02-25 – Mystic katana

When Alysia noticed, inside a strange colour, she stood in that s.p.a.ce. Kurobi stooped over before her eyes, staring at Alysia’s face.

“That? After that I’m…”

Even when searching her memory, she only remembered to the place of where she returned from the Imperial capital with Sheriana and sucked each other’s blood. She fell asleep and before she knew it she was in this place.

Accordingly, Kurobi opened her mouth.

“…Nevertheless you sucked blood nicely.”
“Because I’m a vampire.”
“Even if you say that. Can you think of a former man sucking blood cheerfully?”

Alysia certainly…and for a while she indulged herself in thought. It may be possible to say a bloodsucking urge happened, without shirking away from that, Alysia accepted to suck blood. After a while, Alysia thought of herself strangely.

“Well, it was probably stress.”
順応力があっただけでしょ

Kurobi said so, and took out a paper from her bosom. That was the the Death job application form that Alysia had finished filling out.

“This, you’ve finished writing so I’ll take it.”
“Understood.”

Though she wanted to ask how it was taken, she unconditionally couldn’t talk and swallowed her words.

“…Ah, I almost forgot to say. The mystic katana is your sword.”
“Eh, mystic katana?”

Alysia asked and coincidentally her field of vision began to darken. The omen to waking up as always.

“Ah, in what way the mystic katana…”

Without change, Alysia surrendered her consciousness without fully saying her words to the end. While thinking something about the mystic katana—

Now evening at 12, on Earth it could be said it was 6pm in the afternoon, a distant place was seen shining an orange-coloured sunset. Today was the promise of teaching how to handle spirit from Mr Berg.

Alysia arrived at the meeting place which was the academy’s central water fountain square, sitting down on the brick enclosing the water fountain, she drew the katana from her back, raising it. The silver blade reflected the sunset’s light, bringing about much more suspicion.

Alysia touched the part of the tip with her finger. The coldness of the metal was transmitted, and it was simultaneously possible to feel something 『different』.

“…?”

Touching the same place once more. Then–

“…Oh-!”

Certainly sensing that, judging from Alysia’s knowledge she judged with conviction mystic power. In other words, this was, to say, the mystic katana Kurobi was talking about.

And exactly then, Mr Berg walked on the opposite side of the road and was seen coming. Discovering Alysia, Mr Berg immediately approached while waving his hand.

“Hey! Did I keep you waiting?”
“It’s alright. I still have not waited for two or three minutes.”

Mr Berg, who immediately sat down next to her, was relieved at Alysia’s words.

“Even so, you…can a young lady really swing a weapon?”

Alysia, for a moment thought…she could certainly a.s.sert that was a characteristic of herself.

“…That’s fine for me.”
“Alright. Above all, be pleased with the katana.”
“Will we go to the school building’s rooftop now?”
“That is so. Since it can be used freely at any time.”

Mr Berg began to stand up and walk the way to the school building. Alysia also put her sword in the sheath and arrived behind at a quick pace.

“First, it’s important to sense spirit. This is also the same thing as magic.”
“As I thought.”
“Hey! As I thought, what, as I thought!”

The rooftop of the school building, accordingly, Mr Berg faced Alysia. Even describing the same process for magic and divine power was only 『as I thought』for Alysia.

“First, close your eyes, sever off all unnecessary thoughts. Bring your mind to naught and concentrate only on sensation. Try and do it. I’ll drain a minuscule amount of my spirit there.”
“Understood.”

Alysia closed her eyes, and sharpened her senses as told. When doing that, not minding the usual sound of the wind, her heartbeat was heard. It was even possible to sense the minuscule amount of magic included in the air and the voice of spirits at the limit.

–How much time pa.s.sed? Alysia abruptly felt pressure in her heart. That sensation further became stronger, it turned into weak pain, and resounded throughout the body. It felt painful but good and comfortable, just the existing power came overflowing, the strange feeling…

–This, spirit…!

Finally able to grasp spirit, Alysia slowly opened her eyes. Lifting up and gazing at both hands, there was certainly a feeling that she could confirm.

“……!”
“Yeah! It’s naturally short even if it’s four hours, but you got a feel of it in two and a half hours!”

Saying so, Mr Berg patted Alysia’s back with a slap slap. Expression seeming delightful somewhere, looking proud.

“…Eh!? Two and a half hours, it’s already fifteen?”
“It is so. Return to the dormitory and rest today. How about the full-blown way to use it tomorrow?”
「そうなるな。今日はもう寮に帰って休め。本格的な使い方は明日からでどうだ？」
“Oh well. …Then, see you tomorrow!”
“I’m going, see you tomorrow!”

Seeing Mr Berg off, Alysia returned to her dormitory room. It was a digression that Mr Berg tried to stop Alysia who jumped off the roof and almost fell together.

The dead of the night at sixteen, the date changed at this time. Even at such a time, Alysia was still sitting at her desk.

“Umm…”
“Aria, go to sleep already…”
“Wait, just a bit more.”

Not listening to the drowsy Fian’s words, she turned her attention to the katana put on the desk. Her right hand was added to the part of the grip and found out that it was emitting a pale luminescence. Alysia’s put in mystic power into her katana. Speaking of why, it was to amplify the mystic power felt earlier, because she thought something might happen.

“You sleep first…Ah-!?”
“Aria!?”

Then, the luminescence abruptly got stronger, light filled the dark room. The two weren’t able to adapt to the abrupt thing at all and uttered a startled cry.

“Kyaaaa-!”
“-!?”

When Alysia noticed, her right hand matched the shining red of the katana, and mystic power scattered into the surroundings. A pattern rose to the surface of the place of the sword blade.

“As expected, the name of the mystic katana isn’t putting on airs. Ah, Fia?”
“Ua, Aria…-…”

The mystic power seemed to have been affected, Alysia caught Fian who fell, and carried her to bed just as it was. Of course, immediately cutting off the supply of mystic power by putting the katana back into the sheath.

Putting Fian to bed, Alysia said in this way.

“Fia, good night…”
“Su-…su-…”

Those were the words she remembered she said herself the previous day. Alysia naturally had these words inside her mouth unconsciously.