The Executioner and Her Way of Life

The Escape Begins

When she stepped off the train onto the platform, her first thought was
It’s smoky
, but she was mistaken.

The black-haired young woman clutched a train-transfer ticket in her hand as she looked around the multiline station, tilting her head in confusion at the curious sights.

She was a lovely girl, with youthful features better described as “cute” than “beautiful.” Her bustline drew the eye toward her blouse, but her overall outfit was elegant and refined, and she wore it entirely naturally.

Akari Tokitou: a lost one summoned from another world, with a frightful power called a Pure Concept attached to her soul.

Her dark eyes, usually full of energy, presently appeared rather gloomy. The hair band that often kept her mussy hair in place was nowhere to be seen, for she had left it in the care of the friend she trusted most in this world.

Akari had insisted on leaving a small token from her possessions with Menou, so that she would know that Akari had departed of her own free will.

With her head slightly lighter than before, Akari peered around through the strange smog.

The floor paved with cobblestones made a satisfying sound at every step. Small but carefully crafted, the platform seemed to be covered in some kind of haze.

But if it were smoke, there would be a smell. And if it were mist, Akari ought to have felt the moisture on her skin. As she looked around for an explanation, she soon realized what it was.

It wasn’t any kind of vapor, but tiny, luminous motes.

Guiding Light.

This was the manifestation of the “power” used to create conjurings in this world. Akari searched for the source and quickly found it.

The Guiding trains stopped in the station produced Guiding Light as their steam whistles blared. This phosphorescent glow came from the Guiding engines, which were used to carry passengers. Enough was coming from the train that it made the platform look hazy.

Akari smiled a little at the sight. It was so unlike anything she’d seen in Japan.

She remembered a moment from two months earlier when her traveling companion produced luminous bubbles from a five-
in
coin to make a child happy.

“I wonder what Menou’s doing right now…”

Menou was Akari’s dear friend. One she’d met in this world. That girl was more important to Akari than anyone or anything else. She’d always been at Akari’s side protecting her, but now she was nowhere to be seen.

Akari sighed.

Her nostalgia had shifted into sadness. Trying to shake off the solemn mood, she reached out and grasped the air to see if she could catch the light.

There was no sensation in her palm. The glowing particles displaced by the movement of Akari’s hand scattered, fading away like the drifting passage of time.

As she watched the Guiding Light dancing before her eyes, a question arose in the back of her mind.

What exactly
was
Guiding Force anyway?

While the foundation of civilization in Akari’s old world was science, the root of most developments in this world was conjuring.

Guiding Force, an energy that didn’t exist back on Earth, was such a fundamental aspect of this world that it was part of the definition of life itself. It was the most significant difference between this world and Akari’s, and right now, it was floating right in front of her eyes.

A force that leads everything… How did an enigmatic power with such a name become the basis of magic-like conjurings?

Akari was lost in intellectual curiosity for a moment. Then something struck her lightly on the back.

“Bwah?!”

“What are you, a child?”

A small girl two or three years Akari’s junior had rudely shoulder charged her. She wore a white priestess robe and snorted when Akari screeched in surprise.

Adorable
would undoubtedly be the first word to come to mind upon seeing this girl.

She had shortened the normally ankle-length skirt of her robe significantly and added plenty of frills for good measure. Her graceful legs were protected from the elements by black tights.

“Unless you’re secretly ten years old, please don’t play with the Guiding Light. If it’s not being used to produce a conjuring of some kind, it doesn’t have much physical presence.”

The girl’s tone was sharp as she scolded Akari for her immature behavior.

Despite her innocent eyes and short stature, her attitude was so openly rude that it made her seem more annoying than endearing. As it happened, her nature was far more aggressive than any initial impression suggested.

“Momo…”

Akari only said her companion’s name, but it was enough to make Momo’s eyes narrow in annoyance.

Though she was well aware of Momo’s real personality, it was still frustrating to be faced with such blatant irritation. Akari’s lips twisted into a pout.

Sensing the other girl’s anger, Momo glared right up at her from about half a head’s length below her line of sight.

“What’s that ridiculously babyish expression for, hmm? If you have any complaints, I’d be happy to listen.”

“Oh, reeeeally?”

Momo was obviously trying to push her buttons, but Akari had no intention of concealing her animosity, either. She sat down on a bench, folded her arms, and pointedly raised her inflection at the end of her sentences.

“What’s the problem? We’ve still got plenty of time before our connecting train arrives. Why shouldn’t I be free to do whatever I want, huh? Besides, it’s pretty annoying of you to pick on every little thing I do, Momo. What’s the deal? Are you a bitter sister-in-law? Perhaps you’re jealous that I’m Menou’s favorite?”

“Would you mind keeping your fantasies to yourself? After all my hard work planning this trip and making arrangements, the last thing I want to hear is whining from some useless lump. If you can’t take responsibility for your own actions, then you obviously aren’t free to do as you please, you ridiculous fool. Besides, I don’t even want to talk to you, understand?”

“Oh yeeeahhh?”

The exchange grew heated, marking the start of an all-out verbal war.

Akari and Momo scowled at each other with open hostility, the air practically crackling with tension where their gazes met.

The bright and friendly side Akari showed with Menou was nowhere to be seen as she held the sleeve of her billowing white blouse to her mouth and gave a forced giggle.

“Ah-ha-ha! Oh, dear Momo, you’re so funny. If you don’t want to talk to me, why are you the one who started this conversation in the first place? Forgetting your own actions so quickly suggests that maybe your brain is just as tiny as your body. Oh, sorry. You’re sensitive about being short, aren’t you?”

“Why, you…”

Akari’s uncharacteristic gesture made her insult all the more biting. She’d struck a nerve. Momo’s lips thinned, although she didn’t drop her adorable smile.

She took a seat on the bench as far from Akari as possible, crossing her legs in their black tights. Meeting Akari’s eyes with a sideways glare, Momo smilingly tapped the side of her head with a white-gloved finger.

“I’m surprised a Human Error that loses her memories every time she uses her power is worried about
my
mind. I’d be more concerned about your own brain… Although, I suppose you never had much to work with. Maybe your personality will be a bit more bearable once it goes blank. Then I won’t have to worry about my darling quite so much.”

“Hah! I pity you, my dear Momo. There’s no fixing that nasty disposition of yours. I can’t imagine how awful it would be to have to spend your whole life with such a twisted mind in your poor little head. It’s silly to worry about Menou when
you’re
the one causing problems for her.”

“Take care not to talk about my darling when all you have going for you is your ability and those absurd boobs, you useless twit.”

“That’s rich, coming from a sly little vixen like you. You do realize that Menou doesn’t think you’re cute the way you really are, right? That’s why you always put on the innocent act when you talk to her, huh?”

“Pardon me? I don’t want to hear that from a two-faced harlot who would even go so far as to reverse her own memories just to continue acting like a damsel in distress. You little coward!”

The clash of words raged like two blades clanging together. A stormy mood gathered around the pair, darkening the otherwise peaceful platform. Passersby gave the two girls a wide berth.

Momo’s tongue was even sharper than usual, honed from sheer animosity. Still, Akari refused to give in.

“
You’re
the real coward, aren’t you, Momo? You’ve known Menou since you were little, but you still can’t even hold a natural conversation with her unless you put on a cutesy act… Is your self-confidence really
that
low?”

“Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha, better than being an airhead who can’t win my darling’s heart no matter how many times you repeat the same events over and over!”

A common goal had brought Momo and Akari together, but they were neither friends nor comrades. To call them natural enemies would be an understatement. Their traveling together meant near-constant disaster.

“Whew. You’ve got a big stock of insults for someone so small, Momo.”

“And you must store them in that chubby stomach of yours, I assume.”

With that, a cease-fire was called so both sides could catch their breath.

Perhaps the pair had realized the futility of their fighting? The nearby crowd waiting for the same train felt a collective sense of hope, but it proved to be a fleeting one. After a bit, the girls began glaring daggers at each other again, sparks flying like a wool sweater being rubbed in the dry winter air.

The silent standoff didn’t remain that way for long.

As the tension built rapidly in the air, Akari was the first one to fire another shot.

She opened with a jab, heaving a loud, deliberate sigh.

“Oh dear. Not getting along with your traveling companion ruins any enjoyment you might get out of the journey, doesn’t it, dear Momo?”

“What a coincidence. I was just thinking that a journey is far more taxing with someone absolutely awful.”

“Yeah, I totally get that! Finally, we agree on something!”

Although Akari’s tone was light, there was enough heat behind every word to singe the eyebrows of nearby listeners. She carried on the cheerful yet unnerving conversation, then suddenly dropped her voice low.

“No wonder Menou always makes sure to travel separately from you, Momo.”

At that, a vein popped in Momo’s forehead.

The attack had struck her right where it hurt. For a moment, the level of rage she couldn’t entirely hide reached a downright murderous level. Yet even as Momo let off an overwhelming air of “I’m going to tear her head off,” she maintained a shallow smile.

Akari’s calm expression remained firm, too, despite being on the receiving end of murderous intent from someone who had undergone intensive training to become an assistant Executioner.

There must have been an unspoken rule that whoever stopped smiling first was the loser. This was an absurdly meaningless battle of pride.

“The only reason I journey separately from my darling is because some nasty little insect got between us, understaaand? I’m sure every second she spent with me and away from you felt like a breath of fresh air for her.”

“You think sooo? It’s never once occurred to you that maybe Menou was trying to escape the annoying little stalker who uses her position as an assistant to take sneaky photos of her? Or perhaps you aren’t aware of how awful your personality is, Momo? You’ve got to be aware that you’re bothering other people!”

“I’d say you’re the one who needs to realize how terrible you are. I’m sure it must have been rough for my poor darling to travel with such a nasty, rotten woman.”