Last Embryo V3 Chapter 5

Chapter 5

───'Underwood', the City of Water, under the Great Tree and Waterfall.

In ‘Underwood’, one of the stages for the Sun Authority War. A ‘Cait Sith’ land governor, Porol Gundark, had come for the maintenance of the Spirit Train.

Today, as always, the Spirit Train's steam whistle reverberated throughout the Aquatic City.

The townscape that had been destroyed by the 'Bull of Heaven' was splendidly repaired and the scenery had regained its former beauty. The riverside covered with red bricks was full of people who came to watch the departure of the Super Gigantic Spirit Train, 'Sun Thousand'. Porol, together with his sister Sharol, had been running back and forth, greeting all the important guests who were boarding the train.

"Haah......I'm beat. How many greetings are left?"

"One more and we are done for today. Arriving tomorrow will be: Fire Dragon 'Salamandra', Saurian Demon King 'Great Sage who Devastate Seas', Roc Demon King 'Great Sage who Leaves Heaven in Disarray'...and Livelihood King 'Shuten Douji'."

"That's one amazing list. The Eastern side is rather loaded."

"Indeed. It's no wonder it seems like that, especially now when the Onihime Alliance had been divided and absorbed by 'Shuten Douji' and 'Great Sage who Leaves Heaven in Disarray'. There’s even 'Sanat Kumāra', who is participating as an individual, and the group most likely to win, Sun Alliance 'Avatara' ."

"So how about the West?"

"First would be 'Queen Halloween'...... or so I'd like to say, but it might be a bit problematic for her, don't you think? Since the 'Book of Invasions' is missing, it seems that she can't summon the Celtic Pantheon’s strongest fighters. And the Norse Pantheon is pretty much ruined, leaving only 'Argo' of the Greek Pantheon that can be called a winning candidate. That community is something else."

"Ooh, they are really famous, even I know about them...!!! That Demigod Hercules and the Poet Orpheus belong to that community, right? It feels nostalgic to hear those names again!"

Sharol’s eyes sparkled as she clapped her hands together.

In particular, the Demigod Hercules was a Divine Spirit with a direct relation to the Sun Authority War.

Cancer and Leo were the basis of Hercules' legend, 'Ten Labors,' and although both of these Sun Authorities were supposed to be owned by Hercules, now Izayoi was the owner of the Leo Authority.

"Yup, that's right. Incidentally, Poet Orpheus is also a hero of the Dystopia War. It's been about seven years since he last appeared on stage."

Porol answered, while turning over the guests of honor list.

The Sun Authority participants were divided into three groups:

Hosts who managed and controlled the Gift Games.

Players who competed in said Gift Games.

And Sponsors who supported the Players.

'Six Scars', the Community these two were in, was in charge of the Spirit Train that would transport everyone to the stage grounds. To be entrusted with the transportation of Players where the most famed of War Gods gathered, it was both a great honor and the heaviest responsibility. The little boss had a strained face, but his cat ears twitched in a somewhat excited manner.

"Most of the names that have been revealed are acting as Hosts and Sponsors. There are many Communities whose Players are hiding their identities. Someone from them might very well turn out to be a dark horse."

"Oh? The pre-final gambling den seems to be overflowing too. Who is your favorite?"

"Favorite for what? The finals? The exhibition matches?”

"Either of them! The exhibition matches will be full of big shots, unlike what you’d expect from a skirmish! Especially now, I heard that someone from that famous 'Twelve Devas' will be participating too, so a lot of guests are coming a long way to watch!"

"...Ah, that's right. Indeed, that person is also taking part as part of the security to pay the loan."

Porol scratched his head with a complex expression.

The 'Twelve Guardian Devas' that brought together the gods of the Heavenly Army, as its name suggested, was the most prominent group that protected the world's order. In the end, it was hard for him to say whether it was really a smart move to treat people like them as attraction sources.

Nevertheless, there was also a part of him that wanted to witness the battle of those who were feared as the strongest war gods.

As someone born in the world of Little Garden, he desired to challenge the true Gift Games at least once. And those Gift Games were trials made by none other than such War Gods.

A Divine Spirit that usually only acted as the one giving trials had descended into the world and took an existing shape.

Even that alone was no less than a miracle, but he also had an opportunity to witness them in action. Putting the morals aside for a bit, there were no other problems.

"Exhibition matches are where Players and Hosts gather, so no one can really tell who would win. Though I think it would turn out to be an interesting Game."

"You are right about that. So in the end, who is your favorite?"

"Well, our esteemed allied Community 'No Names' are my absolute favorites. After all, only the participants of 'Avatara' can rival Master Izayoi in power, at most."

Porol said proudly, twitching his nekomimi.

'No Names', was the popular name that the community where Sakamaki Izayoi belonged to was called.

It was a rising Community that had overcome countless trials on its way, and was in charge of the eastern side of Little Garden that was divided into four directions. Rumors were going around that they would likely be the winners of this Sun Authority War too, and there were also many War Gods who had gathered in their support.

But Sharol dropped down her nekomimi and asked in doubt.

"'No Names' is it... No, wouldn't that be a bit too hard?"

"Why is that? And it's natural to cheer for your allied Community."

"You have a point. But Master Izayoi hadn't come back since he left for the outside world, so I think that would be pushing it, don't you think so too? And there are even talks about Leticia-sama and Croix-sama having gone missing on top of it. Besides, did you check the lineup of 'Avatara'?"

Porol responded to Sharol's question with a bitter face.

"...I did. They had some amazing members there."

"That's what I mean! What the heck is up with that super overpowered battle squad! On top of being full of Heroes and Divine Spirits, there wasn't a single name on the list I didn't know! Their average battle power is on a divine level... are they planning to destroy the world a few times over or something!?"

Such overly unreasonable difference in war power made her snap in rage.

That was just how powerful the community she spoke of - Sun Kings 'Avatara' - was.

Just like with the 'Twelve Devas' who were deemed as the strongest, they were also a mixed group of gods consisting of world-famed Heroes and Divine Spirits. Or perhaps it was better to call them a group of kings.

They had gathered together from the Indo-European sphere, and not only spread through Europe, they even enrolled a member of the Giants from the Northernmost parts of it. After all, 'Avatara' was made in order to welcome the 'Savior of the Future', and it even had the founder of Buddhism among its members.

Their fighting power was by no means normal. If all their members gathered at once, they could even pose a threat to this Little Garden of gods. In addition to that, the rumors had that they even had the cooperation of famous Demon Lords and heroes, the likes of Bull Demon King and Shen Gongbao.

When even the Demon Lords and Divine Spirits from the Chinese side backed them up as Hosts, the lower communities there were bound to follow along too.

They were truly an invincible force. They firmly sat on the seat of likely winners.

"I wonder just how far 'No Names' can go when they are lacking their main fighting force. Maybe they'll even have an unexpected loss in the very first match."

"As if. That won't ever happen. ...Did you forget, Sharol? That there's another humanity's biggest problem child, aside from Master Izayoi in 'No Names’?"

Saying so, he tapped on the Players list with his index finger and gazed up towards a certain flag.

It seems that they had arrived at their destination while they were caught up in the conversation.

Having arrived before the wagon where their final guest of honor was waiting, Sharol ended up holding her breath.

Hoisted there was a red flag, gilded at the edges. Its banner depicting a girl standing atop the hill of hope, belonged to one of the Communities that were nowadays deemed as heroes in the Little Garden.

And among them, who didn't yield to the adversity of being "Nameless" and fought countless battles to arrive in the present, there was a girl who had power rivalling the Sun Heroes despite not having her name recorded in history.

"Ahh... There was indeed another one, huh. There might certainly be a chance if elder sister Kasukabe makes an appearance. I'm more mweorried about our supplies! We might run nyaout of food!"

"You have a point there. I'll appoint a veteran gatekeeper to the Spirit Train's food warehouse, just in case. If Calico Cat persuades her, even elder sis Kasukabe shouldn't attack it... I hope."

The two exchanged worried nods.

Why they worried more about their food supplies rather than the community's course of action was still a mystery.

"It's been a while since we met with elder sis Kasukabe. The last time Sharol met her was back when she went to help out the Unicorns, was it?"

"Uwaah! Don't mention that in front of me. Your big sis here almost died there you know! I swear, the freedom elder sis has with her actions nowadays is even beyond Master Iza───oh?"

While she was speaking, the sky of 'Underwood' gave a shine.

Looking towards the distant sky, the two muttered to themselves.

"A summoning light... Did someone open an 'Astral Gate'?"

"That's been a common occurrence lately. It's the Game Players, I guess?"

They confirmed the buffer water veil repeatedly spread throughout the sky as the silhouettes kept piercing through them with their fall.

One of them had a familiar pair of giant breasts.

"Oh my? Could that golden-haired girl with huge breasts be..."

Sharol's cat eyes brightened up as they fixed upon the falling figure.

They raised a big splash!, even louder than the Spirit Train's whistle along with a pillar of water as they fell into the water, more than enough to drown out the tumult in the city.

While the riverside sightseers started making noises about it, the fallen person, Kudou Ayato, timidly got up on the ground. With her hair soaked from the river, she confirmed the safety of Suzuka next to her.

"A...Are you okay, Suzuka!?"

"......Yeah. After all, we bumped into several of those net-like water veils on the way this time around. Though it still hurt a lot. Actually, is there a rule in Little Garden saying you can't summon people anywhere below four kilometers above the ground or something?"

Naturally, there was no such law.

Doing so was probably just a hobby of Queen, who summoned them, or perhaps just something like a beauty of style.

They safely landed thanks to the good work of the buffer Gift that was unlike the last one, however it was reasonable that she wanted to avoid being summoned the same way again and again.

Having been soaked down to her toes, Suzuka shivered from the cold.

"I-I'm freezing...! We better find someplace to warm up first!"

"T-That's right! It's unseasonable to wander through the city in these clothes! Senpai, let's head towards the Spirit Train for now!"

Ayato turned around, with her wet golden hair shining and fluttering along.

However, there was no one there to answer her back.

"...Senpai? Tokuteru-san?"

"Eh? We are the only ones here?"

The two recalled the moment they were summoned.

They were summoned the moment Homura opened the invitation letter.

───However, it seemed that it was only these two who were summoned here.

Suzuka instantly turned pale.

"Could it be... that there was an interference with the Queen's summoning...!?"

"Hey, miss big boobs and flat board-chan over there! Welcome to Little Garden!"

"It happened faster than planned, huh. Were you urged to hurry up on the debt repayment?"

Sharol approached while waving her hand and tail, while Porol followed along with a cynical smile on his face. Ayato and Suzuka turned towards the two and repeated the strange words they spoke.

"...debt repayment?"

"Eh, what? What do you mean?"

The two spoke with pale faces. Porol and Sharol exchanged looks with surprised faces.

"Did you two not read the invitation?"

"Huh, that's strange. I'm sure there was a proper permission from Queen. You didn't hear about it?"

"Ugh, was that person responsible for this again...!"

Ayato ground her teeth as she glared towards the Great Tree.

Queen Halloween, who ruled the All Souls' Day of the Sun, was a Celestial Spirit in charge of the star boundaries. There was no one who could possibly interfere with her boundary manipulations. When Ayato's side was separated from Homura's, it was without a doubt caused by the meddling of Queen with this prank of hers.

"So then, where is Queen? In 'Underwood'? Or Spirit Train? No, before that, where did Senpai go!?"

"R-Relax there, miss big boobs."

"Homura's group was supposed to be invited inside the Spirit Train where the exhibition match is held... but it would be troublesome if you don't have a written invitation. All the tickets in the auditorium have been sold out, so it would be difficult to meet with the Players now, unless you request to be let on the Spirit Train by one of the VIP guests."

"I-Is that so?"

"Yeah. Would you like to see the pamphlet?"

They looked at the diagram drawn on the Spirit Train pamphlet Porol took out.

Super-Gigantic Spirit Train 'Sun Thousand' was the main operational headquarters which carried a function to transfer the Players to the stages of the Sun Authority War. They were largely divided into three classifications: pocket stage wagons, Player living wagons, and special guest wagons, and the rest of the wagons were assigned to the management and amusement facilities.

This gigantic Spirit Train was 200 meters in length, being likened to an iron fortress. It was understandable that Asterius mistook it for a mobile fortress when he first saw it.

If it was indeed used for military purposes, its usefulness would be immeasurable for certain too.

A Spirit Train travelling on Ley Lines could travel without being bound to the concepts of the material world, and it was said that it could even push through the submarine and underground water veins too.

The journey on such a splendid train sure sounded nice to the ears, but the train was clearly overqualified for the job.

Looking over the diagram, Suzuka swallowed a small breath.

"Wow... What the hell, this is too amazing. So this train can even cross the seas. But where is its destination anyway?"

"Well, it's going to be travelling all over Little Garden! Be it the depths of a volcano, or the continent lost in the sea, or the temple of the moon world. Basically, it can go wherever it's requested to, that's one of its good points!"

Porol proudly declared with a snort. It appeared that the Spirit Train held a special significance for him. It was certainly an essential Gift for transporting the Players to the gathering stages of the Sun Authority War.

Ayato quickly memorized the diagram, and looked over the timetable.

"It departs at noon...! This is bad, there's no time left!"

"H-How about we sneak in? My space transfer can quickly transfer us in the passenger wagon."

Hearing Suzuka's suggestion, Ayato clapped her hands.

"Ah, there was also that method...!"

"Hey there, at least hold back on your smuggling discussion in front of the Spirit Train manager here. I really can't overlook that much, you know. Rather than that, don't you have any acquaintances in the VIPs? Maybe ask Queen herself?"

"It would be useless. I don't think she'd be offering us a helping hand in such an amusing situation for her."

"What about her head butler, Scathach, then?"

"No way, are you telling me to die!!?"

That was a harsh remark. But somewhat true nonetheless.

Scathach was her teacher, so she would gladly lend her a hand after she tried her best with it. However, saying it in another way, she wasn't someone who would forgive a failure for not trying her best. If she troubled her for such a trivial matter now, there was no doubt that a sword, arrow, spear, or a fist would be flying her way.

However, if they missed the Spirit Train and failed to appear at the opening ceremony, they would also be facing another hell of its own kind.

If that happened, it would not just be the safety of Homura's side, but even they would end up in a tough position.

Just as Ayato started to wonder whether it was better to just grab these two as hostages to infiltrate if worse came to worst, suddenly, a girl called out to them from across the window of the VIP wagon.

"...Oh? There seems to be someone with a familiar scent."

The four reacted to the voice and turned towards the VIP wagon's window.

The window with a small crack became fully open.

And along with it came a wind that carried a faintly sweet fragrance.

Perhaps the owner of that VIP room wanted to replace the air within before the departure. There was an incense burner placed on the window, but it appeared that the girl in question didn't regard it as important.

It was commonly said that in the spring, one sleeps a sleep that knows no dawn. It seemed that she had indeed succumbed to the warm rays of the sun, coupled with the fresh wind of the riverside, and was having a nap.

Like a small animal that had just woken up, she popped her head out of the window and warmly gazed towards the four.  

Ayato froze in place the moment she saw her face.

"...uh...!?"

Looking from the window was a lovely girl, seemingly sixteen to seventeen years of age.

Her hair, just long enough to reach her collarbone, made her look like an adult, but her young features overshadowed that impression. Her clothes were quite nice looking too, so she had to be a VIP guest.

With her nekomimi facing down, Sharol greeted her with an awkward smile.

"I-I-It's been a while, elder sis Kasukabe You!"

"Yea, long time no see, Sharol. About half a year, I suppose."

The girl she called Kasukabe waved back with a small smile.

Suzuka silently approached Porol and asked who she was.

"Hey hey, Porol-kun. Is this little animal-like adorable young miss your acquaintance?"

"Yeah. She's the leader of an alliance that our Community is a part of. And she's also the leader of the 'No Names' where Master Izayoi belongs."

"Iza-nii's community!? Damn it! He probably troubled her a lot, and I here didn't even bring a cake or anything!"

I messed up! Suzuka hit her forehead. Boisterous but honest, that part was her good point.

You looked around outside the VIP wagon, and then she suddenly bent her head in wonder.

"...Eh? I thought for sure that Asuka came back... but it was just Porol and Sharol?"

"Yes. We came to your room to finish up our round of greetings, elder sis Kasukabe."

"I see. Seems like we will depart soon. And, who are those two?"

"This is Master Izayoi's stepsister and her friend. Haven't you heard about them?"

You focused her attention on the two with a bit of a surprise on her face.

"...Izayoi's stepsister? So the Japanese girl over there is Suzuka-san?"

"Eh? Ah, yes! I'm Ayazato Suzuka! Thank you for taking care of our Izayoi in this other world! Sorry, I came empty-handed! I'll bring a box of cakes with me next time!"

"Eh? Ah, sure. I'm Kasukabe You. And I've been in his care too. ...Also, I'd be happy if that box of cakes would be wagashi. It will make my day."

Suzuka straightened up in surprise due to the sudden introduction, while You got surprised that she received a more polite greeting than she thought she would. Perhaps she was surprised by the fact that Suzuka was more diligent than the impression she got from Izayoi's story.

While holding down her hair that was fanned up by the wind, You looked towards Ayato this time.

"So, who is that European-looking golden-haired girl?"

"......"

Being asked for her name made Ayato stiffen in place. She was lost for words, with her eyes opened wide as if she had seen something unbelievable. It was hard to tell what bewildered her to this point, but such an attitude was surely impolite towards someone she was meeting for the first time.

Suzuka elbowed her from the side and reproached her attitude in a small voice.

"Aya-chan. You have to introduce yourself. Manners are important even if your ages look similar!"

"...Eh? Ah, right! My apologies! I lost my head there for a bit..."

Suzuka bent her head in wonder. She agreed that You looked really lovely, but Ayato was also the same in that regard. Or perhaps there was something other than the appearance that made her uneasy.

When she was going to introduce herself again, the Spirit Train's whistle started to blow.

That whistling sound made Porol jump in surprise and he suddenly clapped his hands as if he had remembered something.

"Ah, right! This must be some kind of fate too, so maybe elder sis could shelter these two in your VIP wagon? It seems they got rolled up in Queen's prank and aren't carrying the written invitations."

"Sure, I don't mind. The door is quite far though, so wanna get in through the window?"

"Ah, yes please!"

Hearing her, Ayato became a bit curious. When Ayato was about to ask why couldn't they just teleport inside with Suzuka's skill, Porol handed a pamphlet to her and moved away.

"The pocket stage wagon where the exhibition match is being held is the seventh one from here. Going through the VIP wagon might be a bit dangerous, but good luck."

"Eh?"

"Huh?"

Ayato and Suzuka simultaneously raised their voices. Could just being inside the VIP wagon bring about danger? Whatever the case, Porol and Sharol headed towards the staff wagon at a fast pace.

The Spirit Train blew its whistle for the second time.

"Oops, we gotta hurry! Let's explain our situation to that miss and meet up with Homura's side!"

"R-Right! Doing that is most important right now!"

While still having some doubts, they remembered that the train would depart on the third blow of its whistle, and thus, they decided to hop inside You's VIP wagon.

　　　　＊

At the same time, in a different place.

───'Spirit Train Sun Thousand', Pocket Stage Wagon.

While reading the Little Garden invitation document, Homura called out to Mikado beside him with a quivering voice.

"...Hey, Shittyteru."

"What's up?"

"Answer me honestly. ...You knew it would turn out like this, didn't you?"

Hearing Homura's question, Tokuteru used his right to remain silent.

Besides him absentmindedly stood Uesugi.

Currently, the three were in the centre of the special arena, which in itself was located inside the Spirit Train, and they were being drowned in the cheers of the audience while basked under the bright illumination. Kuro Usagi who was acting as a moderator, confirmed the appearance of the summoned trio and declared in a loud voice with her usamimi perking up.

"Everyone, sorry for the long wait! We will henceforth commence the Sun Authority War exhibition match! Now, let me introduce these pseudo-Authority War participants!"

OOOOOHHHHHHHH!!! The audience raised a loud enough cheer to even shake the Spirit Train. Since the Gift Games held an aspect of entertainment, it was good to entertain the audience. That much was fine.

The problem, however, was the fact that Homura and Uesugi who were summoned as Players had no idea of what was going on. He predicted that they would be thrown down from high above like last time, but his guess was way off. At first, he wondered whether Queen was the one who did it, but judging from what the invitation letter had to say, Queen wasn't the only ringleader here.

Homura once again lowered his gaze towards the invitation in his hands.

『　─　Sun Authority War First Exhibition Match　─　

　・Game Overview

① Drive away the countless monsters that appear and defeat the monster related to the Sun Game. (Allowed to bring back).

② The period of the exhibition is once per day. Twenty four times in total.

③ There is a time-limit. If you can't clear it within half an hour, it will carry over to the next day.

④ For as long as the Sun Authority War final selection continues, it can be held any number of times.

　・Winning Condition: Participate every day in the Game, and the team that defeats all twenty-four monsters will be the first victor.

　・Reward Clause: You will receive a reward for every monster you defeat. Victor can make an advantageous transfer to the final selection once.

　・Participating Condition: Everyone can participate. You are welcomed to jump in and take part.

　・Obliged Participants: Those with debts must participate in the aforementioned Gift Game as a team to repay the debt.

　Oath: We swear upon our glory and flag to Host the Game in accordance with the aforementioned rules.

Seal of 'Sun Authority War Steering Committee' 』

───Gushaa!!!

"A DEBT HUH...?!! However many times I read this, the debt holders here clearly refers to US, doesn’t it!? Why did I become a debt holder, huh!? AND IN ANOTHER WORLD AT THAT!!!"

"Wait, calm down, Homura. Let's all think about this first. There must surely be a profound reason in-"

"There's no need to even ask. Move aside, Saigou Homura! He befuddled us with that sweet talk earlier, but there's no need for explanations this time, you useless god! I will remove your head in place of my chief god!!!"

Uesugi pulled out her favorite sword and cast aside its scabbard without asking any questions.

As expected, even Tokuteru got nervous from such snap judgment.

"No, wait, stop! Listen to what I have to say, you muscle-brain! What the heck was written in that invitation!!?"

"Debtors are forced to participate! Repay the debt with the reward! That’s what!"

"Okay, he's guilty!!!"

The sword flashed along with the shout of execution. Tokuteru barely continued to dodge the deadly sword flashes, coming seven times in an instant. This was exactly what it meant to not lend an ear to sermons of a useless god.

The spectators were delighted from the sudden sword fight, but the moderator, Kuro Usagi, was unable to bear watching it. She surprisingly jumped down on to the Stage.

"W-W-Wait a second! It will be bad if the internal discord breaks out before the Game starts! The four of you are one debtor team! If you don't even defeat a single monster, your debt will increase even-"

"What the fuck is that underhanded game!! You bastard, just how much debt did you make!?"

"T-That's not it, calm down! Please, calm down for real! I'm not the one who made it!  It was just pushed onto me by that fourth one keeping silent over there!!!"

...Fourth one? Homura and Uesugi said in doubt.

In fact, Kuro Usagi did say there were 'four people in one team'. If the debtors were supposed to be four in number, there was a spot left for another person...

"...My apologies. Would you be so kind as to release that father of mine?"

A tranquil voice reached the two's ears.

And they were surprised for different reasons.

"'Father of mine'....? This? You mean this guy?"

"Yes. I am referring to that. That is the father of mine...is what I'm saying."

The blue haired young man pointed at Tokuteru with an even more displeased face.

Homura showed wonder towards the person he was pointing at, and raised his voice.

"You... You are Tokuteru's kid!? Tokuteru, you were actually MARRIED!!?"

"W-Wait a minute! Just calm down already!"

"That is not correct, boisterous young man. I will say this to clear up any misunderstandings, but my mother and father are not married. My mother has a different husband."

"SO HE'S AN ILLEGITIMATE CHILD NOW HUH!!?"

"Noo! I can see why you would think so, but that's wrong! Aghh, damn it, this is becoming a headache to explain so just stay quiet there for a bit, Arjuna!"

The moment Tokuteru spoke his name, the audience of the pocket stage wagon all raised their voices in wonder one after another.

Even Uesugi standing beside him was shocked to see the young man calling himself Tokuteru's son.

That was just how unbelievable of an existence that young man - Arjuna was.

He had blue hair reminiscent of lightning. And a peaceful pair of eyes that reminded one of a still ocean. His appearance that made it obvious that he was a well-bred individual had spread the aura of nobility around him.

Even the Divine Bow he held in hand had undoubtedly held enough power to massacre every army.

"Did you just say Arjuna...!!?"

───In the Epic of Indian Pantheon, 'Mahabharata', Arjuna was a great hero who was the centre of it.

Blessed with countless Gifts, he had once climbed the ladder towards the level of strongest warriors.

The legitimate child of the God King Indra, the very same Prince Arjuna, looked towards the two with a displeased expression on his face.

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