Prologue
“Ka……Kaa-san?”With rising crimson flames behind her, Hida Nayuta was wearing a soft smile.
‘――Don’t tell me, it’s really her?
But, why is she in this kind of place?’
Kizuna was dumbfounded from the sudden appearance of his mother.
The parent that gave birth to Heart Hybrid Gear. So to speak, the person who made they, the members of Amaterasu, to be burdened with the fate of fighting by shaving their life. And then, she was also the perpetrator that created the situation where they had to do Heart Hybrid without any choice.
He wondered if he was mistaken and this was only an accidental resemblance with other people. However, no matter how he looked at her, he could only see that it was the person herself.
The gust that raised the flame made the white coat she wore like a doctor’s robe flap. The mother inside his memory was also always wearing a white doctor’s robe. Her appearance too, her smile that looked gentle too, all those didn’t change at all from ten years ago. That appearance which was really similar with Reiri looked so youthful that rather than calling the two of them parent and child, they looked more like sisters.
“Are you, really……Kaa-san.”
The happiness of being reunited with his mother, didn’t well up at all inside him. On the contrary, cold sweat was drenching down his whole body from the unspeakable terror and alertness that ruled Kizuna’s body.
“Long time no see isn’t it, Kizuna. It’s about ten years……and twenty one days already.”
Her voice was soft and elegantly reverberated.
A gentle voice that was colored by a gentle smile. It was the same like when he was praised from doing experiments on Heart Hybrid Gear when he was a child.
And then, it was also the same smile when she chased him out from the lab because she had no use for him anymore.
Himekawa too opened her eyes roundly wide from the sudden appearance of Nayuta.
“I heard that her whereabouts are unknown, but……why is she in this kind of place?’
Kizuna gulped audibly and somehow restrained his voice from going shrill.
“……At the lab, we found a movie that said she was going to the AU for field work. Did Kaa-san, really, go……to AU?”
“Yes.”
In contrast with Kizuna’s nervousness, Nayuta answered as if it was nothing. Himekawa that didn’t know about the circumstance looked alternately at the figures of Kizuna and Nayuta as if to look for answer.
“To, to AU!? Wha, what in the world is the meaning of that?”
Restraining Himekawa who was getting agitated, Kizuna took a step forward.
――!?
A chill rushed through Kizuna’s body, from the tips of his toes through his spine.
Navy blue darkness appeared in a sway from behind Nayuta. It was a slender and tall female with deep blue hair. But, she was not an ordinary woman, he could understand it whether he wanted to or not from seeing the magic armor equipped on her body.
It was a supple armor that gave the impression of a steel reptile. Light blue light was circulating like blood flow on its surface. That light converged on her steel claw, emitting a bewitching light. Kizuna’s eyes were attracted to the small metallic lump pinched in the tips of that claw.
That was something taken just now from Brigit’s chest. However, at that time this woman was located twenty, thirty meters from here. He didn’t understand at all, just how could that woman from that far could make only her arm appear from inside Brigit’s body. But, he remembered seeing it before, the taken metal that was shaped like a capsule with length of five centimeters and a diameter of two centimeters.
“That’s, a Heart Hybrid Gear Core……right?”
There was also the Core of Eros inside Kizuna’s chest. When he was a child, that Core was embedding operationinstalled in him by his mother Nayuta. That Core absorbed Kizuna’s life, and in exchange created the black armor on his body.
“Right. Even for me, this is practically the first time taking out a Core from the body it was installed into. However, I’m satisfied that I obtained a result that is exactly as I predicted.”
“Satisfied? Satisfied you say……just now, Kaa-san said that if a Core is extracted then the user will die. Then, Brigit is……”
After Brigit had her Core taken out, she fell on the ground and didn’t make a single movement. Kizuna looked down on Brigit’s body with a trembling voice.
“She……she is dead?”
“Why are you bothering to ask something you understand already, Kizuna?”
“Kuh……!”
He felt an impact like his head was punched from the great shock.
‘――That’s……Kaa-san is, Kaa-san is, really…….’
“Ki, Kizuna-kun! Anyway let’s go back to Ataraxia for the moment. We have to bring Brigit-san to the lab! Also we have to safeguard Professor Hakase!”
Himekawa passed through Kizuna’s side and tried to rush to Nayuta.
“……-! Himekawa, be careful!”
The woman wearing deep blue magic armor stood on their way hiding Nayuta behind her.
Himekawa stopped her legs and glared at that woman.
“Wha? What is it with you!? Move away from there!”
Against Himekawa who exposed her anger, that woman was making a troubled expression.
“Do……don’t. Nayuta-sama is……an important person.”
“Eh?”
That woman brought up her right hand and aimed her fingertips at Himekawa. Her distance from Himekawa was approximately five meters. Himekawa also drew out her Sword and took a battle stance.
The woman was unarmed. She didn’t look threatening at all.
However, the moment light was emitted from the tips of that steel claw, Kizuna’s instinct trembled in fear.
“Himekawa, get back! That thing is dangerous!”
“Eh? But, if that’s true then we have to save Professor Hakase even――”
“Himekawa-!”
Before he even finished hearing Himekawa’s words, Kizuna jumped out. At the same time, the woman thrust the hand aiming at Himekawa forward.
“Wai……kyaaaa!?”
He clung at Himekawa’s body in a tackle and pushed her down from there.
“Wha, what are you doing so suddenly-, ple, please know about the time and place-“
Ignoring Himekawa whose face turned bright red while protesting, Kizuna turned back at the place where Himekawa was standing just now. Cold sweat flowed down Kizuna’s forehead.
“Kizuna-kun? What are――”
Chasing after Kizuna’s gaze, Himekawa’s breath hitched.
In the air, an arm fixed with steel claw was floating. It was the same arm that took out the Core from Brigit’s chest.
When they looked back to the front, the woman wearing magic armor had her arm starting from her elbow down vanish.
‘――So it’s just as I thought.’
If, Himekawa had kept standing at that spot, surely her Core would have been taken out similarly like Brigit.
The arm floating in the air vanished, and in exchange the thrust forward arm had its vanished part materialized back.
Nayuta suddenly leaked out a smile.
“This child is my bodyguard Valdy. The magic armor she wears is [Rael]. El-series possess the ability to manipulate space. The Zeel of Aldea that you all fought before this was also like that wasn’t it?”
Kizuna jumped to his feet and stood in front to cover Himekawa.
“……Kaa-san. I have a mountain of things that I want to ask and say, but first I’ll have you return back to Ataraxia quietly.”
“That’s impossible. There is no such schedule in my action.”
{Kizuna! Absolutely don’t let her get away!}
Reiri’s angry voice resounded. Eros’s floating window started up, and there the desperate look of Reiri was projected.
“What’s the matter Reiri? Getting so flustered like that.”
{What’s the matter you ask!? Do you understand just what it is you are doing!?}
“Do you want to say that I’m of unsound mind like that? Or else, do you doubt that my actions created a result that is not in accordance with my own actions I wonder?”
{I’m asking you the meaning of your actions!}
Nayuta made a surprised voice.
“Reiri, you cannot understand the meaning of my actions?”
{Just who the hell can understand it!}
Nayuta tilted her head with a troubled expression and propped up her cheek with her hand.
“Reiri, I’ve thought this since a long time ago.”
{What!}
“You are an idiot aren’t you?”
{……-!}
Kizuna felt like he heard the sound of something snapping from across the floating window.
“Aah, it’s fine to not worry about it. It’s said that a stupid child is cute, after all, humans in general are stupid.”
A terrific angry voice that couldn’t be imagined coming from the usually calm Reiri gushed out.
{KIZUNAAAAAA! BRING THAT WOMAN BACK EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO PUT A ROPE ON HER NECK!}
“Ou-!”
Kizuna faced Valdy and took a stance. However, Eros had lost most of its functions from the battle with Gravel. The weapons had vanished, and his armor had broke into a state of partial destruction.
“Kizuna-kun! It’s impossible in your condition! Please leave this to me.”
Himekawa turned the point of Sword at Valdy, Valdy too lowered her waist and readied her sharp claws.
Nayuta stared at Kizuna who was making a grim face and narrowed her eyes.
“Don’t say something unreasonable. Having my children getting emotionally attached to me is also not bad, but I’m still in the middle of work so there is no way I can go home. Perhaps you are lonely, but endure it.”
“We aren’t talking about something like that here!”
“Then let’s go back, Valdy.”
When Nayuta called her, a flash ran to the left and right from Valdy spreading both her arms.
“GUAA!”
The moment he recognized that her arms disappeared starting from her elbow, Kizuna’s body was blown away to the side.
“Kya……-!”
Similarly, Himekawa was blown away to the opposite direction and struck into the wall of a crumbling building.
“My……my, apologies.”
Valdy lifted up Nayuta in her arms like carrying a princess, then a ring of light spread around her waist. That ring increased in brightness and floated the bodies of the two in the air.
Kizuna raised his upper body and yelled towards Nayuta.
“Wait-! Wait there, Kaa-san! I need Kaa-san to do something about everyone’s Core! What is the way to stop the decrease of Hybrid Count? Is there no other energy than life? Something other than Heart Hybrid――”
“Kizuna, if you have business with me, come to Tokyo. Aah also, I want to meet Aine too. Bring her together when you come there.”
“Kaa-san, is in Tokyo!?”
“Yes, correct. If you come, I’ll let you see something interesting……for sure okay?”
Something, interesting?
Valdy’s magic armor raised in altitude while scattering light particles. And then her direction changed to the Entrance and she sped up in one breath.
“There is the seal at the Entrance! You won’t be able to go back to AU!”
Nayuta waved her hand in response towards Kizuna’s agitated yell.
“Ki, Kizuna-kun! The Entrance!”
Himekawa let out a shrill voice and pointed at the mountain at the afar. It was like mist was rising from the mountain, a thinly shining wall was appearing in the air where there was nothing.
“That’s, impossible……just how in the world…”
It was a gigantic rectangle that might reach even a kilometer vertically and horizontally. The door to AU, Entrance once again displayed its appearance.
A floating window opened beside Kizuna’s face.
{This is Aine! The sealing system was destroyed! Just when I thought that the enemy had been exterminated, at the gap when we were going to collect Yurishia and Scarlet……Kizuna! Be careful! It was going to your side!}
“Wha……what is it!? Report properly――”
A metallic sound like the sound of a flying jet airplane was approaching near.
“-!?”
From the direction of the Entrance, he could see a lump of steel flying here.
“Kizuna-kun, dangerous!”
The flying near object swung its fist.
A steel……fist?
“DORYAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
That object rushed in without decreasing its speed. And then the gigantic fist struck the ground while a war cry was raised.
In front of Kizuna’s eyes, a fierce explosion occurred.
The shockwave shook the ground like an earthquake. The ground sunk down and the asphalt pavement cracked in one go, the flat street had its appearance changed into uneven surface like rock skin.
It was a terrifying strong arm.
Furthermore that shockwave blew away Kizuna and Himekawa’s bodies a few meters away.
“UOWAAAAAA-!”
Kizuna crashed to the ground and his little remaining armor broke apart.
“Kuh, shit-! What’s, that thing!?”
“Ahahahahaha, how is it? The power of this Ragrus-sama’s magic armor, the Demon!”
Inside the gigantic magic armor, a petite girl was settled in. Her rolled twintails shook, when she was crossing her arms haughtily, the metallic arms were also crossing themselves matching with that movement.
‘――Huge.’
It was a large type magic armor he had never seen before. Rather than calling it armor that was fixed on the body, it felt closer to riding a robot.
It was a vivid red magic armor. And then, the overwhelming massiveness and mass possessed by that giant body made those watching it unable to help but to be pressured.
Amidst all that, the most standing out thing were those stout arms. The two arms growing from Ragrus’s back were unnaturally thick and long even for the large Demon. It was rugged like a rock, the large fist looked like it could crush even Heart Hybrid Gear in its grip if that fist managed to catch its prey.
“Shit-, more of AU’s bunch. So you are the comrade of that Valdy just now and Gravel over there huh!”
Ragrus made a blatant displeasured face.
“Haa? You are grouping me together with those kinds of bunches? Valdy is like my underling, and Gravel and Aldea are from the subjugation army you know? Their status is just different from an imperial guard like me. Even their strength is evidently falling behind someone like you guys.”
Ragrus was literally looking down on Kizuna while speaking.
The height of Ragrus herself likely didn’t even reach 150 centimeters. However, those metallic leg parts resembling western armor that covered her legs were increasing Ragrus’s height by more than a meter.
Demon’s stout arms were picking up Gravel that was lying on the ground.
“Then, I’ll have you return this woman. I don’t mind even if she dies, but she has to compensate for her sin……next is Aldea…..hm. Yep, she is nearby here isn’t she?”
Ragrus opened a window and confirmed Aldea’s reaction.
“I won’t let you do whatever you please!”
Himekawa stepped swiftly and slashed at Demon. The Sword that could cut apart magic weapon like paper drew a sharp orbit. Ragrus didn’t make the slightest movement, as though she didn’t even notice Himekawa’s attack. The Sword mercilessly cut at the arm carrying Gravel.
The sound of two metals colliding with each other resounded, intense light and sparks scattered.
“Wha-!?”
“Hm? What are you doing there?”
Ragrus scowled her face as though she had just noticed Himekawa slashing at her.
“No, no way……”
Himekawa put her strength into the fingers that were gripping Sword. The enemy’s stout arm was supposed to be cut down. But, the Sword didn’t even dig into the armor of Demon.
“Aah geez, you are a bother!”
Demon’s stout arm was lightly waved as though it was shooing off a bug.
“KYAAAA!”
The arm that was casually waved grazed Himekawa a little. Just from that, Himekawa’s body flew in the air.
“Himekawa!”
Kizuna immediately circled behind Himekawa and caught her body.
“Guh……AAAAAA-!”
However, the impact received from Demon was tremendous, Kizuna who caught Himekawa’s body was blown away altogether to behind.
“SHITT!”
At the same time with Kizuna deploying Life Saver on his back, both of them plunged into a destroyed building. Ragrus’s fingertips played around with one of her twintails that were rolled loosely, her looking down gaze was directed at the mountain of rubble which was raising a dust cloud.
“It’s troublesome, I wonder, I should just kill them here.”
Demon’s leg stepped on the ground firmly. That weight made the leg cave into the ground for a few centimeters. With a cruel face and red mantle flapping behind, Ragrus was walking towards Himekawa, step by step.
“Gu……shit.”
Kizuna moved away the piece of concrete that covered him and somehow crawled out from the mountain of rubble. However, Eros used up all its power right there. It became particles of light and the Heart Hybrid Gear vanished from Kizuna’s body.
Kizuna shook the body of Himekawa that he embraced on his chest.
“Himekawa! Pull yourself together, are you conscious!?”
Himekawa’s face that was covered with soot twisted, she opened her eyes thinly.
“I……I’m fine. I’ll, defeat her……with the next.”
With unsteady feet, Himekawa stood up. Cold sweat also flowed down on Kizuna’s cheek.
‘――This girl is tough. With our exhausted state right now…….’
“Himekawa, contact all members. Open your window for me!”
“Eh? Ye, yes.”
Following Kizuna’s order, Himekawa opened a communication window that was connected to Amaterasu and Masters all at once. Kizuna faced that window and yelled.
“All members retreat! Carry the injured and return to Ataraxia ASAP!”
Himekawa opened her eyes wide.
“No, no way! We have come this far, how can we return without any result at all! Even Professor Nayuta, we can still make it if we give chase!”
Himekawa’s reproaching words made Kizuna grit his teeth.
“This is an order. More than this……I won’t have the confidence to protect all your lives.”
“Ah……”
Kizuna’s fist was clenched tightly. To the degree that his nails dug into his palm.
“……Roger. Himekawa Neros, returning to base.”
“I cannot use Heart Hybrid Gear. Can I rely on you?”
“Of course.”
Himekawa showed a little hesitation, but she embraced Kizuna who was pursing his lips stiffly. And then, she fully opened her thruster and rushed until few hundred meters to the sky in one go.
“Ah! Hey, don’t run away-“
Ragrus looked up at their figures and tightened her lips in ^ shape.
“Nn……well, it’s only obvious for them to get scared towards this me. Rather than that, let’s quickly pick up Aldea and go home. With this……even Captain Zelsione……will surely praise me.”
Ragrus opened her sensor window and confirmed Aldea’s location, then she walked through the burning city while humming a song.
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