Monthly Bushiroad (September 2015 Issue)[]
A young male deity with an intelligence surpassing the witches', and fighting mind and prowess that could frighten even the deities of war. Enshrouding him is a fighting aura of ice-like coldness. He is the culprit who had caused a grave incident in the realms of deities, and as a result, he was banished from the realms of deities. Fallen to the realms of men, he had been sealed in the deity-residing holy nation for a long time. However, he was released after millennia of confinement, under the condition that he would be monitored by highly-ranked deities and inspectors like chains, and he worked as an employee of the new conglomerate "Genesis". Displeased by the fact that no war had occurred in this nation since the great wars, he joined hands with the traitorous "Shadow Paladin" and dropped out of sight. No information of him has been reported since then, and the search for him is in progress.
Monthly Bushiroad Short Novel (September 2015 Issue)[]
The Falling Sanctuary
"Boringgg!"
A young man walked in the corridors which surrounded the headquarters of "Genesis", his brows knitted and his footsteps deliberately noisy. One could understand his bad mood at first sight.
"Boringgg!"
The sturdy wall beside the young man was dented abruptly. In the dent was a visible trace of a fist. The young man, who punched the wall at speed beyond bare eyes, featured wavy blue hair like a mane and bared teeth like fangs, making him a beast-like figure.
"...What happened, Fenrir?"
From the room behind the dent appeared a debonair man with silver hair. Looking at the questioner, he who was questioned---"Fenrir" smacked his lips loudly.
"Tch! Nothing!"
"If nothing happened, please refrain from destroying the armour walls, which could remain unscathed by explosions. They are expensive."
"Pesky. Write as you like, on your favourite reports, see."
Without looking the questioning young man, Fenrir left the scene to the opposite direction.
"Really..."
"Mr Gleipnir, what happened?"
"That guy, didn't he destroy another wall? What's that stupid power!"
As the silver-haired young man---"Gleipnir", a young boy, supposedly his subordinate, asked about his safety, while another bouncy boy looked at the destroyed wall.
"...Mr Fenrir is really a man of greatness. In addition to his might, he can finish all tasks in one night, however..."
"His bad traits are more than enough to cover that. If only in terms of strength, he is a once-in-a-millenium genius, but..."
As comments leaked from the boys' mouths, Gleipnir smiled as if to alleviate their agonies, and gave them new tasks.
"Leyding, as he said, please add this into the reports. Dromi, please request for the walls to be repaired."
"Okay, another day to be grumbled at by the maintenance department!"
As Gleipnir saw the two boys had returned to their respective desks, he left the room.
(Fenrir...the time for releasing your impulse is near, until then...)
---------------------
"Boring, boring, this world's really boring!"
"Creating, doesn't suit my mind."
"Wanna destroy! Everything, anything."
"Come quick, the mess called the foretold catastrophe! Heaven's sake, I'll start it first...!"
---------------------
"That time" came quicker than they could imagine. Yes, it was the day when "Claret Sword Dragon" announced his rebellion to the whole nation.
"Turning this nation into the country of warmongers, is that..."
Citizens and even knights were frozen by the abnormal situation, and only one man recognized it positively.
"Morons who have forgotten the blood-boiling wars...really, it's limit of my tolerance...!"
As the Black Dragon was laughing highly and the knights were roaring furiously, Fenrir also laughed. His form, baring his fangs and fighting aura...resembled a beast, as expected.
"Fenrir."
As Fenrir was going to leap off, a voice called him suddenly.
"Gleipnir...!"
"Are you going?"
"You gonna stop me? But, I have had enough of being shackled. If you stand against me...I'll kill you!"
After a moment of losing tension, Fenrir released aura that had never been seen before. The windows broke one by one, and so did the armour walls.
(At this distance, I can kill that pest before he could bind me)
Gleipnir's face showed not a bit of anxiety. He stood calmly, just as usual.
"If ya could survive, tell the upper. It's no-go to bind me, as it is."
"This is unnecessary."
"...Agh?"
"I am also one who have waited for this moment. The era when the bound beast could unleash his power...the time of chaos."
After Gleipnir saying the words, enormous amount of holograms appeared from behind him and surrounded Fenrir.
"This is...!"
"Borrowed from the corporation, this is the data about Stride control. It shall grant you more strength."
"That's top secret not only for the corporation, but also the nation...ya'a daring with that meek face, aren't you? What's your purpose!"
While Fenrir was memorising the appearing and disappearing data, he didn't forget to question the young man in front of him. Playing with his silver hair waving with the wind, Gleipnir answered.
"I want to see everything you can bring to this world, sir. How will your power act on this world, this era...I want to see it with my own eyes."
Before Gleipnir finished his words, Fenrir turned away and concentrated his power. Blowing up fragments of armour walls with unpleasant metallic sounds like slapping Gleipnir's face, Fenrir spoke.
"Do as you like, you madman. Just work ya best for ya life."
"Of course."
"Tch..."
Disgusted by Gleipnir's attitude, Fenrir disappeared. To jump off, to start his first hunt.
"What will you boys do?"
Walking from behind Gleipnir were his subordinates, whom Gleipnir protected with his barrier.
"I...just want to follow Mr Gleipnir."
"I am, hey, just fine if that's entertaining enough."
As if he had understood the wills of his subordinates, Gleipnir looked at outside before responding to the boys' words.
"Then, let us go. To burn the battle of the best in our eyes, the god-slaying beast who could terrify even the deities of war."
--------------------
Let's rewind time a bit. The stage was the outskirt of holy nation United Sanctuary's capital.
"Pir, what is the situation near the West Gate?"
"Nothing reall'!"
Now, multiple garrison forces took formation centered around the four gates, to keep an eye on the encircling forces of "Shadow Paladin".
"Hey, Pir! What's that speaking manner when you talk to the captain!"
"Why ya get mad?"
"Use honorifics properly!"
"So fuss', Silusilu."
"It's Sicilus!"
In such a situation that everyone would get nervous, there was a troop that stayed constant as usual.
"So pesk', Silubilu. It's before a war. Don't get ma---d."
"I am Sicilus! Don't use that as an excuse!...Senior Felax, you seem calm."
"Unlike you, little boy, I've fought many wars. Is it, Mr Livarot?"
"I don't mean to boast myself...but I've surpassed many life-death situations."
"Too nervous..."
"E, even Millius said that..."
"Me'am not worried, either!"
"You should worry a bit more!"
They are the Eighth Garrison Troop, led by "Altmile", and they are famous in the nation for being the first ones who approached "Gear Chronicle". After the investigation of the ruins, they returned to their original task, that is, defending the capital.
(The city has been encircled. I can feel murderous aura from them...but, I can't sense the feeling they are attacking. Are they waiting for something? If that's the case, what are they waiting for...)
Ignoring the somehow suppressed teammates, Altmile thought endlessly about the situation, but,
"C, captain! In the sky, a huge black dragon!"
That which interrupted Altmile's thinking process was exactly the "what" the Shadow Paladin waiting---the signal of the rebellion called declaration of war.
--------------------
"Livarot! I'll leave you the command of five hundred men of the main force! Go to defend the West Gate!"
"Affirmative!"
Heeding to the grandmaster's order, the silently observing encirclement troop attacked simultaneously. The current "Shadow Paladin" is a massive force numbering hundreds of thousands, most of them were villains who were incompetent to stay in regular armies and swindled by the honeyed words of Claret Sword Dragon. Their number itself was suppressing, but a high-ranked knight alone could deal with thousands of these vermins. The disadvantage in quantity could be countered by quality...in fact, the Capital side was in an advantaged position in the first place, but...
"Urgh!"
"Sici-sir! How dare youuuuu!"
A massive force only in name, better described as rabble...within the crowd concealed several mighty knights and witches. They waited for the moment to attack the knights off guard, and hid again under the shadow of the throng.
"Lord Altmile! Report from the north-northeast about enemy intrusion!"
"What!!...Felax!"
"Leave it to me, Captain! Guys confident in their legs, come with me!"
(They should be able to stop the intrusion before damage is dealt to the towns...then...)
Livarot, Felax...a hard battle that the elite must be dispatched from the main force---Finally, enemies reached Altmile, who was giving order in the center of the formation.
"I, am the knight under the title Blue Sky...not someone whom you insolent beings can defeat!"
Soldiers and ordinary knights couldn't even stood against Altmile for a round. The enemies surrounded Altmile was wiped away in a second, and the following enemies were deterred to proceed.
(Good. I can deal with this myself.)
Altmile is certain. Just at this moment.
"...OOOOOOORRRRAAAA!"
"What!?"
He parried by an inch. That was an attack from the sky...if his response was several instances later, his head...no, his upper body would have been destroyed. The shockwave created by the mysterious attacker reduced the surroundings to fragments.
"Hey, Altmile! As usual, working a decent knight!"
"'Genesis''s...Fenrir!?"
"I've decided. The time has come. To make ya, the fork's hero, my first prey."
"What are you speaking of...now, is not the time---"
As Altmile was speaking, he felt abrupt coldness. He looked down, and saw Fenrir's claw, shrouded in freezing air, stopped an inch in front of his throat.
"Stop lecturing. You'd have died once, see?"
"You...!"
Altmile slashed his sword diagonally, but he could cut nothing. To make things worse,
"Flinging sword out of agony, not your style, is it. This's second chance."
Sitting on Altmile's blade, Fenrir's hand chop stopped an inch beside Altmile's neck. The knight's hair flattering, his cold sweat dropped. Taking distance carefully, Altmile examined Fenrir with his eyes. At this point, Altmile finally understood.
"Hahahaha...HAHAHAHAHAA!"
That the blue beast standing in front of him is an enemy who inspires awe beyond his imagination.
--------------------
"Heed to my call, divine knight of ancient times!"
"Oooooooouuu!"
Responding to the summon, a solemn knight---"Shrouded Divine Knight, Gablade" appeared behind Altmile. The roar of the iron horse shroud the air and the earth in haze.
"Isn't that Stride, watching this's my first time...I see, a mighty power."
"Fall back, Fenrir! Even you stand no chance before the sacred skills of the divine knight---"
"Ahh, but, only ya can use it, isn't that unfair?"
Even standing in front of the divine knight whose might he cannot match, Fenrir laughed with his palm on his face. And he pointed that hand to the sky.
"Come! Vanargandr!"
As if to cover Fenrir's howling call, outcry thundered the skies together with shockwave. It is "Vanargandr", the deity beast with the divinity of destruction. Its fighting aura engulfed the surroundings, which could even suppress that of the veteran knight Gablade.
"Impossible...! Why can you use Stride!"
Wringing the very question from his mouth, Altmile understood the difference between the power of two sides. He understood he couldn't win.
"A business secret. Just go ahead! Let's start!"
A picture came into Altmile's mind, that his throat would be torn by Fenrir's claws. And at that moment,
"COMRADES, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE! QUICK QUICK, FENRIR!"
"Huh!?"
Appeared in front of Fenrir were two high beasts. Stopping him were "Hati" and "Skoll". They were messengers directly under Fenrir.
"WE...ARE LEFT BEHIND!"
"QUICK QUICK QUICK!"
"Tch, what a timing. Must be planning something bad. A witty warleader, isn't it...Altmile! Next time I won't spare your life! Will tear ya apart for sure, bear it in mind! "
Bringing his anxious subordinates, Fenrir flew away from the scene. Altmile, remained on the scene, was shocked to move---the capital was filled by screams and warcries.
--------------------
"Master Claret. The hospital at the east of the capital has been successfully suppressed. Under the condition that patients are kept safety, a troop of 'Angel Feather'...the troop of Black Gravers lead by Gavrail has surrendered to our force. "
"Is it. I'll leave you, Branwen, to give instructions and oversee the angels."
"Affirmative...this is my insolence, but why do we retreat at this timing? "
"The attack this time would make the capital over-alerted about us. They would anxiously call back the expedition troops and garrison troops to the capital. Destroying them one by one would save us time of running all the nation."
"I see...please forgive my imprudence."
"Fine. About the surrendered angels...once the matter has been settled, finish them. They may attack us at any time. Just bury them with those weaklings they seek to protect."
"...Affirmative."
Branwen left with a salute. Claret watched up the cloudy skies.
"Cover the capital in illusions. By showing them they are surrounded, they would keep their gates close hard. Destroy the returning troops using this timing...everything as planned."
Looking down from the skies, it watched his bloodstained blade like licking it.
"The Forbidden Spell of Reinforcement has been completed. Nobody and nothing can defeat me."
Its face was infested by frenzy.
"The strongest warrior, the hero hidden by the history itself...Soon. Soon I'll catch up and reach you..."
--------------------
"Master. That is..."
In the old ruins, the girl's voice echoed.
"Releasing your very power...that would interfere the laws of the world furthermore..."
A voice that tried to hide its owner's worry.
"I understand. Stride that we taught...if we do not stop the one who is imprisoned by that power, the white nation would meet its end."
As if to respond to the girl, the massive dragon produced bizarre sound.
"...Your determination is solid. I understand. But, please do not forget. Before I...before we are warriors of 'Gear Chronicle', we are your shield and your sword."
The light emitted from the huge gear engulfed the ruins. The light dissipated quickly, leaving the praying Uluru behind.
"Lord Chronojet...no, Chronodragon..."
The girl waits. For the return of her master. For the return of her comrades. She cannot do anything but wait.