Volume 8 Chapter 7 The New Guidebook
When I woke up, I was blinded by the fluorescent light.
"Ugh..."
I tried to cover my face with my arm due to the brightness, but my arm wouldn't move.
I blinked and gradually got used to the light.
"Is this... a medical room?"
Kushina Mikoto murmured as his eyes, which had finally adjusted, scanned his surroundings.
This was one of the branches of the New World (Try Order), and he found himself in their medical room.
He tried to clear his heavy head and piece together the situation.
He had kidnapped Hinata Yukari to create a trump card against Yamamoto Yuusuke, and something unexpected had happened there.
Inside Hinata Yukari, the demon he thought was dead, Noire Toare, had somehow entered.
He had taken a severe blow and had been saved by Cova Liber, barely.
(But how long had I been asleep?)
She felt heavy. Perhaps all of her magic power is being poured into healing.
"You finally woke up, huh?"
When he heard that voice, he turned his head slightly towards the entrance, where a white-haired boy was standing.
It was Cova Liber.
The young man who was supposed to have been cut by Yuusuke showed no signs of injury and stood there casually.
"...Hinata Yukari..."
"Yamamoto Yuusuke had a fight with her, and it seems she joined his other companions later."
"I see..."
It was a blunder.
He rushed to achieve success, and it backfired completely. They suffered injuries, while the other side managed to strengthen their forces.
Whether he realized that or not, Cova sighed as he sat down beside the bed.
"We really messed up. Senpais were furious."
"They were, huh?"
"They're furious about us doing things on our own. We're going to be suspended for a while."
It's probably a lenient punishment. Either way, he won't be able to move for a while with these injuries.
As he glanced up at the ceiling, suppressing a sigh, Cova spoke up.
"It seems that Luger-senpai and the others have secured the 'key'."
"What?"
Involuntarily trying to sit up, Kushina winced in pain.
"...Who did they capture?"
"It seems to be a Healing Saint. They said they let the other one escape."
"I see."
While he was making such a mistake, his comrades had already accomplished what needed to be done.
Vincent Luger.
Among the grimoires (guidebook), he was an especially deranged knight consumed by justice.
Kushina was well aware of his own abnormality, but those guys were on a different level.
The strongest magicians of the New World, the Grimoires of Try Order. Among them, there were several bloodlines that had served Master for generations.
One of them was the Luger family, who governed the "Balance."
Kushina and Cova have assumed the position of Grimoire. However, they are not originally from a family of magicians. They are the type who blossomed as magicians later in life.
On the other hand, it is said that Luger's family has been serving the Try Order since medieval times.
There are many such individuals in the upper ranks.
Although, there is someone like Shikin who has served as a Grimoire for a thousand years, not just a family. Compared to that, they might still be considered respectable.
With this, there are two keys in the possession of the Try Order, including Sharla's "Meikai (Open Hell)." It may seem like a small number, but the keys are gathering under Yamamoto Yuusuke now. With no need to search, securing them is easy.
Cova continued to speak, while Kushina remained silent.
"And, uh..."
"Is there something else?"
"Well, I just caught a snippet of information..."
"You're not being very clear."
In any case, his head feels heavy. Just talking like this consumes quite a bit of energy.
Kushina urged, and Cova let out a sigh.
"The boss's work is supposed to be finishing soon."
"Really?!"
Kushina sat up this time. Even though his head felt like it was splitting from pain, he couldn't afford to worry about that.
Cova nodded.
"I only overheard what senpais members were talking about, so I can't say for sure, but it seems quite credible."
"No, it's probably true. I've heard that the end is near. That's why I was thinking if we could somehow restrain Yamamoto Yuusuke."
The outcome appears to be this way.
Nevertheless, Kushina couldn't help but self-deprecate at the worst possible timing for their suspension.
"To advance the plan to the next stage, it seems that Sakaki-senpai is going to move next."
"That shut-in guy?"
"Don't call him a shut-in... You might get killed. He mentioned wanting to try various things."
"I've also heard about the plan. So, is he finally going to do it?"
Kushina muttered with deep emotion, and Cova looked at him with an indescribable expression.
It was because he knew what would happen next.
"Anyway, take a break for a while—"
Just as he was about to end the conversation, a voice called out from behind.
'Good morning.'
A crisp, mechanical voice rang out.
Even without turning around, he immediately knew who it was because of its distinctiveness.
Nevertheless, Cova turned around.
It was because the person standing there was in a position far superior to them.
"Sakaki-senpai, what's wrong?"
The person who appeared was a woman.
Her straight black hair, reminiscent of a Japanese doll, flowed down like a dark curtain, making it difficult to see her face due to her downward gaze. It was barely noticeable that she was wearing a loose-fitting hoodie.
She had triangular headphones on her head, and her gaze was fixated on the smartphone she held in her hand.
'Kushina, did you wake up?'
"Yeah, I was just about to go back to sleep."
Kushina answered without trying to hide his displeasure.
Sakaki, unperturbed by Kushina's words, slowly entered the room.
Cova stood up from his chair, making way for him.
"What are you here for? It's not like you're here for a visit or anything."
'I'm not here for a visit. I came to hear what you have to say.'
"Look at this state. Do I look like I can speak?"
'I'm constantly checking your vitals. Speaking shouldn't be a problem.'
Kushina clicked his tongue in response to the matter-of-fact answer.
Meanwhile, Sakaki didn't look up and only focused on her smartphone. The voice didn't come directly from her, but from the headphones she wore.
She always acted like this. She never looked people in the eye and never spoke directly. It was extremely rare for her to even show up like this.
Cova could count on one hand the number of times he had seen Sakaki in person.
"So, what do you want to ask? Is the prosthetic arm working fine?"
'Of course. It only has a simple mechanism.'
"Then, what is it?"
'I want to ask about Yamamoto Yuusuke.'
Well, Kushina figured as much.
'Yamamoto Yuusuke will undoubtedly be involved in the next operation.'
"He fought alongside the pets in Shikin's castle. Aren't you keeping an eye on that?"
'Nue fought. But it wasn't a proper match.'
"I haven't seen much either. The Dragarts and the battle with Shikin, there should be recorded footage."
'I confirmed the footage. I want to hear your impressions after actually seeing him.'
Kushina was surprised that she had gone so far just for that.
Sakaki is a true shut-in. She won't leave her room unless she has a good reason.
It must mean that she truly view Yamamoto Yuusuke as a danger.
"...Fighting is not my area of expertise. But even so, I can tell he's strong. You can deduce that from the fact that he defeated Shikin."
'Yes, I understand that. However, I don't understand why he was able to defeat him. Even objectively analyzing the battle data, Yamamoto Yuusuke shouldn't have been able to defeat Shikin.'
Kushina understood what Sakaki wanted to know from those words.
Certainly, that's right. There is no one who can beat Shikin in a face-to-face encounter, except for that person. To defeat Shikin, one would need to engage on the same level, but Yuusuke broke through head-on.
Whether it was the presence of the girl he was with or the hand of fate, there were various elements at play.
However, the most frightening thing about him is not there.
"Strength of will."
'Will?'
"He faced a million armies, and even Shikin, without hesitation. He made a resolute decision to win, and he executed it."
'A strong spirit?'
"It's beyond just being strong. Without that, a modern middle schooler can't survive in another world."
Or perhaps he is already broken, just like him.
Seemingly convinced by those words, Sakaki nodded slightly and put her smartphone in her pocket. It probably meant there was nothing more to say. She left the room without a word.
Watching her retreating figure, Kushina exhaled the heavy air he had been holding in his lungs.
Hee had pretended to be calm while speaking, but it wasn't a joke. It didn't feel like living.
Sakaki Tsuzuri.
Just like the Luger family, the Sakaki family has served as executives of the Try Order in Japan for a long time.
The title given to her is the "Creation Guidebook" (Yvu Grimoire).
She is magician who form the core of the Try Order, and even Kushina's prosthetic arm was prepared by her.
If he was to ask who the strongest magician is in the world filled with monsters in the Try Order, Kushina would mention the name Shikin.
However, if he was to ask who the most enigmatic magician is, it would be Sakaki.
It felt as if a ghost or yokai was standing there. Shikin had an extraordinary aura like a large tree, but Sakaki was simply peculiar. It gave a sensation as if being caressed by a sandpaper, and goosebumps wouldn't stop.
She is moving with serious intent.
For Sakaki, who has secretly supported the organization all this time, to step forward means that the plan is entering its final stages.
"..."
Kushina let his body sink into the bed, relaxing his strength.
And as he closed his eyes slowly, he began to imagine the turbulent future that lay ahead.
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