章 6: The Rainbow Trout
Kuoh Town, Japan.
The afternoon sun shone high in the sky, casting light upon a well-maintained verdurous field that surrounded a small white house with a slanted rooftop. Although old, this building was polished and spotless, giving off a fanciful and lavish impression.
Within a few meters from the building's brick perimeter, a black-haired young man was seated on a garden bench. Ostensibly, he was eating his lunch while enjoying the picturesque scenery of the garth. A refreshing breeze swept past his face, carrying the sweet and sharp scent of a freshly cut lawn.
Chekhov pinched a piece of sushi with his chopsticks and then popped it into his mouth. On the surface, it seemed like he was taking his time and enjoying his meal. However, he was here for something else.
'There's no sign of any members from Rias' peerage.'
This building behind Chekhov was an old schoolhouse. It was abandoned decades ago at the time when Kuoh Academy was being renovated. However, recently, it was employed as the headquarters of Rias' peerage under the name of the Occult Research Club.
'Although this spot seems a little far, any high-class Devil such as Rias should be able to pick up on my aura even when she's sitting idle.'
While thinking about the forthcoming events, Chekhov held out his phone and glanced at the time.
'I've already been sitting here for 30 minutes. It'll be too suspicious if I loiter around for too long.'
As Chekhov finished his last sushi roll, he sealed his lunchbox and placed it into his backpack. He stood up and casually looked at his surroundings, glancing at the old schoolhouse one last time.
'It doesn't seem like anyone will greet me. All I can do is hope that my aura has been noticed.'
Slow rustling could be heard as he leisurely mounted his backpack and walked away.
. . . . .
From the second floor of the old schoolhouse, a pair of blue-green eyes were observantly watching Chekhov's back through a tinted glass window.
As he walked out of sight, the figure at the window turned around in a graceful rotation. The beaming afternoon sun shone on her long crimson hair that went down to her thighs.
Through a closer examination, she was garbed in a golden-black shoulder cape with a white button-down shirt and a smooth black corset. The lower half of her Junoesque figure revealed a short magenta skirt, mid-calf white socks, and polished black dress shoes.
The beautiful girl displayed an exquisite smile as crossed the varnished dark wooden floor. Her crimson red hair fluttered as she came to a stop in front of a tall, double arched wooden cabinet.
She pulled out a folder marked with a light pink tab on top. The front was labeled with a white sticker that read, "New Students".
On the first page was a profile containing a photo and basic information of the most recent Kuoh Academy applicant.
'Chekhov Serebya. Seventeen years old, dark black hair, Slavic descent.'
'What an exuberant aura. I can tell that you have quite an interesting Sacred Gear.'
The crimson-haired girl turned to her right, motioning to another young lady with long, dark purple-black hair who respectfully stood across the room. As the dark-haired young lady stepped forward, the sun's golden rays unveiled her buxom and curvy figure.
The young lady politely bowed, and with a mellow voice she asked, "Rias, do you need anything?"
Rias smiled and poshly responded, "Akeno. I've found a good candidate for my peerage. We should try to subtly rope him in before the Student Council gets to him."
"Oh? There's actually someone who caught your attention?" Akeno asked with wide eyes and a curious look.
Rias settled down on a plush, leather chair. With a horizontal swipe across her desk, she slid Akeno the folder containing Chekhov's profile.
Rias then placed her elbows on her desk and then intertwined her fingers together. As her chin was resting on the backs of her fingers, she aristocratically replied.
"I can sense that he possesses a very intriguing Sacred Gear. As a matter of course, I am in need of a loyal bishop as well."
Akeno's pink, supple lips divulged a seductive smile.
"If you really think he's special, I'll certainly provide him with my best support."
"You won't need to do much for now. The rest of my peerage will be returning from the scouting mission tomorrow."
Rias untwined her fingers and moved her right hand forward, picking up a bishop from her chessboard. She held it up to the sunlight as her right elbow stood firm on the desk. The bishop's polished white surface sparkled in the refulgent golden rays.
She kept a light smile as she skillfully twirled the white bishop through her fingers.
"I'll need you to convey a message to Kiba as soon as he returns. Meanwhile, we'll make our preparations."
. . . . .
Kuisui Town, Japan.
A black-haired girl with enchanting violet eyes sat alone at a rounded white table. She seemed to be busy, typing on a metallic silver laptop while occasionally sipping her espresso from a small brown cup.
For the past few hours, Raynare had been surveilling an intersection along the edge of Kuisui Plaza. She was secretly inspecting the auras of everyone who passed by her, searching for a Sacred Gear wielder among one of them.
'This café should be closing soon.'
She turned her head around and observed the outdoor enclosure she was sitting in. The previously noisy eatery had gradually become empty.
'I can't stay here much longer without raising suspicion. Maybe it's time to pick up my feisty tartare delivery.'
Raynare made her way back inside the coffee shop, strolling toward the waste bin. While tossing out her half-empty espresso cup, she inconspicuously glanced around the general area.
The blue-haired man who had previously taken her order was sitting at an empty table, listening to music with black wired earbuds.
With an arrogant expression, Raynare wore a guise of smugness and made sure to stride right by the young man. As their eyes met, she haughtily curled her lip in disgust.
"Hmph!" Raynare snorted and left the store.
It wasn't long before she could distinctly sense the man's motion from over 20 meters behind her.
'Excellent, this yellow-skinned fish has the basic cognitive senses to keep track of me. I'll always welcome free rations at my door.'
Raynare leisurely ambled along the sidewalk at a slow pace. The sidewalks had become less populated by the late evening, making her slender figure easier to follow.
After walking through a plethora of twists and turns, a small store with an orange billboard on top came into sight. It radiated an eerie atmosphere; the shutters were tightly fastened, and the walls were grimy.
Standing beside the graffiti-littered walls, Raynare leaned backward and took out her phone from her backpack. She was covertly setting up a sound barrier.
All of a sudden, Raynare very subtly twitched her head. An unfamiliar figure had entered her senses.
'There's a third person in this alleyway… but from that distance he shouldn't be following me.'
Based on the readings, Raynare could tell that the figure was human, presumably male, and radiating a Sacred Gear aura.
'I didn't expect such a fortuitous encounter. A rainbow trout is swimming toward my boat all on its own. However—'
Raynare stood motionless in deep contemplation, anticipating possible risks and evaluating the best way to catch both her targets at once.
'His Sacred Gear is the only uncertainty in this situation. I don't know which Sacred Gear he possesses, and I can't confirm whether he has awakened it or not. It would be especially troublesome if he somehow manages to slip away.'
Thud, thud, thud.
Heavy footsteps sounded by her side.
She calmly turned to her left, unperturbed by the blue-haired man. His eyes were bloodshot with a sadistic grin on his face. He laughed and spoke with a grating voice.
"B*tch, I've been waiting hours for this."
Raynare didn't bother responding or pretending to be afraid, as the blue-haired man had no chance of escape.
'I could immobilize him first and then rush the Sacred Gear wielder. Still, lashing out too early may be a mistake. Ideally, I want the Sacred Gear wielder to be as close to me as possible before I rush him.'
The blue-haired man didn't recognize that Raynare was unfazed. He shrugged it off, thinking that the young lady had frozen in fear.
"We can either do this the easy way or the hard way, the choice is yours," the man condescendingly raised his shoulders.
His grin morphed into a lascivious smile as he ogled her body. "Take off your clothes."
Continuing to ignore him, Raynare could discern an egg-shaped face in a short distance. There was another young man with short brown hair and a long-sleeved green sweatshirt.
Out of the blue, the Sacred Gear wielder had stepped into the open. For a short while, he was standing motionless with wide eyes.
'This rainbow trout doesn't seem to be swimming any closer.'
Raynare was about to materialize a light spear and pierce it through the blue-haired man's knee, until she noticed an abrupt movement from behind him.
The Sacred Gear wielder had suddenly broken into a forward sprint with his eyebrows furrowed and a furious expression on his face.
As he was bolting toward the blue-haired man, he angrily exclaimed in a resentful voice, "Konishi! You damn bastard! I knew something was up when I saw you following her!"
The two men seemed to know each other.
'I certainly won't mind if this rainbow trout wants to boast its colorful fins. I'll welcome any opportunity where I can take him by full surprise.'
The blue-haired man, Konishi, whipped around in shock. He discerned another man lunging at him with his fist raised. He instinctively tried raising his arms to protect himself, but it was too late. The fist landed at the center of his face, cracking his nasal bone and upper cartilage.
"Scum like you are why women can't walk around safely in the town!"
Konoshi stumbled backward as rough fingers locked onto the back of his head, pulling him downward and kneeing him in the face.
Bam!
Konoshi reeled backward and plummeted to the ground, laying on his side as blood flowed out from his mouth and disoriented nose.
When the round-faced man was about to leap on top of Konishi, he suddenly experienced a burning sensation in his knee.
R-rip!
A jagged, bright pink spear with a pointed cusp pierced through his leg. It had shattered his kneecap and ripped through his meniscus, toppling him to the ground. Dark red blood leaked out of his knee, dribbling along the uneven jagged surface of the spear.
"AHH!" The round-faced man's teeth were gritted, and his expression was contorted with pain.
With eyes full of shock, he noticed that the seemingly defenseless young lady was staring at him with calm violet eyes. It appeared as if she was staring at an inanimate object instead of a human being.
Raynare closed her fingers inward as a bright pink spear materialized. She took a moment to aim before hurling another spear at the round-faced man.
R-rip!
The man's shoulder was swiftly perforated, causing another deafening scream to blight the musty air. His bursa was forcefully ripped apart, splitting the shoulder bones and disabling his left arm.
Raynare calmly materialized two more bright pink spears. She flung them both and disabled the man's remaining limbs.
Konishi lay on the ground, his eyes agape with horror as the man beside him was mercilessly incapacitated. His previous arrogance had been thoroughly chastened by this ordeal.
"F*ck, what's going on! This psychotic b*tch has magical powers?" A cracked voice escaped his lips as he rambled to himself in disbelief.
Raynare ignored him, her beguiling violet eyes calmly assessing the round-faced man's condition.
'The trout is now unconscious from the pain. Even if it wakes up, it should never be able to move its limbs. Now, onto other matters—'
She closed her fingers inward, and the minacious bright pink spear materialized yet again. Seeing this, Konishi's face was filled with dismay.
"S-stay away from me!" Konishi's panicked voice screamed out in agony.
In Raynare's perspective, it wasn't logical to waste time conversing to the man, just as a fisherman never converses with a fish before harpooning it.
Her primary goal for coming to Kuisui Town was to secure rations for her main soul without attracting attention. There was no beneficial reason for leaving even one fish on the plate behind.
Being Chekhov's split soul, she had no obsessions for human lives. In her eyes everything was the same, whether it was a hero, villain, wealthy man, poor man, animal, plant, or rock. The only facet that sincerely mattered to her was to follow her life's meaning.
"Wait, stop!" Konishi's face was drenched in sweat as he desperately waved his arms. He begged in a tight voice, "I won't ever hurt a single girl in my life!"
Without a trace of hesitation, Raynare's violet eyes glimmered in the sunset rays as she flung the bright pink spear.
'Today was a flourishing harvest.'
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット