16-10. Behind the Ceremony
"Arisa~?"
"You'll catch a cold desuyo?"
Tama and Pochi are worriedly looking at Arisa who's sitting under a waterfall wearing a white unlined kimono.
"You'll be late~?"
"Sensei will scold you nodesu."
Looks like the two came to get Arisa after getting ready for school.
"I'm not going to school today, tell Mia for me okay."
"Playing hooky~?"
"Hikineet is risky and dangerous nodesu!"
Tama and Pochi looked like they couldn't believe Arisa who declared her absence.
For the two who have only recently started school and really enjoyed it, they probably can't believe that she'll be taking a leave even though she's not sick.
"It's fine! I've got to do something more important today!"
"What is~?"
"Please tell us nodesu."
"You heard that Master would do a ceremony at the duchy capital during breakfast right?"
"Aye."
"Yes nanodesu."
Tama and Pochi affirmed Arisa's question.
"I'm sharpening my mind just in case I catch an SOS from master through 『Familiar~ Power~』 you see."
"Tama will do it too~?"
"Pochi will catch SOS too nodesu!"
Arisa waved her head aside while smiling wryly at the two's expected response.
"You two's roles are for later, leave today to me and go to school. Your pickup is coming right about now isn't it."
"Ah! nanodesu."
"Hu~rry~ up~?"
Pochi and Tama recalled China who's always coming to get them every morning and panicked.
"We're off~?"
"Arisa! Be sure to tell Pochi if you're in trouble nodesuyo!"
"Yes yes, take car~e."
Arisa waves her hand like usual at the two who head to the teleport gate in a hurry like they're tumbling.
"Now then--"
Arisa turned back to a serious look after the two were gone and clapped her cheeks.
"--Alright, I'm all fired up."
Arisa closes her eyes while getting hit by the waterfall, focusing fully to connect a thin line toward her dear master.
Her intuition tells her that it's the only thing she can rely on when she can't contact him through Space magic.
◇
"Nyu?"
Tama who was inside a carriage in her commute to school stretched her back and looked around.
Her radar-like ears are standing and flapping rapidly.
"What's wrong nodesu?"
"Nyuu"
Tama tilted her head to the side at Pochi's question.
Looks like her premonition this time is the kind that can't be expressed with words.
"Mia-sama, what seems to be the matter?"
At the same time, Mia who was in the same carriage with them had a mystified look on her face.
"The spirits are quiet--"
The spirits that are usually always noisy are quiet like insects in fear of a beast.
Mia who had a bad feeling about it peered outside the carriage window and looked up to the sky.
"--Castle?"
Mia's eyes saw the spirits enclosing the castle.
Or to be more exact, the spirits look like they're running away from the castle.
"Mia-sama, is there anything wrong with the castle?"
"Nn, nevermind."
Mia waved her head to reply the anxious China.
Apparently she concluded that the Sakura Dryad probably had a fit and the spirits were running away from her.
◇
"So this is the--Holy Shell Mobile Armor."
Princess Sistina is looking up at the Holy Shell Mobile Armor inside a hangar in the royal castle.
She probably almost slipped "that Satou made" words.
Beside her, Zena Marientail who's acting as her bodyguard, and Karina Muno who's acting as her friend are looking up at the Holy Shell Mobile Armor with sparkling eyes.
The two are aware that this one is a replica, but the fact that it looks exactly like the legendary Holy Shell Mobile Armor is enough to turn it into an object of admiration.
In place of the two who are overcome with emotions the one who answers princess Sistina is an old man who comes walking in with a cane.
"Yes, his majesty has given his permission for us to activate the main engine, therefore we're planning to perform a startup test today."
The chief of Royal Research Institute informed princess Sistina.
In order to examine the Holy Shell Mobile Armor, the brains of this kingdom, which include the chief, Shiga 33 Canes, and golem researchers among others have gathered in this hangar.
"EEY! Let me touch it!"
"P-prof, you can't!"
"Lemme go, Aoi! That spirally shining main engine is calling for me!"
Looks like Prof. Jahad and Aoi boy from Echigoya Firm have come too.
It seems the professor is being unreasonable after seeing its central part, the sacred tree stone furnace shining blue--the [Philosopher's Stone] contained within the Magic Generator.
"I'd have preferred if Echigoya Firm sent someone better than a moron who was chased out of the Royal Research Institute."
The chief who saw the scene spat out while looking irritated and then turned a smile toward princess Sistina.
He's quite quick to flip the switch.
"While the main engine and armaments of this Holy Shell Mobile Armor are great, its armor is simply magnificent. Please look at it, under the white coat hidden an armorplate made of the holy orichalcum referred as divine metal by some."
"You just don't get it do you, tinplate nerd."
Interrupting the chief who almost sounded delirious was an elderly man who is a member of Shiga 33 Canes and does research on defensive magic.
"How can you not comprehend the splendor of this coating! Your highness Sistina, this coat is exactly the proof of Shiga Kingdom guardian. In addition to having the power to nullify up to mid-class level magic, it has the ability to absorb the liberated mana from magic it nullifies into its own main engine!"
"T-that sounds wonderful. Rahad-dono is really talented to understand that far this quick."
Princess Sistina inched back to see a fervent speech of an elderly man.
As she had been informed of that ability by Satou, she seemed to be surprised by the fact that it was analyzed so quick.
Identifying the effect that is, reproducing it is another matter entirely.
"Quiet you shield nerd. Your highness Sistina, this armor won't get even a scratch from a magic edge clad mithril sword! Wonderful isn't it!"
The chief is showing off an armorplate taken off the Holy Shell Mobile Armor.
"Hee, isn't that really sturdy?"
Lady Karina who was touching the armorplate all over tried to scratch it with her finger clad with magic edge that she learned recently.
A straight line got splendidly drawn, and Lady Karina's face quickly turned pale.
Her level of clumsiness compares to that of Pochi.
◇
Meanwhile at Royal Academy, childhood school--.
"--Nyu?"
Tama who was holding a pen in her mouth while looking sleepy suddenly raised her face with a serious look on it.
"What's wrong nodesu?"
Pochi who noticed that asked Tama.
Shiro and Crow sitting on the seats in front of them seem curious too.
Tama's cat ears are twitching and trembling.
"Nyu~?"
Tama returned to her relaxed look and fell limply on her desk.
"Famished~?"
"Pochi is starving too nanodesu! But early lunch is bad nodesuyo? That's a forbidden technique nanodesu. Hell will be waiting for us at lunch if we eat now nodesu."
A rolled textbook got on the head of Pochi who was having a fervent speech.
Reflected in the eyes of Pochi who looked up was a female teacher whose mood turned for the worse.
"Ah--"
"Chatting during class is?"
"B-bad nanodesu."
"And what should you do when you did bad things?"
"We're sorry~?"
"We're sorry nanodesu."
Pochi whose ears are flopped down and tail is hidden between her legs apologizes to the female teacher.
"You'd go without lunch as a penalty if you did it again."
"Ga~n"
"O-oh no nanodesu."
Tama's and Pochi's bodies were paralyzed in fear when the female teacher told them the weight of penalty for a major offense.
They look at each other and make a mouth zip gesture.
30 minutes until lunchtime.
Incited by Tama's belly rumbling, Pochi's belly rumbling began to have a chorus together.
The chorus gradually spread inside the classroom.
◇
"Formula 4."
At the Royal Magic Academy, Mia-sensei is using a long wand as a substitute for lecture stick to teach her class.
"Conversion, solution 27."
The students are desperately deciphering Mia-sensei's lack of words as they try to understand the lecture.
Looks like there is a different kind of hardships to be found in a lecture without an excellent translator that is Arisa.
"I-if only Arisa-sensei was here now..."
"A-Arisa-sensei--"
It appears a lot of students and teachers who usually ridiculed Arisa as being Mia-sensei's extra have realized her true worth now.
However, only a few noticed the fact that her being able to translate it means that her understanding of magic is equaling Mia-sensei or more.
Arisa-sensei who would have gotten a passionate call by the students unlike anything before had she were here is probably still doing the cold water ablutions under the waterfall in the Solitary Island Palace even now.
◇
"--Ara?"
Princess Sistina felt something odd from the Mobile Armor behind the chief.
You normally need the assistance of multiple mechanics and magicians to board the Mobile Armor, but there isn't anyone who's supporting the Mobile Armor now.
And it seems princess Sistina wasn't the only one who noticed that.
"Oy! Who's moving it!"
Someone who found something amiss with the elevator where the Mobile Armor was put beside the Holy Shell Mobile Armor shouted.
"What? We're not using the Mobile Armor for the startup test y'know?"
"Who's piloting it?"
Mobile Armor is something like an anti-gravity device for the pilot of Holy Shell Mobile Armor, so it's not needed unless the test demands intense movements.
Incidentally, this Mobile Armor isn't the real one, but a replica Satou made.
"Tina-sama, Karina-sama, we should get away from here. There's something wrong going on."
『Umu, I agree with Zena-dono's opinion.』
《Intelligent Item》 Raka that lady Karina wore agreed with Zena-san who advised them to evacuate.
As the three were on their way to the office to take shelter, sounds of metal getting crushed resounded in the hangar.
The three looked back and saw scaffold and elevator that enclosed the Holy Shell Mobile Armor collapsing to the ground.
Magicians and researchers in white robes are running about in confusion below.
"This is bad desuwa!"
『Ka-Karina-dono, wait!!』
Disregarding Raka's warning, Lady Karina charged toward the collapsing scaffold.
Lady Karina roughly pushed away the researchers who were about to be crushed by the collapsing scaffold.
Main part of the scaffold and steel frames are falling toward Lady Karina who's had a decisive look on her face.
--Karina-sama!
Zena and princess Sistina raised a scream in their mind as they held out their hands equipped with magic activation rings and began to chant.
Both of them are fully aware of the fact that their chant won't make it in time.
They saw Raka protecting Lady Karina from the steel frames that fell first, and then one after another hit the ground as the surroundings were filled with despairing roaring sounds and cloud of dust.
◇
"Haa... Satou and Sera aren't here for the ceremony, I can't visit them either, I'm bored."
In an arbor inside a courtyard of the Duchy Castle that occupied the western part of Oyugock City, Lady Ringrande who's also known as [Sky Champion Witch] is bored out of her mind.
Of course, it's not like she doesn't have any close friend.
However, most of them are already married and have many children.
For a late bloomer at her age with no boyfriend like her, visiting them is a difficult hurdle to mentally overcome.
"Maybe I should have another practice round with the duchy knights..."
She felt hesitant to practice as there wasn't anyone who could fight her evenly here.
--If only Satou were here at least.
Lady Ringrande caught sight of something odd when that thought flashed in her mind.
"Ara? Isn't that Wyvern Rider flying strangely?"
Ringrande was puzzled to see a wyvern flying acrobatically above the duchy castle.
The next moment, a ray of light shot from the horizon cut the flying wyvern in two.
She saw wyvern's blood scattering as the wingkin rider who was riding on its back frantically tried to escape.
Lady Ringrande grasped her trusty sword next to her and stood up.
"Enemy's attack!"
Lady Ringrande ran off while shouting out loud, and the castle's alarm resounded a moment later.
"Judging from the alarm, the enemy is coming from the south--"
The physically reinforced Lady Ringrande ran through the corridor like the wind.
She's heading to the castle tower to the south--.
Multiple roaring sounds resounded while she was running, the duchy castle's defensive barrier repelled the light.
Frightened maids and officials are crouching in the passage.
--She should be able to see the assailant from there.
◇
"Temple Head-sama."
The loud roars and tremor transmitted from outside Tenion Temple caused unrest amongst the priests who participated in the ceremony.
Fortunately, Sera, Satou, Lily who supported them and the other miko haven't noticed the loud sounds and tremor because they are in trance states.
"Keep going. This sanctuary is protected by Tenion-sama's divine protection. Don't worry and continue."
Hearing the temple head, the priests resume channeling their mana to the miko one after another.
(Tenion-sama, please extend your protection to your pious believers.)
The temple head offered her prayer to the light that came down to Sera and Satou.
Unaware with the incidents that simultaneously happened in both the royal capital and the duchy capital, Satou is having a chance meeting with God Tenion during the ceremony.
『Nice to meet you, Tenion-sama. I am--』