Hundred - Volume 9

Around the time when the sun was about to rise from the horizon.

A girl stood on the roof of the observation deck at the front part of Little Garden.

Naturally, it’s not a place where people can come.

There’s no railing, making obvious that there’s no handrail, so if a person falls from this place it won’t end with minor injuries.

However, her body isn’t shaking, nor her face is revealing an expression of fear, the girl just stared motionlessly at Little Garden which began to dye in sunrise colors.

– It’s so beautiful…

A gorgeous golden hair.

Liza Harvey is the name of the girl, thorny ivies are entwined many times on her non-disgraced beautiful white skin.

For the sake of Claire Harvey, who’s away from this ship to participate in the World Martial Arts Tournament, she, who’s her little sister, is now like a guardian deity of Little Garden.

– At last, she came back…

While staring at the distance, Liza murmured deep in emotion.

A delightful smile is showing on her mouth.

Two aircrafts are approaching, both of them are transport aircrafts owned by Little Garden and Claire is using the <<Little Garden Personal Airplane>> WL – 03.

Claire and the Slayers belonging to Little Garden are on board of them.

– Welcome back. And, good job. To Nee-san, and to the brave warriors of Little Garden――

It’s thanks to her older sister Claire and the other Slayers that a lot of people can grasp the refreshing awakening in the morning, under this lovely orange color of the beautiful sky.

Liza thinks from the bottom of her heart.

My older brother, Judal, can go to the moon.

I’m approaching the wish of Linis, my mother.

It’s all thanks to you, and.

– Congratulations for the championship.

At the same time she spilled those words of celebration, her figure disappeared from above the observation deck.

– The outward appearance of the human beings from approximately 100.000 years ago, that is, their shape, isn’t apparently different from that of the modern people. However, after a period of approximately 50.000 years, mankind has hardly evolved.

A lesson was held in the middle school second year classroom of Little Garden.

It’s about the human evolution.

The female teacher continues speaking in front of the white board.

– But, around 40.000 years and a little ago, human beings achieved what is called the <<Great Leap Forward>> on evolution. They began to acquire complex languages, like doing hunting and fishing using bone tools and stone implements, and reached the point to wear clothes. Another great cultural development took place, successfully creating other stone implements and bone tools to do drawing mural paintings. The mankind from before that period is called paleoanthropic man (Neanderthal) and from that point and onwards, mankind has been classified as a “new breed” of humans, that’s what the common theory dictates.

It was the first time in a month that Kisaragi Karen takes classes, as she was working at Calbrera Island, the venue for the World Martial Arts Tournament.

During that time, the lessons were recorded on video and sent every day to her, and the things she didn’t know were taught by her friend Umino Aoi, who returned first to Little Garden from Calbrera Island. Her classmate who’s a knowledgeable girl and wear glasses that suits her.

(I’m late, I have to get back soon…)

Otherwise, supplementary lessons will occur, and she may lose the spring break and will be unable to return to Yamato with his brother and the others.

Those are the plans of Karen.

– There are various theories as to why humanity suddenly made a <<Great Leap Forward>>, but it’s clearly unknown. There’s a theory that God appeared and gave wisdom to mankind, another theory that an unusual phenomenon occurred in the brain of the paleoanthropic man caused by a virus attached to the meteorite that fell from outer space, causing the <<Great Leap Forward>>. By that much, it’s a mysterious phenomenon.

Yes, it’s already spring.

The end of the term is approaching.

…although Karen is still in second year.

Even though she will be taking classes for a month and a little, her life in middle school continues.

However, there’s going to be a class change at the time of promotion.

In her grade there are 2 classrooms.

Will Rebecca, Aoi and Nakri be in the same class with her next year?

Karen looked at Nakri.

(As expected, Nakri-chan is sleeping…)

As expected, she put a wry smile.

Because Nakri has never took care of listening to classes.

Without a doubt, supplementary lessons will take place for her.

(But, assuming her role as a Slayer, will she be exempt?)

She doesn’t think about it and feeling envious.

Others are others. She is she.

– And the same evolution of 40.000 years ago is happening to mankind now. The First Attack of 14 years ago――since then, the evolution of mankind has continued to accelerate. Apart from the development of the Hundred, the decisive battle weapons for anti-Savage usage, a lot of tools using the steel shell of the Savage and Variable Stones were created, along with many things that have been impossible to made now, they are currently possible. This Little Garden is one of them, and at last, mankind gets into space――attempting to reach the moon.

「Moon」

She reacted to that single word.

The female teacher smiled at Karen and told something unthinkable.

– Before the year ends, Lunaltia Base will commence its operations and for the commemoration ceremony, there’s a roughly unofficial offer for Kisaragi Karen from our class to do a concert with Kirishima Sakura, the world-class diva.

The gazes of the classmates gather at Karen and naturally, claps took place.

– Eh, ah, well…. Wha-, what do I do…

It was too abruptly, she didn’t know what to do.

Looking at her, both Rebecca and Aoi applauded.

Nakri is glaring with disgusted eyes at Karen.

– Karen-san, please do your best, okay?

Karen, who was told so by her teacher, scratched her cheek and answered with a troubled smile.

– Ye-…yes. I will do my best….

She’s more embarrassed than when she’s covered in ovation on the stage.

That’s the honest impression of Karen for this situation.

And then, immediately after the lessons ended, after school arrived.

Nakri 「returned to Krovahn」, heading to the next class where her older brother belongs to; Touka was on her way back home together with Rebecca, Aoi and Karen, with whom she’s living in the same guesthouse.

– Now that you mention it, do you know something about the rumor of a ghost?

They are walking in the middle of the corridor that leads towards the entrance with the shoe rack.

All of a sudden, Rebecca broke the ice with that.

– …a ghost?

Aoi cocked her head in puzzlement.

– What’s the thing about it?

Following her, Karen did the same.

While spreading her mouth in a wide horizontal mischief-like way, Rebecca continued talking.

– Someone came to school at night to pick up something that was left behind when that person saw it. An incredible white skin, blond hair, and the body of the ghost irradiated light!

While opening her eyes and mouth wide and suspending her arms, Rebecca approached Aoi.

A sordid whizzing sound, an impact that resounded as if it was a sound effect from a TV show of Yamato.

(White skin, blond hair, a body that emits light…?)

Those words were on Karen’s mind.

At the time of the Gardens Festa, the one that helped her――

And then, the girl who stayed inside her for a brief time and saved her when she was in a pinch.

The result suggested that the figure on her mind is Liza.

– Is, is that true!?

While trembling, Aoi asked.

– It’s true! Not only one person, but everyone has seen it. There are some guys who even saw it in midday too. Which reminds me, I heard that it was wearing blue roses as hair ornaments.

Hearing that, Karen thinks there’s no doubt.

It’s Liza.

– Midday!? Then are you saying that it can come out now?

– Ah, there’s something behind you now…

– Hiii!

Aoi tries to look back and hops.

Looking at her, Rebecca was roaring with laughter.

– Hahaha, I’m joking, I’m joking.

– Uu, please don’t give me a scare like that…

Touka called out Aoi who hung her head saying that.

– It’s okay, Aoi. Whatever it is, I’ll knock it down.

Then, with her hand, she grasped tightly the Hundred that hung in her neck.

Looking at her, Rebecca said.

– Certainly, I feel relieved having Touka-san with us. Even if it’s a ghost, she will split it in half!

– Uh huh, I’ll protect you all.

Touka talks full of herself.

And, almost at the same time.

– ……

A chill, and.

Feeling something on the spine, Karen immediately turned her head.

There――

(Eh…?)

The place they walked.

Beyond that, a single girl stood there.

Rebecca said that it was a girl whose skin is white, has blond hair and her body emits light.

There’s a diadem of roses on her head, thorny ivies are coiling around her body.

(She’s…)

The girl who came to her mind moments ago.

――She’s Liza.

– Did something happen?

Turning her back, Aoi asks to the dumbfounded standing Karen.

– Ah, well…

How can she explain it?

The troubled Karen looked back.

(It will definitely do no good to tell them about Liza-san)

That’s why she chose to lie them.

– I’m sorry. Karen was thinking about something for a bit.

– Thinking about something?

Aoi tilts her head.

– Yes, exactly.

Karen replied.

Rebecca call them out.

– Hey, you two, what are you talking? Let’s go.

– Ah, yes.

Karen answers, and started to walk, following Rebecca and Touka who are going ahead.

Aoi does the same.

But, Karen looks back again worried about that little girl.

However――

(…huh?)

The girl wasn’t there anymore.

– Hey, Karen! Are you stupefied again?

– Ah… I’m sorry!

Karen rapidly rushed to the three girls.

– It’s getting warmer, so it’s dangerous if you get absent-minded*.

– I’ll be careful….

Karen turned down and apologized.

The three girls changed their shoes at the shoe rack and went outside the school building.

– It’s really getting warmer, don’t you think?

Aoi mutters while looking up at the blue sky.

Likewise, Rebecca muttered.

– A little more and it’s spring.

——Spring.

The season where a lot of people are starting to move towards their respective goals, was approaching.