『――That is all the information we currently have on Oretsu Ei』
With those words, the operator finished the explanation.
While waiting for their ride to arrive, Senano had been receiving an explanation about the existence known as Oretsu Ei.
However, there were not many people who could simply accept something like that.
At the very least, Senano understood it, but she had not truly accepted it.
Right now, all she could do was stare up at the sky with her mouth hanging open.
The familiar blue sky stretched out before her. It was perfectly clear today too.
“A calamity-lord-class… huh? A calamity-lord-class was eating a sandwich…?”
That was what the last scraps of reason she managed to squeeze out produced.
『More precisely, a pseudo-medium. He is merely a window connected to Sorayodo no Oohito. So please, be extremely careful in how you deal with him』
“I know. It’s fine. I just have to get him safely to the Enri Academy, right?”
At those words, the operator fell silent for just a moment.
Sensing something ominous in that silence, Senano spoke in an exceptionally cheerful voice.
“Even so, this kind of valuable experience doesn’t come around often. There hasn’t been a single Rank Holder in history who’s eaten breakfast together with a calamity-lord-class, right?”
『Um… Senano-san』
“What?”
『Oretsu Ei-san will not be living at the academy, but in a special house prepared in Kaien City. It seems his family has already been contacted』
“Ohh, well, that’s still better than an isolation facility. More importantly, preparing a house for him is pretty generous. Who arranged it? The Enri Agency? The academy?”
『And… um… that is…』
“Ah, I get it, it was the academy, right? If it were the Enri Agency’s orders, Collection would definitely be next. Well, that’s assuming Collection would even work.”
Senano rattled that off at high speed, smothering the operator’s words before they could continue.
But she had already realized it.
A Rank Holder who could come into contact with a calamity-lord-class and still be fine as things currently stood.
And not only that, one with the ability to soon become S-rank, along with a decent personality.
If such a person existed, who would leave them alone?
Clever Senano had already arrived at the answer.
『Senano-san, from this point onward, you will be living together with Oretsu Ei-san』
“It’s over…”
Senano collapsed to her knees.
One moment she had been walking the glorious path of an elite, and the next she was apparently being thrown into a cage with a wild beast.
Perhaps worried about her, Ei, who had been resting in the shade of a distant tree, tilted his head and walked over to Senano.
Even though he was the cause of it, Ei only looked puzzled.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. …By the way, just hypothetically, if someone told you you’d have to live with me, wouldn’t you really hate that?”
“Live?”
“Yeah. I want you to live with me.”
“Live…”
Ei fell silent as if thinking it over.
Seeing a ray of hope there, Senano hurriedly added more.
“I get up at four in the morning to train, so I’m noisy from dawn, and I mostly live on delivery food, so the meals are bland. If you lived with me, you might not be able to stand it!”
“I see. …Understood.”
“Right!”
Senano figured that if Ei personally said he didn’t want to, then surely they would reconsider.
After all, the other party was a calamity-lord-class.
If they tried to force him to live there, that alone could bring about a natural disaster.
Therefore, if Ei refused, this plan would be called off.
Yes, if he refused.
“Senano-san.”
Ei called her name, then smiled.
After that, he sat down on the spot, placed both hands neatly before him, and bowed his head politely.
It was a motion he had likely repeated many times before, beautiful and without waste.
Even at a time like this, Senano found herself staring for just a moment.
“I’m inexperienced, but please take care of me.”
“…Wah (stunned)”
It was the very moment that Mikama Senano, at sixteen years old, found her cohabitation with a calamity-lord-class pseudo-medium officially decided.
【Enri Agency Top Secret Record】
Document Code: EN-XF-SORA-0914-OBS
Security Classification: Topmost Restricted (Enri Agency upper management only)
Record Date: August 15, Reiwa ██
Recording Officer in Charge: Chinen Division Deputy Assistant Officer Rakuraku Miraku
Observation Target: Individual Code 《A-E1 / Sorayodo pseudo-medium》
Observer Designation: Rank Holder Mikama Senano (Special Observer)
■ Overview
This report records the extra-observational behavior displayed by Oretsu Ei, also known as 『A-E1』, during live combat against the A-class Aberrant Entity 『EN-8773: Togigara no Yome』, as well as his interventionist interference with the labyrinth environment.
This case was conducted under ongoing observation with Rank Holder Mikama Senano accompanying the target, and it has been confirmed that, due to the circumstances described later, this Rank Holder has now additionally been assigned the duty of 『Special Observer』.
■ Local Situation
The original mission was a contact test with an E-class Aberrant Entity, along with civilian protection and evaluation of Rank Holder aptitude.
However, the Aberrant Entity confirmed on-site was the A-class entity EN-8773 『Togigara no Yome』, which had previously been considered already contained, and multiple high-level traits were confirmed, including labyrinth generation, physical stitching, and blood-medium structure.
Rank Holder Mikama Senano immediately made an on-site judgment and shifted into live combat response using combat-use NARROW.
Though use of the NARROW confirmed initial success in incineration and structural destruction, the target evolved into a second form within the labyrinth.
This evolved form was noted to possess an Enri-curse structure similar to EN-2734 『Chitsugi no Hanayome』, as well as the trait of blood-river domain manipulation, suggesting the possibility that it was a fused body of two or more Aberrant Entities.
■ Important Events
After the manifestation of the second form, Rank Holder Mikama Senano was rendered unable to act due to domain restraint and stitching interference.
At that time, 『A-E1』, who had been the protection target, made contact with the Aberrant Entity alone.
From that point on, the labyrinth structure began a phase mutation that could not be recorded.
・The existing labyrinth structure was rewritten into a natural blue sky
・Complete disappearance of Aberrant Entity EN-8773 (vanishing on both the physical and spiritual levels)
・The disappearance of the labyrinth itself, and spatial normalization
All of this occurred within several dozen seconds. Furthermore, phase, Enri-wave, seal-response values, and similar readings recorded within the labyrinth matched the values observed at the appearance of a calamity-lord-class entity (Class Omega).
Afterward, Oretsu Ei protected Rank Holder Mikama Senano, and following conversation between them, the situation came to an end.
■ Key Observation Points Regarding Oretsu Ei’s Actions
・Did not take hostile action toward Aberrant Entity EN-8773, yet caused it to disappear through interference
・Possesses a singular ability to rewrite the labyrinth structure itself into a summer natural environment (method unknown)
・Immediately after manifestation, phase variance and Enri-wave reached calamity-lord-class levels
・Consistently showed no emotional disturbance, and caused no harm to civilians or Rank Holders
■ Evaluation of Rank Holder Mikama Senano’s Response
・Extremely high immediate response capability against hostile entities, as well as high NARROW aptitude
・Excellent at extracting information and making reporting judgments even in out-of-operation situations
・However, dangerous conduct born of overconfidence and independent action were also observed, so educational reinforcement is recommended going forward regarding tactical information-sharing and awareness of coordination
Furthermore, particular importance is placed on the fact that she is the only Rank Holder who was able to maintain a friendly relationship with Oretsu Ei, and she is therefore hereby appointed 『Special Observer』 going forward.
She is tasked with closely monitoring Oretsu Ei’s actions, psychology, and phase fluctuations, and is obligated to report to the Enri Agency as necessary.
■ Recommended Response and Future Measures
■ Notes
It is unclear whether Oretsu Ei recognized Togigara no Yome as an enemy, but fragmented records do exist indicating that he uttered some kind of norito-like phrase at the moment of its disappearance.
That audio structure shares similar elements with existing 『dreg-words』 and 『shinbo syntax』, and detailed analysis is currently ongoing.
【Enri Agency Special Observation Report】
Document Code: EN-8773-INT-REPORT-B
Date Created: August █, Reiwa ██
Author: Eleventh Audit Bureau, Records Department Staff / Unpublished draft record
Submission Destination: Unknown
■ Subject: Regarding the temporary activation of EN-8773 『Togigara no Yome』 and a newly recorded engagement
This report is a summary of the case in which EN-8773 『Togigara no Yome』, already considered to have been contained as an S-class Aberrant Entity, appeared and became active on a localized basis in August of Reiwa ██, compiled from the records of the local response team and the initial report by the A-rank Rank Holder who participated in the engagement.
Please note that part of the information in this report appears to have been designated classified, and that sufficient information has not been provided regarding the cause of appearance or the background circumstances.
■ Overview
・The target Aberrant Entity 『Togigara no Yome (EN-8773)』 had previously rendered three Rank Holders combat-incapable, and there has only ever been one successful case of Collection
・In this case, the same entity suddenly resumed activity outside containment
・The responding A-rank Rank Holder 『Mikama Senano』 was acting on-site together with an unregistered support target (details unknown)
・During the battle, the anti-Aberrant armament 『Hibari』 carried by Rank Holder Mikama was activated, ultimately succeeding in sealing the target’s activity
・As for the cause of this Aberrant Entity’s renewed activity, or a failure in its control system, the only notice provided is that the Surveillance Bureau is conducting a separate investigation
■ Battle Summary (Key Points)
・Aberrant Entity EN-8773 suddenly appeared in Hose Village
・Rank Holder Mikama discovered it and responded immediately
・The target immediately activated a stitching curse formula, sewing together nearby structures and corpses into 『bride-form skeletal bodies』
・The stitched bodies wore wedding garments of white bone and blood-soaked cloth, forcibly generating wedding recognition in the surrounding area
・Despite enduring interference from the target, the Rank Holder deployed 『Hibari』 in the final stage
・Because the target’s 『hem』 structure had grown abnormally, incineration and disappearance treatment was chosen rather than severance, and this was successful
■ Special Notes:
・In this battle, details of the unregistered individual designated as Rank Holder Mikama’s support target are not clearly recorded in the file
・Additionally, multiple 『interference traces』 not present in observation records were detected near the scene, and phenomenological aftereffects have been reported
・As for the factor behind this case’s reactivation, the record suggests the possibility of 『sealing failure by some party or experimental reconstruction』, but no supporting proof has been obtained
■ Proposed Future Responses (Provisional):
・Regarding the temporary activation of EN-8773, it is considered necessary to completely reexamine past containment information and experiment records
・In addition, field verification should be carried out based on the battle records of the relevant Rank Holder and the deployment state of the armament
・It has also been confirmed that there are undisclosed sections in the external record related to this case, suggesting the possibility that some kind of undisclosed plan was involved
※ Notes:
The person in charge of this report points out that there is an unnatural chain linking the target’s appearance and the Rank Holder’s actions, but because they do not possess authority for further investigation, detailed additions have been put on hold.
(This report remains at the draft stage, and there are traces indicating that formal submission was halted)
※ Annotation: This report lacks explicit information concerning the composition and control of certain Aberrant Entities, but there is a possibility that some kind of intentional editing or classified concealment was carried out.