CHAPTER 1 Kings and Jacks and Jokers Sharp and sprightly, a shower of silver streaks darted and danced around, tracing arcs in the air and rippling as they flew. Each time these flashes met one another, screeching metallic clangs echoed and cut through the night, as sparks burst forth and flickered. Darkness settled deeply in a valley between the skyscrapers. Under the moonlight, two girls clashed against each other fiercely with their blades. One girl’s weapon of choice was a bastard sword. The other’s was a rapier. Their weapons were old-fashioned for this day and age, as if they were in the wrong era. “HYAAAAAAAAAAH!” “UUUUUUUGH?!” If their weapons seemed out of place, the girls were even stranger. To summarize their uncanniness, the two were moving at a speed far beyond what could be considered human. They’d travel a dozen yards in one step. With a leap, they’d launch themselves high into the air, and in a single breath, their swords glinted countless times as they slashed rapidly at each other. As they whipped their weapons around, the sheer force of the attacks created a vacuum, splitting the hard asphalt like paper. Even the best athletes in the world were no match for their agility. There was something extraordinary about them. Their frenzied fight progressed under the stars without anyone else’s knowledge. The moonlight bounced and twinkled off the swords, and more flares of light came from their gritting blades. But to the eyes of a normal person, the pair would’ve only registered as flickers in the darkness. If anyone could see the two, they’d quickly realize the girl with the bastard sword was at an obvious disadvantage. “Oh-ho-ho-ho! Is that all you can muster, Luna Artur?!” The girl with the rapier flipped around and thrust three times in succession. She moved at lightning speed, going for the forehead, the stomach, the chest—with three glimmers of silver light, she meteorically assaulted the bastard-sword girl. “—UUUUUUGH?!” The bastard sword nimbly met the sudden lunging attacks that pressed her. She knocked one strike aside, thrust another away—and the third blow met her blade. SHLIIIIING! The air vibrated with the ear-piercing sound as they collided in an extravagant blast of sparkling lights. “GAAAH?!” The impact sent the bastard-sword girl flying, tilting backward as she tried to regain her balance. Based on appearance alone, the rapier seemed thinner, lighter, and weaker compared to its large counterpart, but in truth, it was overwhelmingly superior in combat. “—Gah?!” Keeping her distance from the rapier girl, she took two, three steps back. “Hah…hah…hah…,” she panted, steadying her breath as she readied both arms again. She looked fifteen, maybe sixteen, a polished young girl of mixed Japanese and English descent, wearing the uniform of a neighboring school. Bathed in the white moonlight, her blond hair gave off a faint glow, gleaming like gold and drawing her out of the shadows. It framed her face like a halo. Her dignified eyes were large with shining iolite irises—almost feline in nature. Sheer will and determination beamed out of them, flashing like blue flames and piercing through the darkness. They seemed to bore into the soul of those who stood before her. Her skin was whiter than snow, her face deeply chiseled and defined with a delicate little chin. Though her curves were elegant and feminine, her limbs carried a youthful vigor… It was as if her features were pulled together by divine will, inspired by a sculpture of a goddess carved from the finest marble in the world. She might have been hidden under the veil of night, but her presence and mystique couldn’t be concealed. It didn’t matter if someone had seen her a million times before—she’d still be breathtakingly captivating with each and every look. Unfortunately, her sword was extraordinarily…ordinary. It was a plain and rugged bastard sword—incredibly commonplace in medieval times. Compared to her, the weapon was mediocre at best. “Hmph…you think you could beat me with such a shabby sword?” sneered the rapier girl as she rammed its tip at her. This girl from Northern Ireland wore a black dress coat and also looked about fifteen or sixteen years old with silver hair that instantly brought to mind shooting stars soaring across a winter night’s sky. In pigtails, she was like a white rabbit racing against a snowy backdrop. With her sharp emerald eyes, pointed face, and porcelain skin as smooth as a bisque doll, her appearance was reminiscent of an elf from a Tolkienesque legend. And the sword in her hand was worth a mention—or two. It was a rapier, but obviously not just any normal one. Its blade was forged from a curious metal that had a peculiar luster, neither gold nor silver, and its guard and hilt were adorned with glittering decorations. The sword was clearly not man-made—it was too fiendish and holy. “Don’t you dare underestimate me, Luna Artur,” she spat, turning the point of her rapier at her opponent—Luna. “I won’t let you mock me any further,” she warned. “Using that kind of sword on a fellow candidate hoping to succeed King Arthur! How indecent of you… Now draw your Excalibur.” Her hunger for battle and intimidating demeanor assailed Luna, nearly knocking her out. “If you don’t fight with everything you’re worth—if you won’t face a fellow King with your Excalibur, then this isn’t a true battle!” she cried out. “Now draw your King’s sword…your Excalibur!” Her rapier—her so-called Excalibur—sparkled divinely in the night. For a while, Luna stared straight at her opponent and her visible hostility, practically radiating out of her entire body. She allowed herself to be ridiculed for a little while longer before opening her mouth to respond… “Why, my dear old (ex)-friend Felicia, I’m afraid that’s impossible,” she announced. “What do you mean?” “Like I said. I can’t fight you with my Excalibur.” “What? Unbelievable! Are you dare implying you’re unwilling to hurt me because we were once friends—now of all times?!” Rapier in hand, Felicia narrowed her eyes in indignation. “You belittle me! I’ve already prepared myself to enter the King Arthur Succession Battle! I can’t stand that you’re feigning kindness when it’s actually contempt!” In a rage, Felicia channeled her untamable passion into a roar at her opponent. “Well, that’s because…I sold it…,” Luna started to admit. Her (ex)-friend froze like a statue. “…Because I sold my Excalibur…for money.” “…” “That’s why I don’t have my Excalibur right now. So…it’s im-poss-ible!” Heh. The corners of her mouth loosened slightly into a gentle smile. “WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!” Felicia screeched hysterically, blinking in disbelief. “No way!! You sold it?! Why would you do such a thing?!” “Heh. I had a teeeeny bit of trouble getting together some money… But wow!” she merrily recounted. “That thing was super-old, but I guess it’s still the legendary sword Excalibur! I made a killing off it, so—” “Why you FOOLISH GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRL!” Felicia’s voice rose by an octave. “D-do you understand anything, Luna?! The Excalibur is essential! It’s a King’s main weapon, and you need it as a participant in the King Arthur Succession Battle! What are you going to do after losing it this early on?!” “It’s okay! I’ll save up and buy it back sometime!” she said placatingly in an easy-breezy tone. “Anyway, let’s put a pin in this for today…” She tried to leave. “Like I’d allow THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!” “UWHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH?!” With merciless zephyrean speed, Felicia slashed at Luna’s back, an attack that she barely managed to block by a paper-thin margin. “Whaddaya think you’re doing, Felicia?! You’re taking this joke too far!” “Joke be damned! You think I’d let this slide?! I’ll make you drop out of the battle here and now! Prepare yourself!” she exploded, her voice shattering the night as she ranted without pause. “O-okay…um, how much money do you want?! Ha-ha-ha…,” Luna chuckled, forming a coin-shaped circle with her pointer finger and thumb. “It’s not about money! Do you take me for an idiot?!” She callously plunged her sword. “EEEEEEEEK?! Wai—wait a second! I—I got it, okay! Let’s settle this with the Jacks! With the knights!” she blustered in a single breath as she took her distance in a fluster. “I mean, the true King will stand at the pinnacle of humanity as the ruler of the world, right? And, um, a King’s worth is reflected in the knights that swear their allegiance to them. We’re Kings! In that case, shouldn’t we leave our fates in the hands of the Jacks?! We should, right?!” “Hmph. Well…there might be some merit in that,” Felicia agreed, sheathing her sword and thrusting out a hand. “Your claims are in-line with the goals of the succession battle. In that case, we’ll have a fight between our Jacks… Challenge accepted!” Her arm was adorned by a gleaming silver bracelet, decorated with a stone fragment with the inscription VIII. “Keter Chokhmah Binah Chesed Gevurah Tiphereth Netzach Hod Yesod Malkuth. —Mana, disperse and circulate through my Sefirot to my Da’at!” Felicia recited. A phosphorescent light rose out of her body. This was her Aura, her astral light—the source of life, the sublimation of her mana, and a power fueled by miracles. “My Aura, guide my knight. The eighth seat of the Round Table, heed my call!” With that, her Aura burst into several streaks of purple light, electrifying the air, as they ran and danced through the surroundings. After becoming intricately tangled together, they created a magic circle that transformed into a Gate. This Gate summoned and materialized a knight into the world. The figure was muscular and youthful, probably around twenty. His hair was cropped and blond like a lion’s mane, his eyes a vivid green, and his masculine face was well put together. He was a young knight, full of majesty, who carried a gleaming sword and wore white armor on his tall, big-boned, gaunt form. This was the secret ritual of the Dame du Lac—the Knight Summoning. This miracle would call forth a knight from King Arthur’s Round Table to serve as a vassal, a Jack. This magic could only be performed by a King—a candidate competing to succeed Arthur’s throne. “I have humbly arrived on your command…my liege,” he announced as he came to stand next to Felicia, his armor clattering all the while. This knight was nothing to scoff at. First, there was his understated valor, which made modern weapons seem like nothing but playthings. He had a powerful and overwhelming presence that shook people’s souls. He was beyond human—the phrase described him so perfectly that it was impossible they would fit anyone else better. “Hmm? That looks like a pretty strong Jack. I don’t have any complaints about having him as an opponent!” Luna boasted coolly even while facing him. “Hmph. Hurry and call your Jack.” “Well, don’t get ahead of yourself. I’ll call mine right now.” With a collected expression, she glanced at Felicia, who snorted unhappily, and without skipping a beat, Luna grabbed the stone pendant on her neck with the inscription III. “Here I go… Keter Chokhmah Binah Chesed Gevurah Tiphereth Netzach Hod Yesod Malkuth— Mana, disperse and circulate through my Sefirot to my Da’at!” As she recited the words, a blinding glow emanated from her body, too. “My Aura, guide my knight. The third seat of the Round Table, heed my call!” In midair, a Gate opened to summon a knight from the Round Table as the stars seemed to waltz and cut through the darkness. From that fantastical scene, a girl dropped down to stand next to Luna. She was beautiful. Under the faint moonlight, she was unimaginably beautiful—almost ethereal to the point she nearly glittered. She seemed barely older than the girl who summoned her. Her vibrant hair could only be described as glacial-blue flames—with piercing blue eyes to match. She was like ice incarnate. And as if her beauty wasn’t already beyond human comprehension, her whole body also gave off a dauntless air, making her seem unapproachable. It only took one glance to see that she possessed power far beyond the reach of any ordinary human…meaning she was the same type of being as the male knight before her. “Hah… How’s that? What do you think of my Jack?” With this girl next to her, Luna proudly puffed up her chest. “Whaaat?!” Felicia shouted. “Wh-what…is this…?! This is absurd…!” her knight stuttered. Their eyes widened in astonishment as they looked at the Jack. “Wh-what is wrong with that Jack…?! Luna…why would you do this?!” Felicia squeezed out, gulping and breaking into a cold sweat as she lost her cool. She was perturbed by the state of this poor Jack. Her elegant curves were emphasized by a leotard and fishnet tights—not of her own volition, of course—and she wore a bunny-eared headband… No matter how anyone looked at her, she was a bunny girl, plain and simple. “…Huh?” Luna scowled upon realizing her Jack’s condition. “Sniffle, sniffle…” The bunny girl in question hugged her own body in embarrassment and scrunched herself up in an attempt to keep their eyes off her. Her face turned beet red, and her entire body shook and trembled. “Wha—what’s with you?! What’s with that ridiculous, skimpy costume?! Where’s your sword?! Your armor?! What in the world happened?! Are you even taking this seriously?! Are you an idiot?!” Luna hounded, causing her knight to sniffle even harder. “Uh… Y-you were the one who forced me to take that sketchy escorting job because you needed money! Even after I told you I didn’t want to do it—!” “Oh yeah! I completely forgot! Tee-hee. ” Luna stuck out her tongue adorably and bopped her own head. “H-how could you…? How can you treat a knight of the Round Table like this…? This is too much for me…” The knight whimpered, overcome with tears as she slumped over. “S-sorry! I shouldn’t have made you do that, Sir Kay! I said sorry!” Luna pleaded, quickly trying to comfort Sir Kay, the crying bunny girl. Felicia and her Jack stared at the unfolding farce with unimpressed eyes for a while. “…Clean them up,” she ordered expressionlessly. “…Understood.” The young knight readied his sword like a mechanical doll. “Wait?! W-w-w-wait a second! W-we should talk it out first, shouldn’t we?! Right?! Violence doesn’t solve anything!” “Silence! Your words mean nothing!” she yelled, brushing aside Luna, who was pitifully tenacious. “You pretty much sold your precious Excalibur for spare change! You made your Jack work for money! You’re absolutely unacceptable! There’s no way you’re fit to serve as King! I cast my judgment upon you!” “Don’t you think you’re being kind of unreasonable?!” “Act now, my Jack! Please beat this idiot within an inch of her life!” “As you wish!” Brandishing his sword, he stormed toward Luna at a terrifying speed, tearing through the space between them. Compared to his seraphic moves, Felicia and Luna seemed to move at a snail-like pace. “Ugh—! Now! Get down, Luna!” Sir Kay rose to defend Luna with her weapon, but— “RAAAAAHHHHH—!!” In the same moment, he closed in on them with the feral ferocity of a lion and swung his weapon to rend them in two. The two Jacks’ swords crashed against each other—clanging and making the air ring. “UUUUUGH—?!” On the receiving end of a magnificent blow, Sir Kay flew through the air like a baseball, blasting through the glass-paned wall of a nearby building. “Wha—?! He’s strong—!” Luna yelped as she witnessed this and held her breath. Felicia’s knight didn’t waste another moment and turned his attention to Luna. “Prepare yourself!” he blared, closing in and swinging his sword down on her. Or at least, that’s what was supposed to happen—but something else got in his way. “—Gngh?!” The young knight must have noticed something suddenly, as his sword stopped in its tracks before pivoting and finally sweeping over his head. At the same time, a loud screech of metal tore through the air and echoed around them once again. He’d raised his blade to meet the sword of someone else. In a flash, that someone twisted skillfully in midair, and their second sword flickered and twirled in a fantastical display, like lightning. While still upside down, whoever the newcomer was, they aimed for the young knight’s torso. “Tch!” Attempting to defend himself with his sword, the knight braced for impact, and their blades thundered. The force of the blow was great enough to knock him far back despite his stature, causing the soles of his feet to cut a path of sparks into the asphalt for several yards. “You coward! Reveal yourself!” His eyes attempted to locate the tactless intruder, who’d spinelessly assaulted him from above. But this third party was gone—without a trace. “Heh… Where do you think you’re looking? I’m over here.” This voice bounced and bounded off the walls, making anyone who listened stop in their tracks. That was all one could do. At some point, the newcomer had moved behind Felicia…and held a bare blade to the base of her neck. “No way…” With the chilling sensation of cold metal brushing against her skin, she was completely dumbfounded… “Wha—?! Impossible?! When did you—?!” The knight’s eyes were open wide, practically about to split at the corners. He could only stand there, burning the image of his own lord driven into a corner into his retinas. “Oh, don’t even think about trying anything funny, all right? Yeah, you, the Jack over there,” warned the intruder sporting a thin, ghastly smile, bringing the blade closer to Felicia’s neck while he spoke. “Pull any tricks, and I’ll slice this girl’s head clean off without blinking an eye.”
Chapter 2
15 min read