Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 19 - Chapter 1

Faraway Days

Wednesday, September 15th

Marina and Kai first met on the job in the Magical Kingdom of Folsaria’s army, Rainbow Heart. Marina was a new magical girl, and Kai was the soldier assigned to guard her. While magicians were strong, they required time to cast spells. So when used in squads, it was common for guards to protect them and buy them that time.

Marina and Kai were both young and often butted heads after becoming partners. After completing several missions together, however, the sense of antagonism between them gradually died down and was replaced with something else. Indeed, slowly but surely, the young couple fell in love and became partners in a different sense. Not long after that, Marina decided that she would retire as a magical girl and marry Kai... after one final mission.

And that was the mission she was out on now. Marina was ecstatic thinking about her future, but she didn’t let it affect her work. She kept a cool and level head on the job, as expected of a veteran magical girl.

Marina and Kai’s final job together was a somewhat dangerous one. They were tasked with infiltrating the mansion of a suspected necromancer and obtaining evidence of his crimes. In the Magical Kingdom of Folsaria, the personal use of magic was strictly prohibited. Necromancy in particular was considered to be a nefarious art, often being used for evil and other ill gain, so even when civilians went through the proper channels to apply to use it, they were often denied. The target in question was suspected of using necromancy illicitly, but without any evidence, Rainbow Heart had been unable to bring any charges against him. And that was exactly why Marina and Kai were being sent in—to find said evidence.

“To think we’d have to infiltrate the place even though we already know he’s guilty...”

Kai looked up at the dark mansion and let out an exaggerated sigh. The mansion stood alone on a hill a good ways from the city and gave off an austere and lonely impression. Kai was a large man, so Marina had to look up when she talked to him. But even when she spoke up, his eyes stayed fixed on the dark house on the hill.

“Don’t complain. We can only prove that he’s bought prohibited goods as it is. That’s nowhere near as serious as what we’re potentially looking at, and we can prove he’s dabbling in necromancy with just his account books.”

As agents of the government, Marina and Kai couldn’t enter someone’s home without good reason. Which was precisely why they’d done a preliminary investigation beforehand. In doing so, they uncovered that the owner of the mansion had recently purchased spell components and other goods used in necromancy. Whether he’d simply purchased them or whether he’d actually used them would significantly change the weight of his crimes, but Rainbow Heart had no way of knowing which it was without digging deeper. And that was why Marina and Kai were now approaching the mansion.

“I know, I know,” said Kai with a wave of his hand

“Heehee, if I remember correctly... You’re not so good with ghosts and zombies, are you?” prodded Marina.

“Hush, you. It’s way weirder that you’re actually okay with them.”

“Heh, then doesn’t that make you the biggest weirdo of all for marrying a weirdo like me?”

“Yes. Yes, it does.”

“How rude.”

“You said it yourself!”

The two lovers continued to tease each other as they worked together to scale the wall surrounding the property. The much larger Kai served as a foothold for Marina to get to the top, where she turned around and loaned him a hand to get up too. Their teamwork was perfect, showcasing both the time they’d spent together as partners and the deep trust they’d developed during that time.

“You’re a bit heavy. Maybe you should go on a diet for the sake of your new partner.”

While Marina was retiring as a magical girl, Kai would continue serving under Rainbow Heart. As a specialized guard, he would eventually be assigned a new magician to protect. And it was this future partner Marina was worried about.

“I’ll think about it if it’s a cute girl.”

“Hey!”

“Haha, don’t worry. Nobody is cuter than you.”

“Lies and flattery!”

Yet in the end, there was absolutely nothing for Marina to be worried about. Kai’s smile instilled a sense of confidence and comfort in her. But all of a sudden, there was a drastic change in mood between the two of them. Without another word, they nodded at each other and jumped down from the wall, landing without a sound on the mansion lawn.

“Here’s where things get tricky...”

“Let’s just go at it like normal.”

“Yeah.”

This was where the fun and games between the two lovers ended. For once they were on the mansion property, they were no longer a young couple... but seasoned partners who worked for Rainbow Heart. And it was time to get down to business.

When using large-scale magic, an appropriately large magic circle and a ritual were required. Magic circles were like storehouses for mana, and they doubled as something similar to a magical circuit capable of channeling that mana and producing unique effects. They could be quite delicate and took a great deal of work to create, so choosing a safe and secure location to make one was an important step of the process. Basements with stone floors were a popular choice, which also had the additional benefit of being far out of the public eye. And that was exactly what Marina and Kai found in the mansion.

“It looks like this big one isn’t complete yet... And what’s that small one over there? Was that just practice?”

“Just what is he planning on doing with a magic circle this size...?”

Marina and Kai found multiple magic circles in the basement. Studying them confirmed their suspicions of necromancy, but the size of one of the circles in particular was strange. Rather, it was dangerous. It was large enough that it could be used to summon hundreds of departed souls, certainly more than enough to destroy a city.

“I wish to revive my granddaughter, young agent of Rainbow Heart.”

Suddenly, Marina and Kai heard a voice coming from behind them. When they whipped around to see who it was, they saw an elderly man standing there.

“Who are you?!”

“That’s my line, young one.”

“You’re...”

Marina and Kai had seen him before. They’d spent time observing the mansion, including its residents. And this was the owner, Gazan.

“I am Gazan Saiga, the master of this mansion.”

“Gazan-san, stop this at once!”

That was why the elderly man had turned to necromancy: he wanted to bring back his late granddaughter. While his desire was understandable, the cost was simply too high. Magic could achieve all kinds of miracles, but bringing the dead back to life was beyond all reason. It required an incredible amount of mana, which meant one of two things: either a significant investment in a mana generation device, or a significant sacrifice. And based on the magic circle scrawled on the basement floor, the elderly man had chosen the latter. He intended for a great many people to die in this basement. Marina couldn’t accept that, and so did her best to convince him to stop.

“You’re still too young, young lady... You haven’t experienced what its like to lose something truly precious, have you?”

“What?”

The elderly man’s unexpected question made Marina falter. He looked at her with pity in his eyes... No, perhaps he was looking past her at a younger version of himself.

“After losing my granddaughter, I learned... When you lose something truly important to you, what does that leave you with? What remains after loss?”

“That’s...”

Marina had no answer for the elderly man’s question. Like he said, she’d never experienced any such bereavement.

“Desire. The kind of desire you would feel like dying of thirst in a scorching desert. It leaves you wondering why there isn’t any water nearby... It becomes all you can think about. It consumes you. And that’s the question that has driven me. Why... Why isn’t my granddaughter here?”

In that moment, Marina saw madness in the elderly man’s eyes. He so grieved the absence of his beloved granddaughter that it had driven him to the ultimate taboo. He wanted her back no matter what. Even if it meant going against the very laws of nature. His thirst had become so strong that he was willing to kill others to get the water he needed. The water he desired.

“Marina, it’s no use talking to him.”

Kai drew his weapon after hearing the elderly man’s crazed babbling. Seeing that, Marina’s eyes shot open wide.

“Kai, no! Gazan-san will understand if we talk to him!”

“We don’t have enough water to satisfy his thirst. It’s a shame, but...”

Marina didn’t understand, but Kai did. He had experienced what the elderly man was talking about for himself. When he was younger, he’d lost his little sister. And thanks to that, he understood what the elderly man was really after. He knew that Marina’s kindness would only get her killed here, and as her future husband, Kai wasn’t about to let that happen.

“You’re right, young man. Your lives aren’t enough to revive my granddaughter! Not even close!”

That was when four suits of armor, one in each corner of the room, began moving. They smoothly unsheathed their swords, almost as if there were people inside. And once their weapons were drawn, they attacked Marina and Kai from all sides.

“There are only two options for you! Quietly become sacrifices, or die right here and now!”

The elderly man was controlling the four living armors. He was going to capture Marina and Kai and use them as sacrifices for his resurrection spell; as a magician, Marina would make a particularly useful sacrifice. But if he couldn’t successfully capture them, they would need to be disposed to keep them from getting in the way. The elderly man hadn’t allowed them to freely walk into the basement just for that.

“Gazan-san, please listen!”

“It’s not gonna happen, Marina! Nobody can reach him now!”

Being surrounded was bad news. Kai pulled on Marina’s hand while she was still trying to reason with the elderly man and headed for one of the living armors. Whether they could take out one of the armors and break the encirclement before it closed completely around them would determine the outcome of this fight.

“But Kai, doing something this sad for a loved one―”

“You can talk to him all you want after the armors are destroyed!”

“O-Okay!”

Marina was reluctant, but she knew Kai was right. Talking could come later when things had calmed down. But in order for them to ever get there, the living armors needed to be destroyed. Resolving herself, Marina began an incantation with her staff in hand.

“Enhance Weapon!”

Marina cast a spell to augment Kai’s sword. When the two of them fought together, they combined their strengths and achieved the highest possible attack power by having Marina use her magic on Kai. It should be a swift, surefire way to take out the armors.

“Marina, slow down the other suits!”

With that, Kai charged at the armor in front of him. His enhanced sword easily cut through the living armor’s sword and right arm.

“Leave it to me! Magnetic Field!”

Marina created a powerful magnetic field aimed between the other armors, and it immediately netted all three of them. But the binding wasn’t perfect. Though greatly inhibited by the magnetic field, they were still slowly inching forward. It seemed they were powered by more mana than she’d expected.

“Kai, they’re stronger than I thought! Hurry!”

There was a limit to how long Marina could maintain the magnetic field and keep the armors in place. It was critical that Kai defeat them as quickly as possible. Time was against them.

“Leave it to me!”

Kai swung his sword again with both hands and cleaved the armor he was up against in two. Marina’s skill with magic was impressive, but so was his with a blade. Not satisfied with only taking out a single armor, however, he headed immediately for a second. Seeing this, Marina changed the shape of the magnetic field. She didn’t want him to get caught up in it too.

“I won’t let you interfere! She will soon be revived!”

The elderly man, meanwhile, wasn’t about to sit back and watch as they ruined his plans. Brandishing his staff, he began incanting a spell of his own. As the one responsible for creating both the magic circles and the living armors in the basement, he was quite a powerful magician in his own right.

“Deadly Cloud!”

The elderly man unleashed an accursed miasma that drained life force from its victims. It was a notorious necromancy spell that only had one purpose—to kill. The pitch black cloud began to fill the center of the room, surrounding Kai alongside the three living armors. Since the armors had no life force to speak of, however, it had no effect on them whatsoever. It was really just a clever way of targeting Kai.

“Kai!”

“Don’t worry!”

Kai took a deep breath and held it just before the cloud could reach him. The miasma would only take effect when inhaled, and Kai knew enough about magic to keep himself safe—or at least alive—in a situation like this.

“I’ll dispel it right away! Just hang in there for a moment!”

“...”

Rather than replying to Marina, Kai instead took down a second suit of armor. He was clearly all right, and seeing that, Marina felt a wave of relief wash over her. She then calmly incanted a spell to counter the black cloud.

“Greater Dispelling!”

“...”

In the time it took Marina to do that, Kai defeated yet another armor, leaving only one of them standing. Anxious to finish things before Marina’s spell took effect and cleared the air, Kai turned and swung his sword at his last remaining target.

The felled suit of armor clattered to the floor in pieces. The next moment, Marina’s spell activated, clearing away the horrid black cloud. Everything was going perfectly.

“I’ve got you now!”

Perfectly, that is, according to the elderly man’s plan. In creating the black cloud, he’d been able to conceal what he was really doing. Not only did the cloud obstruct his opponents’ view, it kept them distracted. Kai was completely focused on the living armors, and Marina was too busy casting a spell to deal with the lethal miasma. And the elderly man used that opportunity to prepare another spell. Just as Marina dispelled the deadly cloud...

“Die, damned interlopers from Rainbow Heart!”

While he was engaging the last armor, Kai had his back turned to the elderly man. He was wide open. And since she was still recovering from the spell she’d just cast, there was nothing Marina could do to help him. The elderly man fired an arrow made of negative energy directly at Kai’s defenseless back. Unlike Marina, Kai was a normal human. There were plenty of other sacrifices that would be just as good as him. So as far as the elderly man was concerned, he could just finish off Kai here and now.

“Oh no!”

The magical dark purple arrow struck Kai squarely in the back. He’d never stood a chance of dodging it, and Marina was powerless to do anything to save him.

“KAIIIII!”

And so Marina came to experience what it was like to lose something truly important. It was only then that she understood what the elderly man had meant by desire.

Dark Purple woke up to the sound of her own screaming. Seeing her hands reached out towards nothingness, she realized that she had been dreaming.

Ever since losing her fiancé, Kai, Dark Purple had been having the same dream. It was like losing him all over again every time. And each time she was forced to experience it, the desire that elderly man had spoken of grew stronger. As she was now, she completely understood how he’d felt. She also realized how foolish her past self had been for trying to dissuade him.

“Just a while longer, just a little while longer... Once Rainbow Heart is defeated, I can revive Kai... We’ll be together again...”

Marina was a whirlwind of emotion that fateful night, and after losing Kai, she completely gave herself over to rage. She cut the elderly man who’d taken him from her down without hesitation or mercy. She then stole his research with the intention of reviving her fallen fiancé. Just like the elderly man before her, she was driven by desire.

However, her experience as a member of Rainbow Heart warned her that the path ahead would not be an easy one. She knew Rainbow Heart would eventually get in her way and try to stop her. That’s why she turned to Darkness Rainbow. Between her talents and her desire, it didn’t take her long to make it to the top.

And so Marina became Dark Purple, whose goal was the downfall of Rainbow Heart. For in order to achieve her heart’s true desire, Rainbow Heart needed to be out of the picture. She didn’t even care if that meant going up against her former allies—for she was no longer Marina, but Dark Purple, the cold leader of Darkness Rainbow.

“Just wait a little longer, my beloved... I’ll take care of Rainbow Heart and bring you back soon...”

Purple looked over at a tall, cylindrical glass tank. Inside it was a body suspended in preservation fluid. It was the corpse of Kai, Purple’s fiancé who she wanted to resurrect more than anything else in the world. She stared at him for some time, her eyes colored by deep love, insanity, and desire, all while repeating the same words to herself... that the decisive battle was near, and so was their reunion.