Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 34 - Chapter 5

Kasumi Raiga

Monday, May 30th

Maguz, or Kasumi Raiga, was not a name casually spoken among Koutarou and company. He was the former leader of the People of the Earth’s radical faction, which was responsible for the fierce battle against the conservatives. Their conflict had only been resolved at the end of last year, so Koutarou and the girls still had their guard up.

“What’s he up to now?” Koutarou asked Kiriha as he flipped over a tatami mat in room 106.

Beneath this particular mat—the one closest to the entrance—was a tunnel that led to the underground.

“In surface terms, he’s been detained and is awaiting trial,” Kiriha explained.

“Ah, of course. They can’t try the ringleader until everyone else has had their day in court.”

In blunt terms, Raiga’s fate was already sealed. As the chief orchestrator of the civil war, he would almost certainly be punished by death. His cooperation, however, was critical for wading through the sentencing of the other radical faction members. The court was relying on Raiga to distinguish between who’d willingly joined his cause and who had been coerced into it. The former were felons while the latter were victims, and the underground would treat them accordingly. That was why Raiga’s own trial had been postponed.

“That’s right. His testimony is what will give us the bigger picture, so to speak.”

As the mastermind of the entire operation, there were things only Raiga knew. The underground was still picking his brain in order to understand the full extent of his machinations. As such, they couldn’t get rid of him just yet. If they executed him now, his mysteries would die with him.

“But now that he’s calling on us...”

“Indeed. We should hurry. I don’t know if this is a good or bad thing, but either way, I’m certain it’s important.”

Koutarou pulled the lever to open the hatch beneath the tatami. Below was a concrete corridor—a tunnel leading to the underground world. As a cold draft swept up from the now-open passageway, Koutarou looked over to Kotori and Nalfa.

“Kin-chan and Nalfa-san, please wait here. There’s no reason for you to get involved in this.”

Koutarou was planning to head down with the girls, excluding Kotori and Nalfa. Neither of them had any business with the underground, so Koutarou thought it would only endanger them to drag them along. Kotori, however, seemed to have her own ideas.

“Kou-niisan, you don’t—”

She was worried about Koutarou. She didn’t know him as the kind of guy who got involved in intrigue like this. Indeed, as far as she was concerned, he should be staying behind too. She was afraid that something terrible was going to happen sooner or later.

“I’m glad you’re worried about me, but this is personal. I can’t just let it be,” he explained calmly.

The People of the Earth were descendants of Maxfern’s alchemists who’d been banished to Earth because Koutarou and Clan used a Super Space-time Repulsion Shell on them in past Forthorthe. Because of that, he felt responsible for the position they were in now. He couldn’t just write it off and let Kiriha handle it. Like he said, it was personal.

“...Kou-niisan...”

Even after learning Koutarou was a hero and seeing it for herself, it hadn’t really sunk in for Kotori. Koutarou still seemed like the same boy he’d always been. He pushed people away from time to time, and Kotori knew deep down that was his way of protecting his broken heart. Yet this... This was different. Koutarou was telling her to stay behind not to push her away, but to keep her safe. For her own good. It was incredibly vexing.

“Nalfa-san, take care of Kin-chan.”

“Layous-sama... Yes, of course! Please be careful”

As a Forthorthian, Nalfa was in a slightly different position. She naturally viewed Koutarou as a hero—as the Blue Knight—and thus there was nothing strange about seeing him march into battle or brave unknown dangers. Yet recently, something had started to change. Now that she’d gotten to know him, doubts similar to Kotori’s were budding in her heart. Because they had yet to fully blossom, however, she was still able to see him off with an earnest smile.

“Hahaha, don’t worry. There’s no guarantee this’ll come to a fight.”

Koutarou flashed a smile at the two girls before hopping down into the tunnel without hesitation. He looked resolved and mighty... just like a legendary hero. It was a wonderful thing, but Kotori and Nalfa were both unsure the look suited the Koutarou they knew personally.

Sanae could read other people’s emotions in their auras. As such, she knew that Kotori and Nalfa were concerned about Koutarou, and that he was concerned about them in turn. And so she called out to him in a reserved fashion—at least, reserved for Sanae.

“Say, Koutarou...”

“Yeah?”

“You totally could have brought them with us, you know.”

“Two years ago, back when it was just us fighting, I might have.”

Koutarou and the invaders used to fight each other tooth and nail, but they stopped just short of killing each other. Clan and Maki didn’t necessarily have that reserve at first, but they still avoided doing things that made them stand out. As time passed and their opponents changed, however... Koutarou and the girls now found themselves in a situation where their enemies wouldn’t hesitate to kill to accomplish their objectives. They used any means necessary. That meant even an innocent Forthorthian transfer student and Koutarou’s childhood friends were at risk. That was why Koutarou wanted Nalfa and Kotori to stay behind under the protection of Forthorthian and Folsarian guards watching the apartment.

“That’s fair... Sorry.”

“You’re being awfully meek today, Sanae.”

“They’re just so serious about how they feel. I wanted to help.”

“So even little Sanae’s matured some too, huh?”

“It’s bound to happen over two years. Even my boobs have gotten bigger!”

“That side of you is still childish, huh? But we’re getting off track here.”

Nalfa and Kotori continued to weigh on Koutarou’s mind, but he didn’t have time to chat casually about anything extraneous. Right now, he needed to focus on the problem at hand. Sanae understood that too, so she fell quiet as Koutarou turned to Kiriha.

“Do you think Raiga has connections to Ralgwin and the other remnants of Vandarion’s faction?” he asked.

That possibility was the reason they were in such a hurry to get underground. In the worst case scenario, Raiga and Ralgwin were already working together. Ever since Raiga had asked to parley, Koutarou couldn’t shake the bad feeling he was getting.

“The radical faction has been a little too quiet for that... but we can’t let our guard down,” Kiriha said, fighting back a wince.

It was on a far smaller scale than what happened in Forthorthe, but Raiga had led a coup d’etat of his own. Most of what remained of the radical faction had been disarmed, but just like in Forthorthe, there were still lingering holdouts. Kiriha was worried about the remnants of Vandarion’s faction getting in touch with the remnants of the radical faction, so she’d been paying close attention to their movements lately. Her biggest concern was what might happen if technology changed hands between the two.

She’d cast a wide net in anticipation of the factions attempting to make contact, but everything had been quiet so far. Raiga’s only communication had been sending word to Koutarou and Kiriha on the surface via his father, Kouma. It seemed, then, that he and Ralgwin had yet to make each other’s acquaintance... but Kiriha was still leery of the cautious and crafty Ralgwin. It was more than possible that he’d managed to slip through her surveillance net.

“If Raiga isn’t connected to Ralgwin, why would he contact us?” Theia piped up to ask.

That point puzzled Koutarou and the others. If Raiga and Ralgwin were working together, this was most likely a trap. If they weren’t working together, however, it hardly seemed there was any reason for Raiga to reach out to them at all.

“He is Kouma’s only son, and before the coup d’etat I considered him a friend,” Kiriha explained. “But in his eyes, I was the enemy. He only got close to me in order to facilitate his coup, so it’s hard to imagine he’s going to ask for forgiveness or anything else personal in nature.”

Kiriha’s family led the People of the Earth, and her father was the head of the conservative faction. That made Chief Daiha and Kiriha two of Raiga’s main targets during the coup. Kiriha and Raiga knew each other through their fathers, as Kouma was Daiha’s assistant, so they’d always been friendly with one another. When Raiga tried to have Kiriha killed, however, it was clear his kindness had all been an act.

“So, in essence, this is either a trap or some attempt at blackmail,” Kiriha mused.

Even she wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. It was hard to imagine that Ralgwin had secretly made contact with Raiga without her knowing and that they’d actually established enough cooperation to stage a trap like this. Kiriha’s surveillance net included the best spiritual technology had to offer, so if Ralgwin was capable of slipping through it... then what did he even need to make contact with Raiga for?

“There’s no point in speculating too much. Let’s just go meet this Raiga guy and see what he has to say. Under the assumption that it’s a trap and we’ll be attacked, that is,” suggested Shizuka.

The others agreed that was a wise plan. And so they decided they would meet with Raiga, but cautiously. He was an enemy, after all, so there was no harm in playing it safe.

Koutarou knew Kasumi Kouma. They’d first met eleven years in the past, and then again last year during the civil war underground. When Maguz’s identity was revealed, Kouma fell into a deep depression. His own son was the enemy mastermind, and he’d been none the wiser. In his grief, Kouma became so emaciated that he looked desperately ill... but it seemed he’d since recovered. He wasn’t as lively as when Koutarou had first met him over a decade ago, but he now looked as energetic and healthy as he could be for his age.

“Uncle Kouma!”

“Kiriha-sama, I welcome you!”

When Kouma saw Kiriha, he couldn’t help beaming. He’d taken care of Kiriha for a long time and thought of her much like his own granddaughter.

“Uncle, you’ve put on a little weight.”

“You jest! Ever since you unraveled the mystery of the People of the Earth’s origins, I’ve hardly had time to eat.”

“Is that so? I’m sorry to work you so hard.”

“Worry not. It’s well worth it.”

Kiriha also thought of Kouma as a grandfather. He was a guardian she could trust and a mentor who’d guided her down the road to leadership. He was every bit as important to her as Koutarou and Daiha were, so she too beamed when she saw him. After greeting Kiriha, Kouma turned to Koutarou and the others with a bow.

“Koutarou-sama, Theiamillis-sama, thank you as always for watching over Kiriha-sama.”

“Hello, Kouma-san.”

“I’m glad to see you in good health.”

“A fine hello to the rest of your group as well. It’s been some time.”

Everyone returned Kouma’s courteous bow. Since the decisive battle underground, they’d all seen him from time to time at various meetings. Meetings had increased dramatically, however, ever since Forthorthe had established diplomatic relations with Earth. Koutarou and Theia in particular saw him on almost a weekly basis these days.

“Now, getting straight to the point, about the call we received...”

“Yes, let’s save the more enjoyable chat for later.”

Kouma would always pester Koutarou about when he was going to marry Kiriha whenever he had the chance. Today, however, he decided to spare the friendly antics. They had more important business to tend to, after all.

“This way then, everyone, if you please,” Kouma said, beckoning them all into his mansion.

The Kasumis had served the Kuranos for generations, and their family home bespoke their storied history. They’d seen good times and bad, and that too was reflected in the design of their estate. Part of their basement, for example, doubled as prison. That was where Raiga was currently being held.

“The truth is that I don’t know exactly what he’s after myself,” Kouma explained on the way. “All Raiga will say is that he wants to speak with you. I can’t just ignore his request given what he’s done... That’s why I called you.”

“You did the right thing, Uncle. The radical factions of the underground and Forthorthe working together is something we’re all afraid of,” Kiriha assured him.

The Kasumi estate was large, and it took three turns down a long corridor before they finally reached the stairs to the basement. Strategically, none of the most important facilities in the house were easy to reach from the main entrance, for safety reasons.

“Everyone... I humbly ask that, from this point forward, you keep your guard up,” Kouma cautioned.

In spite of everything, Kouma still thought of Raiga as family. But to Kiriha and Koutarou, Kouma knew he was a dangerous enemy. It pained him to issue such a warning about his own son, but he couldn’t risk endangering Kiriha and the others because of his personal biases.

“All right, everyone. Let’s do this.”

At Koutarou’s signal, the girls readied themselves with their various defenses. Drones, haniwas, magic, and psychic powers... It all seemed like extraordinary measures to meet with a single person, but Koutarou told the girls they could share a good laugh about it later if it turned out to be unnecessary. That would be a much better outcome than a more serious situation, which would be no laughing matter at all.

“We’re ready now, Satomi-kun,” announced Harumi, the last to finish her preparations.

Her ancient magic gave her great versatility in many situations, but her incantations took time. She’d cast several spells on the group and herself, the last of which gave her the ability to detect all sources of metal within the Kouma estate. It was a defensive measure that would allow her to get an early read on any ambushes or other attacks, given that most weapons were made out of metal.

“Okay... Then let’s go, Kouma-san.”

“Very well. Right this way.”

Kouma descended the basement stairs with an unusually stern look on his face. He still had no idea what his son was thinking, and now he’d brought Kiriha straight to him. He couldn’t imagine any situation more tense than this. Koutarou and the others followed close behind him. Perhaps Kouma’s nervousness was infectious, as they looked rather stern themselves.

The room where Raiga was imprisoned was a simple one. The prison itself was carved from bedrock over five hundred years ago, and it was fashioned with old, sturdy wooden bars. Tatami mats covered the floor. In the back was a small bathroom. There had been a few modern updates over the years, but the basic structure and feel of the room had remained unchanged all this time. Raiga was formally sitting in the middle of his cell, apparently awaiting his visitors.

“You came, daughter of Kurano.”

“It’s been a while, Raiga.”

Raiga and Kiriha looked at each other through the wooden bars. This was the first they’d seen one another since the coup d’etat. They were fated to meet again at Raiga’s trial, but that was likely still over a year away.

“I wasn’t sure what expression I might find on your face, but it seems you haven’t changed.”

“I rose up knowing full well that I would face death should I fail. So, no, of course I haven’t changed.”

“That’s the part that puzzles me, Raiga. Why did you ask to speak with us, then?”

“I understand your confusion. I am Maguz, after all.”

Raiga seemed somewhat amused, an impression only strengthened by his smug expression and soft-spoken words. He rarely had the opportunity to speak with anyone in confinement, so there was a certain pleasure in seeing Kiriha, but most of all... he was surprised by his own actions. Calling Kiriha and her cohorts here felt strange, even to him. They were supposed to be enemies.

“In truth, I called you here because we share a common enemy now,” he declared.

“What do you mean?” Koutarou asked.

“One of my visitors informed me that people from Forthorthe have made contact with our camp.”

“From Forthorthe?!”

Koutarou couldn’t help reacting to those words. He knew that Raiga’s so-called camp was the radical faction, and, moreover, he knew that no Forthorthian emissary had contacted him in any official capacity. That could only mean one thing.

“Calm down. If I were going to come after you, I would have done so already,” Raiga assured him.

He understood Koutarou’s suspicions and did his best to dismiss them. There was now a gentle look in his eyes that hadn’t been there before... This was the true Kasumi Raiga, not Maguz.

“So what do you need from us?” Kiriha asked.

Her reaction wasn’t as extreme as Koutarou’s, but she watched Raiga keenly. She was prepared to attack at a moment’s notice, depending on his next move. Nothing could have prepared her, however, for what he said next.

“I was thinking of cooperating with you, you see. More specifically, I shall provide you with information in exchange for a promise to defeat them.”

“What?!” Kiriha exclaimed, the shock obvious on her face. “So you say, but I’m sure you can understand why I can’t simply take you at your word.”

She quickly regained her cool and stared down Raiga with unwavering eyes. She still didn’t know what his angle was.

“I admit I haven’t given up on taking over the surface world, but that’s precisely why I cannot allow the Forthorthians to do it.”

Even defeated and captured, Kasumi Raiga hadn’t abandoned his ideals. He believed the People of the Earth were the rightful rulers of the world, and an alliance with Vandarion’s faction would fly in the face of that. He refused to yield the surface to anyone else, which was why he’d called on Kiriha and the others.

“I believe the Forthorthians are fine people, Raiga,” she said.

“They are strong in combat, yes,” Raiga conceded. “But I don’t believe they’re fit to rule.”

In essence, Raiga believed that the strong existed to rule the weak. His definition of strength, however, included wisdom and leadership—things he hadn’t sensed from Ralgwin. That was what had dissuaded him.

“What makes you think so?” Kiriha inquired, curious about Raiga’s thought process.

“Because our camp has largely been dismantled. Had they contacted us a year ago when we were at the height of our power, I could understand... But if they’re seeking us out now, they can’t be after more than havoc and slaughter.”

Raiga felt the remnants of Vandarion’s faction had no vision for the future. There was nothing inherently wrong with making an alliance, but Raiga believed they had no plans beyond that. The radical faction wasn’t as strong as it once was, after all. There was no suggestion of a long-term goal in their proposition.

“I’m afraid that much is true... They seek a bloody fight,” Kiriha sighed.

She felt that Raiga was right on the money. Vandarion’s faction had two objectives: to topple the royal families of Forthorthe, and to exact revenge on Koutarou and company. She couldn’t imagine they’d given any thought to what would come afterward. They were the opposite of Elexis, who always considered the future.

“All the more reason for me to spurn them, then. Our goal is domination, not mere destruction.”

Destruction was a means to an end in Raiga’s eyes, not the end itself. As someone who sought to rule, his goal was to pull order from chaos and establish his dominion. He couldn’t decimate the surface so badly that there was nothing left to rule over—that would defeat the point. With Forthorthe’s technology, however, it was easily possible.

“Moreover, considering the People of the Earth’s relatively small population... without something to keep the Forthorthians in check, we’d likely end up invaded ourselves.”

“That’s right. The Earth Dragon is no more...”

That was Raiga’s second major concern. The People of the Earth were a minority. The surface dwellers, even though they were far weaker, had the sheer numbers to overwhelm the underground if they so chose. The People of the Earth had lost their greatest weapon—the Earth Dragon—which left them without a trump card to play in their own defense.

“Not even I would risk the People of the Earth’s safety if there is nothing to be gained from it.”

Raiga’s desire to establish his people’s dominance, in truth, was born out of love. Nothing would stop him from taking a calculated risk to seize glory, but if there was no glory to be had, he would never do anything to threaten the existence of the underground. He had no desire to ruin the home and the people that he so loved.

“Perhaps I was wrong... It seems you’ve changed some after all, Kasumi Raiga.”

Kiriha’s eyes softened just a little. Raiga was a dangerous opponent, but she could see he wasn’t armed for a fight.

“Witnessing Tayuma’s end gave me plenty to think about.”

Raiga still believed in rule by might, but seeing Tayuma so consumed by power that it transformed him into a monster... It was terrible. He’d trampled his own men. It had shown Raiga that even the superior couldn’t simply be allowed to do as they pleased without recourse.

“Moreover, I concede my defeat to you. You bested me, and I thereby would accept your rule.”

The radicals, in the end, had lost to the conservatives. That meant they were the stronger faction, and by his own ideals, Raiga had to acknowledge their right to rule. That was another reason he couldn’t abide Ralgwin’s offer... even if it might mean saving his own skin from the death penalty.

“Your views aside, Raiga, I respect your pride and love for the People of the Earth.”

Raiga’s views were dangerous. He was more prideful than ever now, which only added fuel to the fire. If left to his own devices, he would surely gather a new faction and make another play for the surface. But in spite of that, his love for his homeland was genuine. Kiriha had to acknowledge that.

“You are the victors. So do whatever it takes to protect our nation, Kurano Kiriha.”

“I appreciate your cooperation, Raiga. Tell me everything you know.”

This was Raiga’s last resort. Victor or not, Kiriha was his nemesis. But without her strength, the People of the Earth would be caught up in a terrible fight they stood no chance of winning. In order to avoid that, to protect them, Raiga put his personal feelings aside and started talking.