Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Sword, Moonlight
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(Left: President Mizuki, Right: Sinozaki Shinobu)
"Welcome, Naibusu."
The Student Council President, Mizuki Kyoko, greeted me leisurely as she lifted her teacup in the council room.
"Hello, President. ShinoShino, hey."
"Hehe."
"Don't call me that...!"
President Mizuki was still as soft-spoken as ever.
And ShinoShino was still as prickly as ever.
Huh? Naibusu seems to be in a bad mood today.
Tch. Still an irritating guy. If it weren't for the President...
"Naibusu, is something wrong?"
"...Yeah. My friend suddenly turned into a girl."
I hesitated for a moment but decided to just say it.
Rumors would spread fast anyway. And the President might already know.
"You mean Kurosaki Yuuki, right?"
"You already knew?"
As expected of the President.
It wouldn't be strange if she did.
"No. I just found out now."
It has to be that guy—Naibusu's only friend.
Tch... Annoying, but I couldn't argue.
"Did Naibusu do it?"
"Huh? How could I?"
Oh my god! Not satisfied with all the girls he has now, he's even turning his male friend into a girl! They say sexual desire is the driving force of invention, but Naibusu really takes the cake!
President Mizuki was jumping to ridiculous conclusions.
What the hell would I even do with a male friend turned female?
For starters, I'm a pure love fanatic—devoted and upright. Don't lump me in with harem chasers.
"Naibusu seems to have all sorts of strange talents."
"I don't have any talent for turning men into women."
"Who knows. Maybe you do."
The President smiled slyly.
Perfect timing. I hope this gift cheers him up.
A gift?
Was she going to give me those bear-print panties she was wearing?
That might actually lift my spirits.
"Ahem. Lunch break's almost over, so let's get to business. Shino."
At the President's signal, ShinoShino placed the prepared item on the desk.
A long black-lacquered wooden box.
The eerie aura it emitted made it look like a coffin.
"Do you know, Naibusu? That weapons effective against monsters are being developed worldwide as a joint effort."
"I've heard the rumors."
Monsters are humanity's common enemy, regardless of nationality or race.
Faced with that shared foe, the world united.
The Global Anti-Monster Armament Research Project.
The brightest minds from every nation are pooling their knowledge to create weapons that can fight monsters.
The problem? With everyone sharing data, most countries slack off, thinking, "Someone else will do it," and focus on their own disaster recovery instead.
That's why, even after decades, there's no real breakthrough.
"This box holds a prototype of one such weapon."
"...Is it complete? A weapon that works against monsters?"
I didn't remember if it appeared in the original game.
At least not during my playthrough... though I can't be sure. The abuse scenes hit me so hard, I might've missed other details.
The President went out of her way to set this up, so they must've succeeded.
It could be the signal flare for humanity's great leap forward.
"Not fully complete. It's still in testing, with plenty of issues left. But we've confirmed it works on monsters."
A weapon that works on monsters... Is the President giving that to Naibusu...?
ShinoShino tensed up warily.
Stop glaring at me like that. I didn't ask for it first. Though I'd take it if offered.
-Click.
The President unlocked it and opened the coffin-like lid.
Inside lay two Japanese swords—one black, one white—in stark contrast.
Weapons I'd seen in the game.
Shorter than standard katanas. Blade length around 50 cm?
Was this a wakizashi?
The President picked up the white one.
In the original, it was the Guard Captain's weapon.
"What do you think, Shino? Cool, right?"
"...Yes."
She must've called me here to give it to me.
ShinoShino looked a bit dissatisfied, but resigned.
"This white sword is called Daylight. Protect me in the light of day, Shino."
Just as I thought.
It was the Guard Captain's in the original, so it made sense for the current captain, ShinoShino, to get it.
For reference, the original captain had stepped down after taking responsibility for last year's incident.
"P-President Mizuki...!"
Caught off guard by her name being called, ShinoShino knelt on one knee before the President.
She received the sword reverently, so preciously.
I clapped from the sidelines.
Ah. If I leaned forward just a bit, I could see ShinoShino's panties.
But the President's glare was too scary to peek.
I'll just clap obediently.
"Even if it costs me my life...!"
"You can't sacrifice your life, I told you."
I kept clapping and teased ShinoShino.
But she was too moved to snap back like usual.
Hugging the sword from the President so dearly—it even warmed my heart.
"And this black sword is called Moonlight. Cut down my enemies in the darkness, Naibusu."
"It's an honor, President Mizuki."
I knelt like ShinoShino and took the sword from her.
In the original, this ominous black blade was carried by the Vice President.
Who'd died in an "unfortunate accident" last year.
That's probably why it came to me.
In the original, ShinoShino got sliced by this sword and died.
I'll have to be careful.
"Um... President. If I may be so bold, giving a sword to Naibusu..."
ShinoShino spoke up, and the President smiled.
"You think Naibusu doesn't deserve it, Shino?"
"...No. But the students think you and Naibusu are... that is..."
"That I'm dating Naibusu?"
The President casually voiced what ShinoShino couldn't.
"Perfect. Don't deny it so hard, Shino—spread the rumor like it's true."
"What?! President, that's!"
Me, the President's boyfriend?
If Chairman Mizuki found out, I'd end up in a oil drum.
"It'll make things easier for you to move around, right, Naibusu?"
Students generally saw me as "the local thug wearing a President's Guard armband and causing trouble."
Why was a thug like me in the President's Guard?
Naturally, questions arose among regular students.
Then yesterday and today, people saw me hanging around the President.
Hence the rumor that Naibusu was actually her boyfriend.
In reality, I was her secret hitman? Executioner? Processing her enemies (abuse fans) on the down-low.
Politely put. Rudely put, a thug slicing up anyone I didn't like (abuse fans).
...Which kinda matches the rumor?
Either way, receiving a sword stamped with the President's seal meant my kills were as good as hers.
I'd be cutting down plenty more abuse fans with this gift.
But if my true nature leaked, they'd go on alert and scatter like roaches.
Better they think some favored thug got a sword as a perk.
"...I get that, but I'm worried it'll tarnish your authority."
The issue was my shitty rep dragging hers down.
The President smiled confidently and snapped open her fan.
"If my authority crumbles over something that small, I don't need it. Did you think I'd cling to trifles like that?"
"President...!"
ShinoShino teared up at the President's wise words.
Hehe. Naibusu as my fake boyfriend? Sounds fun. Maybe we even fall for each other for real—that'd be a twist.
Aah! President! I'll follow you to my dying breath! Haa haa!
...The President was a hedonist to her bones. She probably chose this because it's more entertaining.
ShinoShino would affirm even if the President said shit makes good bean paste. Ignore her.
"President. Mind if I draw the sword?"
A cutting-edge weapon effective on monsters.
I was curious about its features.
I'm a guy—new weapons get my blood pumping.
But ShinoShino had to butt in.
"Naibusu. Even you can't draw a blade before the President. Don't be reckless."
"Oh? And what if I do?"
I taunted back at her threat, and she gripped her hilt instead of answering.
Fine for her, not for me? Tch.
Of course, I wasn't seriously planning to cross blades with her. Drop it.
"Channel magic power into the sword, and it vibrates. You could call it an ultrasonic blade."
"Magic power? Like this?"
I gripped the hilt and poured in magic as instructed. The sword started humming.
"Whoa, a vibrator!?"
The vibration was shockingly intense.
Even an innocent guy like me immediately thought of that thing.
A vibrator...!
Vibrator...?
Their reactions were subtly different.
The President blushed; ShinoShino tilted her head.
ShinoShino, you naive girl.
"In vibration mode, the cutting power is immense, so be careful. It'll slice through even a monster's tough hide like butter."
"Impressive. Using magic as fuel means you've successfully processed 'Rune Stones'."
Rune Stones are small stones occasionally dropped by dead monsters.
I'd collected them figuring they'd be useful, but never knew what for until now.
Decades after monsters appeared, research lagged mostly due to lack of resources—basic infrastructure and education systems were wrecked.
"I'm no scientist, so I can't explain the details."
"Eh, I wouldn't get it anyway."
I drew the still-buzzing sword from its sheath.
"Shall I give it a test swing?"
"Naibusu!"
"Whoa!?"
I'd only drawn it casually when ShinoShino's horizontal slash came flying.
I leaped back, dodging the blade.
It whistled past my gut.
Cold sweat beaded.
"ShinoShino! That was dangerous!"
"You know drawing a weapon before the President means you're fair game to die, right?"
"You drew yours too!"
"I'm the Guard Captain."
"I'm in the Guard too!"
ShinoShino aimed her sword right at me.
Are you seriously trying to kill me, you rigid bitch!?
"You know this won't end as a joke, right?"
I mirrored her, pointing my sword at her center and threatening back.
If words fail, counterattack it is. My life's precious too.
Of course, I'd never studied kendo or anything.
To a pro, my stance would look amateurish from the basics.
But even so, I didn't think I'd lose to ShinoShino.
She's weak.
"Naibusu, don't kill Shino."
"Not me—her!"
Help me stop her!
Before I could say it—
ShinoShino moved without a sound.
Time slowed.
A thrust aimed at my throat as I spoke.
I sidestepped left by one pace.
Are you really trying to kill me, you bastard!?
ShinoShino brushed past my side.
I swung down at her neck.
-Whoosh.
A strange sensation—like it connected, like it didn't.
-Flutter.
A red scarf fell from the passing ShinoShino.
I snatched it midair.
Academy scarves vary by year.
High school 1st: yellow, 2nd: blue, 3rd: red.
4th and up cycle yellow, blue, red.
I skip mine—too dorky.
"ShinoShino. You're dead. Bonus: President's dead too."
I swung playfully at the President; she faked dying with a grin.
ShinoShino's head was still attached only because I held back.
In real combat, she'd be gone.
She knew that much.
"Tch!"
ShinoShino whirled, furious.
But she couldn't take another step—down she went on one knee.
Ah. Panties visible now.
White. Plain.
Classic ShinoShino—no frills.
Boring girl.
Still, gotta look.
"The prototype's flaw is the insane magic drain. Even short use exhausts a normal Rune Holder's reserves."
Ridiculously inefficient.
ShinoShino collapsing was magic depletion.
How is Naibusu fine? After that much drain...!
Because our base magic differs.
My generation and younger have more magic in men than women.
Blame Imperial Japan's forced conscription. During the Great Catastrophe, they dragged every man—even kids—to the front.
Anyone who killed even one monster leveled up and got stronger.
Especially me—I hunted diligently.
Unlike ShinoShino, watching magical girl anime at home.
Of course there's a gap.
"Guess I'll practice channeling magic only at the moment of impact, not constantly."
I withdrew the magic; the vibration stopped.
Sigh-worthy fuel economy.
Prototype or not, who'd use this?
"Hear that, Shino?"
"...My apologies, President."
Even the President's words couldn't rouse her.
Legs gave out from magic loss.
Time to tease.
I pointed at ShinoShino and yelled.
My eyes fixed on her panties, of course.
"Hah! Look at you! Charging in like hot shit and collapsing alone! If I were a real enemy, you'd have gotten yourself and the President killed! Think you deserve Guard Captain with that? That sword's wasted on you!"
"Guh...!"
ShinoShino ground her teeth, eyes reddening in frustration.
I'm still too weak. I can't protect the President like this...
Hmm, that's enough. Any more and she'll cry for real.
Still, I hoped this humiliation fueled her to grow stronger.
For the President's sake, at least.
"This scarf's confiscated as penalty for ambushing me. Come apologize 'politely' next time, and I'll return it."
I pocketed ShinoShino's scarf.
No use for it, just petty payback for the surprise attack.
Naibusu, you scoundrel...! What kind of apology does he want? No way...!
Just say sorry, and it's yours.
Who's the real scoundrel here?
-Ding dong dang dong.
The pre-lunch-end bell rang right on cue.
"Then I'll head back. I'll put the sword to good use, President."
"Don't kill too many, Naibusu."
I waved and left the council room.
──And when I got back to class, Yuuki was a drowned rat, soaked to the skin.