-like body of energy, seeking release.

The ninja made a bitter face.

"Is he planning to finish us off? Shit."

"Hey, what the hell are you talking about? Ah!"

In front of Yata, who was looking at her, the ninja's feet glowed green, she sank to the ground and disappeared.

"Hey, let's run away quickly!"

Neko looked at Kuro and said that. Kuro groaned as he kept his eyes fixed on the sky.

"We won't be able to escape in time..."

If it was just Neko, she could escape with Kuro's supernatural ability. But it was impossible to carry that number of people.

The ninja said that he planned to end everything, but the "Green King" doesn't care if the remaining Green Clan members inside the tower get involved. Is he thinking of dumping everything ruthlessly and without remorse?

The energy body that turned into a huge sphere split.

The released energy fell like lightning as thick as a building.

Anna raised both palms to the sky.

A red Sanctum was opened. A dome-shaped defensive field appeared directly above the Sword of Damocles.

It appeared and blocked the attacking green beam.

"Anna!"

Kusanagi desperately called out to Anna.

Even if it was being blocked by a red field, the green beam did not disappear.

Red power and green power collided head-on, mixing green stream and red sparks in the night sky.

Anna stared at the sky, continuing to catch the thunder falling like a violent waterfall.

Sweat dripped down her white skin. Her expression distorted in agony, her teeth clenched, but Anna's glowing red eyes still pointed at the thunder as if she were eating it.

Kuro couldn't do anything but keep looking at Anna's profile.

Even when he lost Shiro, he was told that he was an obstacle except for the "King" and was not allowed to go with him. Even now, he gritted his teeth at how small his body was that he could only let such a young girl carry him on her back.

Kusanagi and Yata were also looking at Anna with pained and frustrated expressions.

"This time I will protect you all!"

Anna, who had never had anything more than a calm voice and few words, said that in a shouting voice.

Raiko's technique clash and Anna's red field. Anna desperately controlled the power of the "King" she had just obtained to maintain a defensive field, but the endless thunder began to show fluctuations.

The red field, which was continuously struck by intense lightning, scattered sparks and flickered. Anna's hand, which was raised toward the sky, trembled.

Anna, who endured with all her might, closed her eyes tightly. However, from that expression, power suddenly leaked out.

Anna's consciousness was flying. Kusanagi stretched out his arm and caught her body, which was about to fall backwards.

At the same time that Anna's consciousness was cut off, the red defensive field that Anna had deployed had disappeared.

There was nothing to block it, and green thunder fell to swallow it all up. Neko clung to Kuro's arm.

Kuro kept his eyes on the thunder of destruction. The last fight he could take, various actions revolved around his head. But before he could take action, something happened.

The space next to the red Sword of Damocles was distorted into blue. From there, another sword appeared.

The Blue Sword of Damocles.

A blue field unfolded as if to envelop the two swords lined up side by side. As soon as the green ray touched the blue field, it froze and crystallized as if time had stopped.

Kuro and everyone were holding their breath as they looked at the scene.

A giant blue lightning crystal cracked and shattered.

Kuro stared in amazement at the particles of beautiful blue light falling down.

The unconscious Anna slowly raised her eyelids and looked at the red and blue swords floating side by side in the sky.

++++++++++

"Many supernatural reactions have occurred in various places in Tokyo! That energy is gathering in the sky above Mihashira Tower!"

A crew member in a vehicle equipped with a probabilistic drift measurement instrument reported in a shrill voice.

That was also confirmed visually. If they looked around, they could see countless thin green lights of supernatural powers rising up into the sky.

A few streaks could be seen in the sky in the distance, but from a closer distance one could see the green electricity coming from the PDAs placed by the spectators just outside the regulation line, rising as if it were being absorbed by the sky. The people holding their PDAs didn't even seem to notice. The power of general "Jungle" users who knew nothing was being sucked, albeit in small amounts.

Dark clouds hung over the sky that had absorbed countless thin thunderclaps, and those clouds gathered and swirled over Mihashira Tower with tremendous force.

Within the black clouds that had turned into gigantic black lumps, the energy gathered from all sides charged up with a disturbing crackling sound.

Understanding the situation, Munakata began to run.

"Captain?"

He heard someone call him, but he didn't have time to answer.

He ran up to the Mihashira Tower, ignored the entrance and started running up the wall.

"Captain?!"

Another team member let out a more surprised voice than before.

Munakata dressed in a brilliant blue supernatural light and kicked the wall of Mihashira Tower made of glass. He jumped several meters in one step and ran against gravity.

The green light that gathered in the Mihashira Tower grew violently in an instant, forming a gigantic sphere made of lightning.

Munakata kept running on the wall. One story of the tower was straddled in about one step, aiming for the top of the sky-piercing Mihashira Tower.

In the center of the dark clouds, a clump of green energy flashed brightly, exploded, and became a thick bolt of lightning that struck Mihashira Tower. It was as if the green dragon was about to swallow the head of the Mihashira Tower.

Munakata turned into a single blue light and slid down the wall. Beneath Munakata's scuffed shoes, the window glass shattered.

A red Sanctum was deployed at Munakata's destination.

A thick green beam was blocked by a red defensive field centered around the red Sword of Damocles. However, the thunder did not disappear and continued to attack the red field.

The forces of green and red collided violently, and electricity and sparks scattered vividly.

Munakata continued running while he watched the scene.

To Munakata, the Third King's red was a familiar color.

A fierce, free-spirited color that disturbs the order Munakata is aiming for, and disturbs even Munakata himself. It was frustrating for Munakata, but when he erased that color with his bare hands, he was seized with an indescribable sense of loss.

Munakata felt a strange sensation at the bright red in front of him.

It was certainly the color of the Third King, but the new flawless red Sword of Damocles, and the beautiful Sanctum, shaped to protect them, were different from that man's.

The pure red field struggled to withstand the green lightning. However, it started to wobble due to the fierce unstoppable attacks and finally disappeared.

At this time, Munakata had reached the rooftop.

He raised his right hand, palm up.

He expanded his Sanctum. The blue Sword of Damocles appeared.

He directed the power of blue, which governs order, against the falling green thunder and ruled it.

It was the first time he had used a large amount of power since he had fought Suoh in the incident last winter.

The green power absorbed from people by the "Green King" mechanism and converted into energy in the form of lightning stopped in order.

The giant thunder turned into a blue crystal.

The crystals, which turned into sky-piercing pillars of ice, cracked and shattered.

Munakata slowly lowered his hand, which was pointing to the sky, and pushed up his slightly misaligned glasses.

++++++++++

After Munakata ran up the wall of Mihashira Tower and fended off a large thunderclap that was thought to be a trick from the "Green King", the Green Clansmen escaped from inside Mihashira Tower.

Judging from the accusing voices saying "They abandoned us.", it seemed that the "Green King" had aborted the operation. Did they feel like they were left behind in the Mihashira Tower because the mission they had been sent had been called off, or maybe some realized that they too were nearly killed by the giant lightning at that time?

In any case, there was one thing for Awashima and the others to do.

"Capture the members of "Jungle" that came out of Mihashira Tower! Don't let anyone escape!"

Responding to Awashima's order, the soldiers surrounding Mihashira Tower began to move. The members, who were frustrated by the long wait, enthusiastically captured the members of "Jungle" one after another. Here and there, the clash of the weapon of "Jungle" and the saber of "Scepter 4" desperately roaring resounded.

Aiming at the point where the siege net of "Scepter 4" had weakened due to battle, capture, and transportation, a group of "Jungle" jumped out, seeming to be timing the escape.

Awashima swung her saber as he stopped the member trying to follow him.

"Eh!"

With a flash of spirit, she swung the sword widely vertically and horizontally, and slashed with a special ability. The grid-like cuts closed in on the party trying to escape through the gaps in the siege netting, closing in on them with a single blow.

The power was moderated to the extent that it did not inflict deep wounds on the body, but those who were hit by Awashima's lattice slash fell to the ground and stretched out. Immediately, the members of "Scepter 4" rushed over, grabbed them, and dragged them to the transport vehicle.

"Lieutenant. It has been confirmed that Mishakuji Yukari escaped."

Akiyama hurried over with his saber lowered and whispered in her ear. Awashima hesitated for a moment.

It was Mishakuji Yukari's power that allowed that group to occupy Mihashira Tower despite the "Golden King" being absent. Most likely, he himself had neutralized all the "Rabbits" inside the Mihashira Tower.

He was a dangerous person to let him go, but...

"Considering the opponent's strength, there are no personnel left to pursue him at this time. We can't do a deep search."

"I agree with that."

Instead of Akiyama, Fushimi, who was behind Awashima, spoke up in a hoarse voice.

"It's frustrating when you get thrown around a lot and all you catch are little disposable fish that don't know anything. I'm out of here for a while."

In that case, there was another person who did important work besides Mishakuji Yukari. A person who bypassed the security of Mihashira Tower and the blockade line of "Scepter 4" with his peculiar ability.

"I trust you."

At Awashima's words, Fushimi silently turned on his heel.

Awashima raised her voice and gave instructions to the members while she looked up at the sky.

Two Swords of Damocles, red and blue, floated above the Mihashira Tower.

(Actually, I didn't want the Captain to use the power of the "King", but...)

Thinking so, Awashima shook her head slightly, realizing that she had faced the anxiety within herself.

(If it's hard to bear the burden of killing the "King", it doesn't get any better than that.)

She remembered Kusanagi's voice over the phone.

Awashima seized the hilt of her sword without giving much thought to the task at hand.

++++++++++

Douhan Hirasaka slipped through the siege of "Scepter 4" and ran through the city to get as far away from Mihashira Tower as possible.

She ran into the alley and caught her breath.

"As expected of the "Blue King" to calm down the lightning technique. They helped me by accident."

"Scepter 4" was chasing down and capturing the escaping low-ranking clansmen. She should disappear now.

In her heart, Hirasaka thought that the return on that business was small compared to the risk and effort. "Jungle" is a good customer, but due to her gambling temper in everything, Hirasaka, who pursues an efficient business, often did not get along.

She didn't trust or believe in him to begin with, so she didn't even think that she was betrayed when she was about to be killed along with the enemy.

She activated a special ability and went through the wall she was leaning against. She decided that it would be better to escape through the wall repeatedly and go into hiding.

However, when she was half submerged in the wall, several knives flew towards her and pierced the wall that Hirasaka was trying to break through.

She took a breath and withdrew. She couldn't go any further inside the wall. When she pulled her slumped body out of the wall, there was a man in a blue uniform, blocking the alley. A person whose details she knew. Saruhiko Fushimi, a member of the "Scepter 4" Special Forces Corps and the number 3 in command.

Fushimi turned the knife around like a handcuff.

"I'm not incompetent enough to allow the same trick over and over again."

"Scepter 4" is good at defending and capturing with the control field. Using the throwing knives as a go-between, Fushimi should have put a field on the wall that Hirasaka was trying to break through, preventing her from breaking through.

Originally, Hirasaka's tactics relied on surprise attacks that made the most of walls. Hand-to-hand combat isn't her forte, but since her opponent uses a throwing knife that blocks Hirasaka's technique, she had no choice but to create openings even in hand-to-hand combat.

Hirasaka drew the two swords from her back.

Fushimi put his hand on the saber.

"Fushimi, ready."

The saber was gently drawn, and he took the basic stance of standing it vertically in front of his chest. Fushimi smiled slightly.

Hirasaka launched a preemptive strike. She lowered her body and attacked, aiming for the legs and swinging the sword. If they stop moving, she could escape in the meantime.

Fushimi jumped slightly to avoid Hirasaka's sword. A saber swung down from the sky. Hirasaka raised the other sword and struck back.

She turned her body around and threw a kunai. However, all of them were struck down by a saber with brilliant blue supernatural power, and the saber swung in a fluid motion.

With a sharp sound, Fushimi's saber and Hirasaka's sword collided. The metallic sound of intersecting blades resounded several times, and Hirasaka's legs fell off.

Hirasaka's body was damaged in the battle with Yata, a member of "Homura". Fushimi's slashing attack couldn't be met with the one-handed blade, so she crossed the blades of both hands to catch the saber that was being swung downward.

Fushimi suddenly smiled a little.

The saber was quickly drawn, and the next moment she felt a strong impact on her torso.

"Gah!"

She heard the sound of her powered suit armor breaking, and before she knew it, Hirasaka was lying on the ground.

Her arms were twisted behind her and held her.

"Green Clan member, I will ask your name during the interrogation. You will be detained under Article 1 of the Anomalous Phenomenon Management Act."

Fushimi's hand pulled out Hirasaka's PDA from inside the powered suit.

Losing ownership of the PDA, the power that had been lent to her by the "Green King" disappeared from Hirasaka's body.

In "Jungle", only Mishakuji Yukari and other true executives possess supernatural powers in the true sense of the word. The other psychic powers possessed by the other members were only temporarily lent by the "Green King" through the "Jungle" app. Hirasaka, who is a top-tier player, is no exception.

(The loss of the special ability that is a work tool in the containment of the person. This time the business lost a lot.)

Hirasaka thought so with a cool head and closed her eyes.

++++++++++

The capture of the low-ranking clansman of "Jungle" who were fleeing from Mihashira Tower was almost complete, and a transport vehicle was launched to pack them up and send them to the holding place of "Scepter 4".

Munakata, who returned to the ground, stood in front of the entrance of Mihashira Tower, thanking Awashima for properly leading the capture and Fushimi for capturing the excellent ninja from "Jungle".

They still had a lot of work to do. After the unprecedented incident in which the territory of the "Golden King", which is the cornerstone of this country, and the "Tokijikuin" Golden Clan, which clearly could not resist the attack of "Jungle" at that time, were attacked, it was an urgent task to find out what to do with the "Slate" managed by the "Tokijikuin".

But before that, Munakata had the responsibility to welcome a new "Red King" as the "Blue King". Even more so at that time that "Tokijikuin", which had that responsibility, did not work.

After lining up the special forces and waiting, Anna Kushina, a girl who can be said to be Suoh's memory, Izumo Kusanagi, the staff officer of "Homura", and Misaki Yata, the vanguard captain, appeared from the depths of Mihashira Tower.

Anna Kushina stepped on the broken glass and left the building. She stopped her feet when she noticed "Scepter 4" waiting in two lines.

After all, there was an unmistakable sign of a "King" in her.

It houses the fire of hell, a symbol of violence, disorder and destruction. However, he did not feel any danger of tingling. He heard that she was originally a girl with a strong responsiveness. She perhaps knows better than anyone how to interact with the "Slate". Or, because she was close to Suoh, was she already familiar with that flame?

Anna stopped and looked in that direction. Awashima raised her sonorous voice and issued an order.

"To the new Third King, everyone, draw your swords!"

The main members of the Special Forces drew their swords one after another while raising their names, and drew their swords vertically towards the sky in front of their chests.

The flower path of the sword was done. Fushimi and Awashima also grabbed the hilt of their sabers.

"Fushimi, ready."

"Awashima, ready."

They created a path to welcome the new Third King.

Yata showed a disgusted look, as if he was careful of the line of bare swords. Kusanagi controlled him lightly with his hand.

Undeterred, Anna walked straight down the path of the sword. Kusanagi and Yata also stepped behind her to protect both sides.

When she got to the front of Munakata, Anna stopped and silently looked at Munakata.

It was a place to meet the "King", but they were acquaintances. Kusanagi casually greeted Awashima, but was ignored. Munakata also knew that Kusanagi had been in Germany for a long time and that Awashima had cooperated with him.

Yata hesitantly tried to thank Fushimi, but Fushimi ignored him as well. In fact, Munakata was convinced that it was the "request for support through another channel."

In the midst of that, Anna did not look away and looked directly at Munakata.

"Thanks for your help."

After a few moments of silence, Anna offered a simple, childlike thank you.

"If the "Red Queen" was in her prime, my help would not have been needed."

Munakata responded with a slight smile and immediately hardened his expression.

"However, it is true that the "Green King" Hisui Nagare is a presence to beware of. He is a creepy man."

In the end, even after all those incidents, the reason why the "Green King" withdrew so easily was the unforeseen situation of a new "Red King" awakening. It is very likely that he was able to obtain the desired information from the Mihashira Tower data bank. Whether it was the whereabouts of the "Silver King" or the "Golden King", or information about the "Dresden Slate", that was just a preliminary skirmish.

There was no doubt that the "Green King", who had been buried underground for a long time, was about to start something.

From far away, he listened the sound of running footsteps.

Anna's gaze turned in that direction, and a definite joy appeared in her expressionless expression.

Running towards them were Rikio Kamamoto of "Homura" and seven other members of the Red Clan. They seemed relieved when they recognized Anna's appearance, and Kamamoto, who was in the lead, relaxed his expression with a face that looked like he was about to cry.

"Anna... I'm glad you're safe...!"

Yata raised his fist with a smile towards the members of the Red Clan.

"You guys are late!"

They must have sensed the awakening of the "Red King" and rushed over. Munakata looked at the scene of the Red Clan with interest, wondering if there was such a substitute for the "King".

Anna smiled and nodded at her comrades who ran up, then she looked to Munakata.

"Please, take care of the rest."

"I understand."

Considering Anna's words as a request from the "Third King", who was part of that incident, to deal with the situation and transfer command, Munakata raised his voice to declare it to everyone around him.

"With the agreement between the Third Queen and the Fourth King, from now on, Mihashira Tower and the "Dresden Slate" will be under the control of "Scepter 4", and full authority will be entrusted to the Fourth King Reisi Munakata. "

Anna nodded.

After that, her gaze fell on the saber attached to Munakata's waist.

Sensing the meaning of her gaze, Munakata drew the saber from his waist and held it horizontally in front of Anna.

"Yes. I killed Suoh Mikoto with this."

There was no disturbance in Anna's behavior. Looking at the saber with a transparent expression that showed no sadness or anger, she gently placed her hand on the scabbard.

Even though she is a girl, when the "Red Queen" touched the saber of their own "King", the members of "Scepter 4" who were standing were wary and noisy.

For the members of "Scepter 4", sabers are a way to control their own abilities. They cannot be carelessly touched by other people, and it is not unreasonable to be alert against the "King" of the Red Clan, which can be said to be an enemy clan.

Responding to the vigilance and hostility of the "Scepter 4" members, the Red Clan members also showed signs of agitation, but Kusanagi placed a hand on Yata's shoulder to calm him down and winked at him. As Fushimi clicked his tongue, the members of "Scepter 4" held back with his hands.

Anna gently moved her hand over Munakata's saber and stroked it.

As Munakata watched the little white girl's hand slide over the scabbard, memories of that winter day came back to him.

Suoh laughed with a kind face that he had never seen before, as if the possessed spirit had fallen.

A red Sword of Damocles that fell and crumbled.

The feeling when Munakata's saber pierced Suoh's heart.

The weight of Suoh's dying body leaned against him.

Munakata blinked and his eyes widened. Anna withdrew the hand that was touching Munakata's saber.

"It was what Mikoto wanted. I don't hate you, but I don't want to thank you either."

What Anna told him was an honest feeling that couldn't be repaired. Munakata smiled and nodded.

"Alright."

He remembered what Suoh muttered like a moan, it was the words for that girl, Anna Kushina.

(Sorry, Anna. I can't show you that pretty red anymore.)

But she was no longer just an observer.

She became the Third Queen, the "Red Queen", emitting a bright and dangerous red.

++++++++++

Leaving "Scepter 4" and approaching with the hasty companions, Kamamoto knelt on the ground and placed his hands on Anna's shoulders.

"Anna... I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you..."

Anna shook her head and put her hand on Kamamoto's arm.

"No. I'm the one who's sorry. Are you okay with your injuries?"

“This kind of injury is nothing…!”

Bando raised his eyebrows at Kamamoto's tears.

"This guy who used to hang around in the bar often says that! Listen to me, Anna! This guy, Kamamoto, brought a girl to our holy place, the HOMRA bar, she healed his wounds and then he showed her his butt."

"San-chan! That's good now!"

Akagi soothed Bando with a concerned smile.

"By the way, why are you here?"

At Kusanagi's question, Chitose and Dewa looked at each other.

"We saw the red Sword of Damocles in the sky... I felt the flame within me, which had been weakened for a long time, whispering."

"I wanted to know what was going on, so I went to the HOMRA bar with Chitose."

Fujishima and Eric also exchanged glances before opening their mouths.

"I was in the room with Eric, but when Mikoto-san opened his Sanctum, I felt something similar, so I went to the bar with Dewa and the others."

"Then, we heard the story of Kamamoto-san."

"Knowing that Anna was in the Mihashira Tower, we came running."

Kusanagi nodded and looked around. Anna also looked at the faces of each person who came. They all had a complex expression that was a mixture of relief, joy, and strong confusion that Anna was safe.

"Anna... have you become the "Red Queen"?"

As if he represented everyone, Kamamoto asked quietly.

"Hey! Anna, you were awesome! You're really cool and you even helped us out!"

Yata said proudly before Anna could reply.

Anna slightly relaxed her expression when she saw Yata.

In that place, Anna felt that Yata and Kusanagi accepted her flame without hesitation.

But not all did. For the members of "Homura", Suoh Mikoto should have been the only "King".

She couldn't become "Queen" of "Homura" just by being chosen by the "Slate". She wasn't sure if everyone in "Homura" would choose her, but even so, Anna was happy that everyone who had been laughing together at the HOMRA bar was there once again.

"I was called by the 'Slate' for a long time. But I was scared, so I pretended not to see, I pretended not to hear."

Anna put her hand to her chest.

"But I stopped looking away. The red Mikoto showed me will be my red this time."

Anna smiled as she looked at "Homura" over everyone's faces, each with her own expression.

"Thanks for coming."

Kusanagi put a hand on Anna's shoulder.

"Anyway, let's go home. Rest well now and let's talk about the future later."

Anna nodded once, then said, "But wait a minute.", and she turned away.

As if not to get in the way, she approached Kuro who was watching the situation from a distance, and Neko who was crouching next to Kuro and watching the procession of ants, looking tired of the situation.

"Many thanks for everything."

When Anna thanked him, Kuro shook his head.

"No. There was a course of events and my own personal reasons. Besides, in the end, we were the ones who saved ourselves."

Anna looked at Kuro and took out a red marble from her pocket.

"Take this."

Before handing over the marble, Anna wrapped her hands around it and put her strength into prayer.

The responsiveness that she had been shutting down for a long time blossomed even more after being awakened as "Queen".

She didn't know if that would work, but Anna transferred some of her sentient abilities and gently opened her hands so they could connect with their loved ones.

"This will be a talisman for Kuro and Neko."

Kuro looked at the marble in Anna's palm curiously, and obediently took it.

"I pray that you can find the person you are looking for."

"I appreciate it."

Kuro grabbed the marble and lowered his head slightly.

"Neko, let's go home.", He said as he said goodbye next to Neko. Before returning to her comrades, Anna once again looked at the busily moving "Scepter 4".

Munakata was alone among the members of "Scepter 4" who pulled out the people from "Jungle" who were still inside Mihashira Tower, carried out the injured, and handed them over to the emergency services. Munakata was standing still doing nothing.

Seeing him, an uneasy murmur passed through Anna.

++++++++++

The "Red Queen" left, and only Munakata's blue Sword of Damocles floated in the sky.

Munakata was looking at his own sword.

He always had a hunch.

From the moment he took Suoh's life into his hands, he felt the feeling that he could no longer be a flawless "King" grew stronger little by little.

And now that feeling became a visible form.

A small crack went through Munakata's Sword of Damocles.

"The burden of killing the "King"..."

Munakata looked at that small wound and muttered.

"Let's take it and stand up."

Munakata began to walk. No matter what the circumstances, there was no cloud in the path of the “Blue King”.

++++++++++

Mishakuji Yukari walked while he hummed.

Kotosaka was flying to the side.

"You saw many interesting things at Mihashira Tower. It's a pity you didn't receive a direct memory."

Remembering the various beautiful things that he was able to see that time, he smiled.

"My cute little apprentice has finally started to grow. I witnessed the birth of the new "Red Queen"."

Kuro's sword that reached Mishakuji, and the power of the reborn "Red Queen" that soared into the sky in the form of a giant fire bird. Both were immature, but there was beauty in it.

There is certainly the perfect beauty of perfect things, but there is also the beauty of young shoots that make you feel the growth of the future.

And the distorted beauty when something that was supposed to be perfect is missing.

"The Sword of Damocles of the "Blue King"... I was able to confirm the status of it."

Mishakuji was looking at the blue Sword of Damocles as he left. He witnessed fault formation there, if only slightly.

Mishakuji laughed, spread his arms wide, and danced round and round.

"Fufufu, all the actors are here."

"Not yet, Yukari. We don't have a key person yet."

Hisui Nagare spoke through Kotosaka. Mishakuji looked at him sideways.

"That's right. Adolf K. Weismann. Nagare-chan, you are obsessed with him, the "King" from the beginning. We have to put him on top of this game board as soon as possible."

In the first place, the main goal of that operation was to expose the "Silver King".

Hisui Nagare claims to be a fan of the "Silver King". Nagare has extraordinary affection for the "Silver King", who discovered the "Slate", moved it, and dreamed an extraordinary dream like him.

"But the die is cast. The countdown to the real party has begun. Isn't it? My lord, "Green King"."

Kotosaka, who had the spirit of Nagare, landed on Mishakuji's shoulder. Mishakuji knew that Nagare was in a good mood just from the feeling on his cheek.

"Affirmative."

Mishakuji's lips also naturally lifted the corners of his mouth to create a smile.

"So? Were you able to get some results from the Mihashira Tower data bank?"

"That is also affirmative. As expected of the Mihashira Tower, which is the center of this country. It was a treasure trove of confidential information. Among them, there was also a clue about the "Silver King"."

"Oh, where is the "King" you're looking for?"

"The "Silver King" is in the Land of the Dead."

Mishakuji's eyes widened slightly. A giggling voice could be heard from behind next to Kotosaka.

"As expected of the "Golden King". To have concealed the existence of the "Heaven's" twin so perfectly."

There was joy deep within the flat way of speaking with little intonation. Mishakuji smiled at his master's good humor and said, "You're going to be busy from now on."

++++++++++

Kuro and Neko returned to Gakuenjima after sunrise.

When he first went to see Kukuri, Kukuri seemed to be worried about them, and she was exaggeratedly happy for their return.

"Welcome back, both of you! I'm glad you're back. You said you'd come by later, but you didn't come back at night and I got worried."

"Sorry. We had several problems. We were late."

"Kukuri, I'm home!"

Neko yelled happily. For Kuro, that is now a place to return to, but for Neko, who has memories of living there with Shiro, Gakuenjima is like her hometown.

Kukuri was also invited, and the three of them had breakfast in Shiro's room. Kuro and Neko didn't have dinner yesterday. Calming down the hungry Neko, he stopped at the family kitchen in Shiro's room, cooked rice and grilled horse mackerel, he poured in bonito broth and made tofu and wakame miso soup.

After finishing breakfast, which was simple, but Neko and Kukuri liked it very much, Kukuri made herself a cup of tea after her meal. Neko was misbehaving and sucking on the fish bones while she played on the bed.

Kuro took out the red marble that Anna handed him and held it up in front of him.

"Kurosuke, what is that? Caramel? Spicy? Sweet? Tasty?"

"It's not food. It's something Anna Kushina gave me when we parted ways."

Kukuri also looked curiously at the small red crystal ball pinched by Kuro's fingers.

"What? A marble?"

"Yes. She told me to carry it as a talisman..."

Anna Kushina is a girl with a strong sense of sensitivity that the "Green Clan" had their eye on. He also heard that red marbles were used as a medium when she was taking full advantage of the ability to perceive.

That's what she gave him. He thought there was some kind of power put into it, but so far she seemed like nothing more than a normal marble.

As she stared, Kukuri who seemed to be interested approached Kuro and looked. Neko also rushed over and jumped onto Kuro's back with the momentum of the charge.

He tried to scold her so she wouldn't act violently in the room, but Neko clung to Kuro's back and stared at the marble, her wide eyes twinkling.

"It's Shiro!"

That's what Neko said with a happy, confident and bright voice.

Kuro jumped and looked at the marble.

Certainly some kind of image shuddered in the depths of the marble.

As Neko continued to look at it, the oscillating image formed what seemed to be Shiro's back, just as Neko had said.

Kuro's lips trembled.

"Shiro...! Where are you now...?"

A small back was reflected in the small marble.

Even so, Kuro was convinced that it was Isana Yashiro.

He's been looking for him for almost a year.

On more than one occasion he felt the fear that he was dead and that he would never see him again.

Now, with the help of Anna Kushina, Kuro and Neko are connected to Shiro by a very thin thread.

Kukuri, who was looking at the marble with Kuro and the others, muttered in a strange way, but with something that touched her heart.

"This person is... Shiro-kun...?"

The Shiro on the marble didn't look back. Neko waved her hand at the marble.

"Shiro! Hey, Shiro!"

"Shiro! Can't you hear me?!"

Kuro also yelled without hesitation. However, perhaps because the connection was one-sided, Shiro did not respond to Kuro and Neko's calls, and the image finally flickered vaguely, like the first time, and disappeared.

Even though the marble had returned to just a transparent red marble, Kuro and Neko continued to stare at it for a while. After a few seconds of silence, the two looked at each other.

In contrast to the stunned Kuro, Neko had a big smile on her face.

"Shiro, are you there!"

Neko said that happily.

"Ah..."

Kuro replied with a hoarse voice.

Surely that wasn't an illusion. It was only for a moment, but Kuro also felt connected to Shiro.

Shiro was alive.

"Kuro-kun, Wagahai-chan... right now... you two are important people."

Kukuri spoke with a somewhat dreamy voice.

"I only know about Shiro-kun from the history of the two of you, but for some reason, when I saw the reflection of him in the marble, I felt a strange nostalgia."

"I see. I'm sure he'll be able to get along with Kukuri. When he returns, please meet him."

Kuro smiled as he lowered his passionate eyes. Neko shook Kuro and said, "Let's go pick up Shiro!"

Kuro gripped the marble tightly to confirm the connection.

#project k #manga #to read #translated chapter #novel

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