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Hikita Kōhaku (疋田琥珀) is one of the main heroines of Magika no Kenshi to Shōkan Vasreus. She pursues Hayashizaki Kazuki initially because of his sword skills, but with time, she falls in love with him like the rest of the girls. She is also Tsukahara Kazuha's best friend whom she refers to as Priestess Princess-sama. In Volume 3, she defeated Hayashizaki Kanae in a Duel and became the Student Council President. In Volume 5, she resigned and proposed holding an election to replace her. As a result, Kanae was elected to the role of President again and Kōhaku became Vice-President.

Appearance[]

Kōhaku is a pretty girl, she has long hair gray (in subsequent illustrations, her hair is dark green), which passes around her waist and deep blue eyes. She also carries six Sacred Treasures and a normal sword with her. Kōhaku wears the uniform of the Swordsmanship Division with a narrow sleeved kimono-style blouse with a hakama-style miniskirt, combining in a look consisting of both Japanese and Western styles.

Personality[]

Kōhaku has a cheerful and happy personality. She has a unique "love" for Kazuki at first, in that she is not in love with Kazuki, but in fact, his skill in swordsmanship. She always tries to get close to Kazuki and convince him to marry her, despite the fact that all her attempts were unsuccessful. She wants to join the Hayashizaki and Shinkage family sword-styles in one to make the strongest style. She finally stops chasing Kazuki under the pretext of uniting the two sword styles and finally admits her feelings to him, becoming another member of his Harem. She also has a cold personality towards those that she is not familiar with, however, she has a sense of honor as when she stopped fighting Hikaru when she admitted defeat. She addresses Kazuki with the honorific -dono, so her way of speaking is quite archaic and polite.

Kōhaku is very pure and old-fashioned when it comes to love. She quickly becomes embarrassed just by making physical contacted with Kazuki.

History[]

Background[]

Kōhaku comes from the Hikita family and is one of the strongest people of the Swordsmanship Division along with Hayashizaki Kanae. During her days of middle school, the other girls teased her because she wanted to become a strong Swordsman. She fell hard for Kazuki after witnessing his battles at the school. The Student Council noticed her talent and she was invited to join them and learn the ropes, believing she would join their ranks the following year. But she lost all respect for Kanae when she started getting along better with the Magic Division Student Council after the attack on the school. Though she wouldn’t admit it, she felt the need to get even with them for keeping the Swordsman in an inferior position all this time.

Plot[]

Volume 2[]

Chapter 1:

  • One morning she went to the Witch's House, where Hayashizaki Kazuki lived with the members of the Magic Division Student Council. She came across Kazuki giving lessons to Vice-President Hoshikaze Hikaru. They were playing around and flirting. She thought playing around would dull his senses, which he denied. Kōhaku was quite rude to Hikaru, who tried to launch a sneak attack when her back was turned. Hikaru was made to understand the difference in skill and apologized. Kōhaku suddenly proposed to Kazuki out of the blue. She told him her goal was to unite the sword schools of their families. He thought this insane, of course, and turned her down flat. So instead she asked him to join her party instead. Her plan was to create a party of Swordsmen-only. It was not permitted for them to take on Quests without Magika Stigma, so that was where Kazuki came in. He could get them approved but would be expected to fight only with a sword in the field. She wanted to show that they were just as capable. Kazuki noted that things had gradually been getting better for Swordsmen recently but it wasn’t fast enough for her. He noted there were many enemies out there that couldn't be defeated with swords alone. She believed this could be overcome with the legalization of Sacred Treasures, which could level the playing field. They were banned not just among students but even by those in the Knight Order. Sacred Treasures were found in Haunted Grounds and had been imbued with great power. The official stance was that they might be a threat to mental stability. But she noted that no proof had even been provided. Besides, the very same risks were carried by those who made contracts with Diva. In the end Kazuki refused to leave his current party or to date her. But Kazuki found the debate interesting and offered to be her friend. Torazō Yamada turned up and was surprised to see her there. She said she skipped their meeting because she lost interest in joining the council and ran off.

Chapter 3:

  • Swordsmanship Division President Hayashizaki Kanae was very unhappy when she found out Kazuki was doing morning training with Hikaru and confronted him about it. She then met Charlotte Lieben Frau, yet another rival, whom she refused to accept as a worthy housemate of her brother until she proved herself. Kanae still insisted she was the right girl for Kazuki, but he had no intention of marrying his step-sister. Kōhaku had been watching all of this from the bushes before revealing herself. Kanae was very annoyed that she was yet another rival for Kazuki's affections. The two of them got in an argument as she felt that Kanae was getting too friendly with the Magic Division President Otonashi Kaguya. Lotte recognized her as a worthy opponent for the practice match that was scheduled for that day. Kanae approved it and Hikaru acted as their referee. In the beginning it was an even contest and Kōhaku showed remarkable speed. But Lotte's chanting speed was no joke, she also could increase her range with lighting as well as machine guns, which no other Diva had been known to use before. Kōhaku considered using a Sacred Treasure to tilt the odds in her favor but resisted the urge. In the end Hikaru put a stop to the fight before she got hurt and declared Lotte the winner by default. Kōhaku found this very frustrating and vowed to prove herself to Kazuki in some other way before storming off.

Chapter 6:

  • Kazuki’s friend Lotte had fled her home country because being an Illegal Magician under German law carried a death sentence. Japan had reluctantly accepted her as a refugee, but when Germany complained the Knight Order made a secret deal to “look the other way” while the visiting German Ace Knight Beatrix Baumgard “arranged an accident” for Lotte during a Quest. Her party members Kazuki and Amasaki Mio were under orders to let their innocent classmate be murdered and keep their mouths shut for the sake of politics. Kazuki refused and fought back, defeating Beatrix. Angry at his defiance and fearful of his power, the Knight Order issued (false) charges in order to destroy his reputation. Kazuki’s teacher Liz Liza Westwood was the sole voice of reason in the Magic Division when Headmaster Otonashi Tsukikurō and Board Chairman Amasaki had declared Kazuki a dangerous Illegal Magician. She contacted her friend and former partner Tsukahara Hisatada, who taught in the Swordsmanship Division for help. The most powerful student at school Magic Division Student Council President Otonashi Kaguya attacked and tried to arrest Kazuki and Lotte while they were still exhausted from fighting Beatrix. Torazō was acting as her vanguard. Their classmate Hiakari Koyuki tried to help them escape but Kaguya was too powerful. They were nearly caught when Kōhaku stepped in, using a Sacred Treasure to cover for their escape. Torazō was shocked by her actions (Kaguya didn’t even know who she was). She offered Kazuki’s group a place to hide within the Swordsmanship Division.

Intermission:

  • Koyuki had pushed herself so hard she passed out due to Magic Intoxication. All three girls had to be carried the rest of the way to the dorms. Kazuki encouraged his teammates to rest, as they were still recovering from Kaguya’s magic. Kōhaku apologized that they all had to share one room, unlike the Magic Division dorms; space here was at a premium. Kazuki didn’t mind at all and felt noting but gratitude. She explained this rescue was only possible because his teacher Liz Liza Westwood suspected there was an evil force manipulating things behind the scenes on the other side of the campus. Unable to trust anyone in her department, she contacted her former partner from the Knight Order Tsukahara Hisatada, who was Kōhaku’s teacher. The man himself arrived and explained to Kazuki that they soon planned to reveal to the public how the Magic Division participated in the plot to target an innocent refugee while making themselves look good by protecting her. This was the best method to stop Lotto’s deportation while also ruining the Magic Department’s sterling reputation and elevating their own. Hopefully this would shift public opinion and elevate them to a dominant position on campus. What worried Kazuki was when they spoke of their secret stockpile of Sacred Treasures and made it sound like they were planning an armed revolution against the government to give Swordsmen a position of dominance in Japan. She knew Kazuki wouldn’t agree to this so his group would be kept locked up until they were ready to make their move (they were wanted fugitives and had nowhere else to go anyway).

Volume 3[]

She felt a little guilty about keeping her guests confined and pretty much provided whatever they asked for as far as food, clothes and entertainment. Over the next two days Kōhaku walked about the school and attended class like nothing had happened. It was known by the higher-ups that she had aided in the escape of Kazuki’s party and was probably harboring the fugitives. But because she had several allies among the staff of the Swordsmanship Division, the Magic Division staff couldn’t do much. They couldn’t do a massive search for them without exposing the whole situation to the other students, in particular the fate planned for Charlotte. The first step in Kōhaku’s plans was to seize control of the Student Council, which could be done if she merely managed to defeat Kanae in a duel. They figured sooner or later the council would demand answers from them.

Sure enough when they left a secret meeting in an abandoned clubroom they were faced with the 3 strongest swordsmen in the department. Normally they couldn’t have won but the Sacred Treasures she and her friends carried gave them an edge the other side weren’t prepared for. Torazō and Kamiizumi Iori were overwhelmed quickly but Kanae was skilled in the same secret style of her family that her brother was and was able to foresight and dodge most of the attacks, though her magic power was being steadily stripped away. Kanae was confident their Sacred Treasures couldn’t compete with the Summoning Magic of the Magic Department, in particular Kaguya. Kōhaku needed to keep her distance from Kanae to keep her advantage but struggled to do so.

Kanae felt that Kōhaku’s hatred of the Magic Department had blinded her to the progress that was being made to bring the two sides together due to the accomplishments of her brother. People in the Magic Department were gaining new respect for swordsmen, while their counterparts were gaining confidence they could stand on a level playing field one day. Trying to get even by the use of force would undo all that progress and goodwill and only divide the two schools even further. Kanae could tell that Kōhaku’s confidence was badly shaken by her words and she was attacking wildly. Kanae displayed incredible speed, she admitted that no one else but her brother had made her fight so seriously. Kōhaku was pushed into a corner and only barely won by taking her opponent by surprise with one of her Sacred Treasure's powers that couldn’t be dodged. Kanae admitted defeat but was confident she would be stopped by her brother or by Kaguya who had far more power. In the end the old Student Council was dismantled and its members suspended for attacking their juniors and placed under house arrest in the dorm.

Kōhaku came to visit her guests. She told them they were allowed to wander freely on the Swordsmanship Division campus now as long as they had someone escorting them. She told them that she had defeated Kanae and taken the position of Student Council President. Kazuki found this shocking and impressive. Kazuki had been telling her that it was wrong to promote dissension between the schools when there are greater threats facing Japan. Kōhaku had always dismissed this argument before but now she was taking him seriously. Kazuki insisted the charges against him were false. Liz Liza-sensei believed there was some nefarious force at work behind the scenes in the Magic Division and it was a threat to all of them. Leme materialized and confirmed everything he had said. After thinking about it, Kōhaku said she would introduce him to someone also in a unique position. She led them to an abandoned clubroom. The girl inside was Kōhaku‘s best friend Tsukahara Kazuha, the daughter of the Sword Division teacher Tsukahara Hisatada. She knew who Kazuki was and referred to him as “the enemy of women”. It was revealed that Kazuha is an Illegal Magician. She calls out her Diva Futsunushi no Kami, who takes the form of an ancient sword. She hid this contract when she entered the Swordsmanship Division. Kazuha insisted there was no danger, she and this Diva were connected since she was born. He also insists that he is like the 72 Pillars and doesn’t want a flesh body or to force humans to follow any kind of faith.

Leme materialized, having recognized him as a Diva of the Japanese Mythology. She introduced herself and identified Kazuki as the King of the 72 Pillars. She also mentioned that powerful people who didn’t trust them had made false allegations to ruin their reputations. Part of the reason they had granted powers to Japan without imposing a faith doctrine was to see how they would treat that power without outside influence. If they chose to betray their own King for selfish reasons then Japan would be ruled unworthy and the 72 Pillars would abandon them and move elsewhere. They all learned just how serious this situation was. As a Sword God, Futsunushi no Kami was angry that modern Japan was disrespecting swordsmen. As it turns out, the 72 Pillars totally agreed with him on that point. It was the Japanese government who decided to give the Magika Stigma special treatment.

He also complained about the dark rituals being performed beneath the Magic Division, but Leme and the others hadn’t detected this power. The swordsmen couldn’t investigate the hidden facility because entry required a Stigma. If they could investigate this facility and prove an Illegal Magician was behind this it could explain everything. Kazuha insists on testing Kazuki’s skills in a duel. In the end she proves very skilled in magic but in close-range can’t hold a candle to him. On their way to the concealed entry they run right into Hikaru, who knows it’s her duty to arrest them. But Kazuki tells her he is on his way to collect evidence that will clear him and she decides to trust him and lets them go. Kazuha releases the barrier concealing the secret entrance and Kazuki’s party enters. Kazuki asks them to inform the Knight Order of this place if they don’t return, though there is no way to know how deep this conspiracy goes.

Ten Quad-Core Magicians attacked the Sword Division buildings while classes were in session. The buildings were demolished and they then began to target the students. The majority who had no confidence to face off against the Magika Stigma chose to run away. The Magic Division students had been ordered to take cover and take no action. While the Swordsmanship Division was expected to wait for help from the Knight Order. The Knight Order was busy hunting for Loki and wouldn’t be able to get there anytime soon and the students were in danger. Kōhaku and her followers volunteered to hold off the attackers, to give cover for the fleeing students. They were asked to focus on covering for the rescue of the students who had already fallen into Magic Intoxication.  

Kōhaku and her friends were able to extinguish those fires with their Sacred Treasures before they spread. Liz Liza-sensei had used her mist magi to screen the escape of the fleeing students. The students who collapsed from Magic Intoxication were also carried to safety. But because the Quad-Core Magicians had such incredible casting speed and multiple types of magic, they weren’t able to make an impact on them. Kōhaku realized she was the only one of them able to make a dent and urged the others to retreat without her. She was shocked when Kanae jumped in to help. Kanae insisted it was their job to hold the line until her brother and Kaguya arrived. Kazuki’s party arrives on the battlefield to assist Kōhaku and Kanae. At Kazuki’s order they quickly organize themselves for battle. Vice-President Hikaru jumped in to help. Kazuha also assists them. Given the crisis, she no longer cared if she was exposed as an Illegal Magician. He told them these things had their minds crushed already and there was no point in showing mercy. By making use of excellent teamwork they are soon able to defeat the 10 Quad-Core Magicians.  

Just as Kazuki’s group was done with the battle the German Knights arrived to attack them. Beatrix introduced her friends Damian and Eleonora Abendroth. Kaguya would be supporting them from the rear but was clearly conflicted. Nyarlathotep (disguised as the Headmaster Otonashi Tsukikurō) casts Sanity Down to suppress her emotions, though nobody but Kazuki seemed to notice this. Kazuki asks his friends to take on the German Knights and offers them strategic advice. He also lends his Sacred Treasure to Kanae, who will be facing Beatrix. He charges after Kaguya in order to free her from control and finds a way to elude Beatrix who tries to intercept him. Beatrix tried to chase after Kazuki but was intercepted by Kanae, who was disturbed by her behavior. Once she found out she was Kazuki’s sister she decided the fight might be interesting. By working together, Kōhaku and Kanae gradually chip away at her magic power. Beatrix suddenly decided to charge straight at Mio, having noticed she was weak at close-range during the last fight. But Mio had predicted she would do that and when Beatrix charged straight at her the trap was sprung. Mio completely blew her away with a powerful attack she couldn’t defend. Beatrix was unable to continue the fight and Mio finally felt she was past her recent slump.  

Once the others saw Kazuki hugging Kaguya after freeing her from mind control, the Germans realized they couldn’t rely on her support anymore. Besides that they were growing suspicious of the Headmaster’s motives. They had gained new respect for their opponents and in this situation elected to retreat. Several of them thought the battle was over at that point. But Kazuki confronted Nyarlathotep in his disguise as the Headmaster. He called out all the obvious flaws with his Quad-Core Magicians, which were easily defeated by them. He was no longer hiding the fact he was an Illegal Magician. Kaguya was stunned to learn the truth. So was Board Chairman Amasaki who popped up nearby. He realized the Headmaster must have been the one who created those strange magicians and no doubt sacrificed innocent lives to do it. Nyarlathotep then stabbed him though the chest, having decided to kill all the witnesses. Mio ran over to help her step-father and she is gradually able to heal him. Nyarlathotep reveals his true form, but seems weak in terms of magic power. He uses Psycho Noise to disrupt the chanting of the mages, including Mio’s healing magic. But Kaguya finds the resolve to fight of her own volition for the first time.

Asmodeus congratulates her by giving her a special powerful spell she uses to destroy the enemy in a single hit. Though she had resolved herself to kill her father in the process he somehow survived. As they celebrate, Koyuki sees several girls getting close to Kazuki. Her dark feelings of self-doubt return and Nyarlathotep exploits those emotions and begins consuming her body for his own. Her friends are shocked and unsure of what to do. But Kazuha keeps a cool head and produces a special Sacred Treasure which she gives to Kazuki. With it he is able to drive the evil Diva out of Koyuki’s body. Nyarlathotep has stolen her magic but is barely holding himself together. He is determined to at least kill Kazuki before he vanishes. Kaguya takes the initial attack and reflects the pain before collapsing in Magic Intoxication. Kazuki reassures Koyuki before kissing her. Nyarlathotep attempts to use the same Level 10 magic at the same time but as Vepar says. That fake stolen power was no match for the real thing. Kazuki then destroys all traces of the monster with his sword.

They provided evidence the Headmaster had based the weapons on years of secret immoral government research related to magic. Board Chairman Amasaki became the new Headmaster and fully supported Kazuki now. The scandal was used to leverage the government to force corrupt officials out and to advance key reforms. These changes included fair treatment of Illegal Magicians who weren’t hostile and the legalization of Sacred Treasures. It was also declared the two schools would be led under one banner now and be treated as equal.

Volume 4[]

In class, the format for the Chief Student Council President election was laid out. Each candidate would form a four-person team with two people from each division. They would compete in a tournament meant to display both their fighting skills and their leadership qualities. After that an election would be held with all students having an equal vote. During lunch the residents were called back to the house along with their friends from the Sword Division, all the people seen as likely candidates. Though most of them had been nominated only three of them were actually running. Kōhaku was already planning to resign as President and was unable to convince Kanae to take the job again. When Kazuki confirmed he was a candidate Mio was the first to join him. Kōhaku also volunteered, seeing an opportunity to get closer to him. Kazuha reluctantly became the final team member, because even though she disliked Kazuki she had no other close friend in the room. Kaguya’s team had Koyuki, Kanae and Torazō. The third team was Hikaru’s, her teammates were Lotte and Iori. They were a swordsman short and she later added Kimura Tomomi to her team.

They gathered for the meeting to officially join the tournament. The next group to appear was a pair of twin girls Ryūtaki Miyabi and Ryūtaki Shinobu. They were quite powerful but anti-social and only worked with each other. The twins were identical except Miyabi was an Elf. She thanked Kazuki for disposing of the former Headmaster, who apparently had been trying to capture her as a test subject. She made her romantic interest in Kazuki obvious. They had been recruited by twin boys from the Sword Division Takasugi Shūsui and Takasugi Harunari. They were radicals who advocated that Magika Stigma should be deprived of civil rights and locked away and brainwashed to prevent them from endangering the public. Another team was led by the delinquent Mibu Akira paired with her best friend Asamiya Anna. These girls were forced to attend the Academy against their will because they received an Enigma. In protest they refused to participate in things like Quests or duels so it was impossible to gauge their strength.

As Kazuki feared, as Liz Liza-sensei laid out the rules certain things were banned. Magicians were prohibited from carrying weapons, swordsmen could only use standard magic and Sacred Treasures were banned. In other words everyone on Kazuki’s team but Mio would be fighting with a handicap. A lottery was held for setting the bracket. Since Kazuha doesn’t want to make a fool of herself during the tournament she asks Kazuki to teach her proper swordsmanship. Her best friend had proved to be inept as a teacher.

The teams began to train but with 16 of them, and with them wanting to maintain secrecy, it was hard to find space. Kazuki’s team did their training on the grounds of the Witch’s Mansion. Kazuki wanted to come up with a formation that was original and would impress the voters. They also had to conserve their energy. Given the tight schedule they always ran the risk of falling into Magic Intoxication before the finals, Instead of sacrificing the front line to buy time for high-level magic, they would cast support magic on the swordsmen who would do the attacking. This would require practice. Kazuki and Kōhaku would especially need it. He also began discussing strategy against Kaguya’s team, who they would face in the second round.

Kazuki realized Kazuha’s problem was a lack of confidence. Kazuki’s team fought in the first match against the team led by Miyamoto Reina. His tactics concentrated on covering for each other and relying on teamwork. This went exactly as planned as Mio and Kōhaku disrupted Nagasaka Yuka’s high-level magic. With encouragement, Kazuha finds her confidence and defeats her opponent without help, stunning the audience. In the second match Kaguya’s team dominates the other side, employing the exact strategy Kazuki predicted. In the third match the twin brothers covered the twin sisters until Lunatic Labyrinth drew them all into a mental world where the other side lost quickly. Kazuki had prepared enough lunch for their whole group to eat together. Kōhaku hadn’t predicted that and had also prepared a feast so there was plenty of food. Even Miyabi snuck into their group and snuck some food. Before being dragged off by her sister she encouraged Kazuki to beat Kaguya and face them in the semi-finals. In the fifth match Hikaru’s team used excellent teamwork and skill to defeat the opponents easily. In the sixth match, Mibu’s team stunned everyone when their swordsmen Katsura Karin and Hayashi Shizuka didn’t even participate. The spell casters were trained enough in Chinese Kenpo to counter the enemy swordsmen and were able to dodge incoming magic. It became a decisive victory for them.

The second round began with Kazuki’s match against Kaguya. In a direct confrontation they could never win, but he had seen through the weaknesses of their opponents. Again using teamwork and the tactics Kazuki devised they are able whittle down the other side and they finally gang up on Kaguya and win. Kaguya was shocked and disappointed that she had been seen through so easily and started calling him Kazuki. The twin sisters won the second match exactly as they had before. Hikaru faced Mibu’s team next. The swordsmen on that team had hidden their true power before. While Hikaru and Lotte weren’t disadvantaged in magic, their opponents kept mysteriously getting back up every time they were beaten. It was clear they were cheating somehow but the Board Chairman refused to declare the match forfeit without proof. Kazuki’s group suspected they were getting Divine Protection from the Divas secretly used by the swordsmen. Hikaru received a savage beating from Hayashi who was able to pierce Defensive Magic and injure her gravely while laughing about it.  Kazuki called for the match to end, while everyone else was slow to react. Realizing Hayashi intended to murder Hikaru, Mibu just barely managed to end the fight with her magic first. The residents and Liz Liza-sensei ignored the final match to check on her.

The day of the semi-finals arrived. Confronting the twin brothers with dangerous ideals in the first match, Miyabi acknowledged Kazuki’s power, but said this would be a test of his heart instead. They were unable to prevent the casting of Lunatic Labyrinth and they were all drawn into a mental world. Kazuki’s group started off separated so they could be picked off. Mio and Kōhaku managed to find each other quickly but were rather battered by the time they found the others. Miyabi chanted high-level magic and suddenly Kazuki’s companions turned on him. Kazuki dodged incoming magic and deflected the attacks of the brothers. He realized the magic used might amplify negative feelings. Kazuki expresses his true feeling to each of his companions in turn, snapping them out of it. Kazuki’s group then ran as the sisters flew above them on Marchosias dropping powerful magic down on them. Miyabi cast a spell that suddenly conjured a mirror in front of him that made him pass out.

Lunatic Labyrinth ended, the brothers were out already and the sisters were dropping Burning Icicle on the party from the sky. Mio was trying to defend them but her magic wasn’t very effective. Kazuki woke up and cast Storm Fort to remove the threat. Miyabi was impressed by how quickly he had woken up. She told him the sword that appeared in his hand was his reward for conquering his trauma. The sisters cast their Union Magic but Kazuki cleaved the incoming attack in two with this sword. The audience cheered and Miyabi was stunned and impressed. She landed and immediately surrendered over her sister’s objections; they had no way to win any longer.

Her sister and the twin brothers question why she surrendered like that but she didn’t give any clear answers. But Kazuki had seen through her true motives. She admitted she was testing him and his worthiness as a leader. Miyabi suddenly kissed Kazuki on the cheek, shocking everybody, most of all her sister. Miyabi clearly confessed her love over her sister’s objections. It was revealed that her sister refused to recognize her as an Elf. Her mind wouldn’t accept reality and she wouldn’t spend time with anyone but Miyabi. But this fact also saved Miyabi from the loneliness other Elves experienced. She suggested that Kazuki should conquer them both. Leme accused Gremory of leaking information on his power. This had been another test of his worthiness he had passed, and Leme was also impressed with his performance. But the real battle was against the team he would face in the finals.

Volume 5[]

Before the finals a series of exhibition matches were held. This allowed the eliminated teams to display their talents again. It wound up being Kaguya and Hikaru in a battle for third place. The only other people who had been impressive were the twin sisters. Miyabi and her sister sat with Kazuki’s group. Kazuki was asked who he was rooting for.  He wisely sidestepped the issue by cheering for his sister. Koyuki impressed everyone by defending Hikaru’s long-range magic. In the end it became a close-range brawl for everyone. While Hikaru and Lotte had an advantage in that scenario, Kanae was particularly critical in stopping Lotte and in the end only the leaders were left. Those two had fought many times and as always it ended with Hikaru’s loss. Hikaru and Lotte demanded special attention from Kazuki at lunch. Kaguya’s team joined them and Kazuki noted he was especially impressed by Kanae.  They all had fun playing around together. Kazuki wasn’t allowed to make the lunch today and the girls were feeding him the dishes they prepared. When he gave Koyuki special attention and affection the other girls demanded it too.

Before the final match Kazuki spoke to them all about the plot behind the scenes. How the new Board Chairman had arranged this tournament. He also seemed to be in cahoots with that delinquent team to seize control of the Academy by installing a puppet. The group backing him advocated for the civil rights of Magika Stigma to be revoked. He also told them of the assassination attempts on him and that the swordsmen on the opposing team were contracted with Divas from China. Over the past few weeks Hayashi had brainwashed a number of students. Some of the candidates only signed up due to this brainwashing. He also told them how China was pulling the strings behind this whole plot to weaken Japan. The group was shocked by this. Kazuki also confirmed that it was Divine Protection by Hayashi’s Diva that allowed Mibu and company to continually regenerate magic.  The Germans had told him that Hayashi was a well known operative and that those with her blessing could regenerate 70 times.  They couldn’t win unless they could beat Hayashi first or cut off that blessing. Kazuha had a Summoning Magic that could do it, but it would violate the rules to use it. Kazuki planned to take on the dangerous two by himself. If he succeeded in backing them into a corner they might abandon pretense and use Summoning Magic in a last ditch attempt to assassinate the King. If that happened he encouraged Kazuha to use her magic. It was possible that Hayashi had brainwashed her entire team and if so Kazuha should be able to free them.

Liz Liza-sensei acted as referee. As was the plan Kazuki took grave risks to take on Hayashi and Karin alone. His team displayed excellent teamwork holding the magic users back. He was able to utilize numerous types of magic at once, shocking the audience and frightening Hayashi. She forced Karin to act as her meat shield, who suffered terrible pain as a result. Kazuki managed to attack Hayashi directly and forced them to use their Summoning Magic. Despite the danger the Board Chairman still refused to stop the match, having a logical argument prepared. Kazuha generated a weapon she was able to use to cut off the Divine Protection from the magic users. Though Kōhaku was forced to withdraw due to the damage she took while protecting her. But due to an attack by Mibu, who had never been brainwashed, her weapon was lost before Kazuki could use it to free Karin. Hayashi forced her sister to use a dangerous wide-area attack despite the risk to innocent people. Mio managed to rescue the enemy magicians and Kazuki did the same for Kazuha. In that desperate situation he had only one choice. He apologized to Kazuha before kissing her. Doing a full summoning of her Diva allowed him to disperse all the dangerous magic, free Karin from control and force Hayashi to escape while vowing revenge.    

Karin was taken to the infirmary where Kazuki’s group gathered. The Headmaster said a seal would be placed on her Stigma to limit her magic. He planned to send her to prison for life without trial. But both Kazuki and Karin’s teammates objected. They believed she was forced to take those actions due to the influence of her cruel sister, who she desperately wanted the approval of. The Headmaster regarded those two delinquents as criminals too. But they just wanted to get stronger and help the pitiful Karin. They had no idea China was behind it all. They were only called delinquents because they resented having to abandon their goals in life to enroll in this Academy. Those girls believed strongly that if a kindly person reached out to Karin she could be redeemed. Several others, including the Headmaster's step-daughter Mio, also agreed they should give her a chance before condemning her. In the end Kazuki insisted he would take responsibility and monitor Karin. As her target this was the only way to verify she had reformed. He was confident she was no threat to him and he could put himself in a state of heightened awareness so he couldn’t fall victim in his sleep. Relenting to the King, the Headmaster told him to stay by her side full time and would give them a week before sending her to prison.

Kazuki had spent the week in isolation with the captured spy Karin. In the end his kindness won her over and she became his ally. He returned to class just in time for the formal vote. Those radical twin brothers had put on an elaborate election campaign in his absence. Kazuki had left his own campaign to his teammates Mio and Kōhaku. The students were called to a meeting where the results would be announced. The sixteen candidates were up on stage with the Headmaster and Board Chairman waiting for the official tally. Kazuki worried about funny business with the vote count. But in the end Kazuki was elected by a wide margin and gave a speech focusing on unity between the two divisions.

Karin had now become a hardcore NEET. Kazuki insisted she must start attending school again, this time in the Magic Division where he could monitor her. Karin was given her own room. Kazuki paid a visit to the Student Council room. His friends all joined them. It was agreed that Kazuki would be based here, as the Sword Division buildings were still being rebuilt. An election had been held and Kanae became President again with Kōhaku as Vice-President. He was confident with Kaguya and Kanae supporting him. They made suggestions on ways to increase interaction between the schools, and he was most interested in the creation of a school newspaper.

Yumeno Shiori won the post of newspaper chairman. Mio noted she was the top of the Rank-B students and frankly at Rank-A level. They spent the day beginning to set up the newspaper office in the Witch’s House. A few days later they were ready to publish the first newspaper issue. Shiori had overworked herself and was exhausted. Kazuki focused on introducing himself and the other Student Council members. He also outlined his policy plans and welcomed suggestions and comments. He also included information on how each school operated. When he contacted the Headmaster for final approval he was told that the Board Chairman and his entire family had vanished without a trace. That night news reports stated there had been a massive coordinated strike on all Knight Order posts in western Japan by a mysterious force including mysterious Illegal Magicians. All of western Japan had now been conquered by this unknown army and was now under a complete communications blackout.

The former Board Chairman appeared on TV announcing that western Japan was declaring independence and calling itself Yamato. All the politicians with secret ties to China appeared to be involved in this plot and had made an alliance with Loki. They were claiming legitimacy under the banner of the Japanese Mythology rather than the 72 Pillars, which people weren’t necessarily opposed to. By doing so they could maintain the facade that Yamato wasn’t just a puppet state of China. The Japanese Divas appeared to have fallen into a Wild God state after being ignored for so long. Their contractors had apparently all joined this movement too. Kazuha had avoided this fate by building her Diva a shrine and caring for him. A border wall was being constructed. The Headmaster and Kazuki were annoyed that both Futsunushi no Kami and Leme had known something was going on with the Japanese Divas but hadn’t told anybody. 

They met with two third years Kodzuki Kanon and Yagumo Akane who were already serving in the Knight Order. They were the Student Council members from last year. They knew all the rumors about Kazuki and were very interested. They greeted Kaguya, Hikaru and Koyuki. They were then introduced to Mio, Kanae, Kōhaku and Kazuha. They informed them of the situation and expected Yamato to invade further but it was hard to fully oppose them because Loki’s followers were causing trouble in the east and dividing their resources. When their leader was captured, Kanon was effectively pressed into the role, despite being a student.

The students were called into a meeting. To respond to an urgent request for reinforcement at the border, Kazuki would be leading an elite force of students from both schools to reinforce them. Kazuki told them this was entirely voluntary but urged those with the courage to fight to volunteer. They wound up with a force of about 150 people. The school had become the headquarters for the war effort. 10 more third years who escaped enemy territory gathered there. They were suddenly joined by the German Knights Beatrix, Damian and Eleonora too. They offered to cooperate as allies. Kazuki vouched for their strength. The Germans and the Student Council members were put in charge of squads under Kazuki’s command. They would meet up with the 200 Knights who escaped the west. But Kazuki insisted the seniors must rest first and prepared a meal.

They passed quite a few people on the road who seemed to be refugees. The buses were suddenly fired on and destroyed. The students were slow to react due to shock but finally came to their senses. It was a perfectly executed ambush. Kazuki too was slow to react when he realized that Hayashi had brainwashed those ten third years and ordered them to target their leaders, Kanon and himself. He only survived because Beatrix shielded him and fell deep into Magic Intoxication. Kazuha freed those girls and the enemy fled as the Knight Order arrived. Both sides took prisoners with them.

Kazuki and his close friends raided their classmates’ rooms and confiscated their cell phones. Given what happened that day, Kazuki suspected an information leak. There might even be a spy among the students. He told them they were conducting a surprise raid on the enemy. They were able to slip away because his friend was on guard duty and owed him a favor. Once they had escaped he explained his plan in more detail.  He divided the students into squads based on their specialty. His friends’ unique skills allowed them to conceal their approach and take out the guards. They surrounded the enemy garrison and were able to destroy the building despite being detected and fired upon. With perfect coordination between the squadrons they attacked them from different angles and they fell into confusion. Kōhaku was the one who located Hayashi on the battlefield and signaled Kazuki. Kazuki made sure to capture Hayashi alive, though she later committed suicide in her cell. Kaya appeared on the back of a dragon and ordered the troops to retreat. She offered her praise to Kazuki for this bold action. Behind her, Maya was clearly terrified of heights. They returned to camp with captured prisoners and freed allies.

Upon questioning a Japanese Diva who had calmed down they were told all the shrines in western Japan had been destroyed. Those people said they were working for the government, to show their devotion to the 72 Pillars. But the 72 Pillars didn’t demand such things and it was easy to guess the deception. The Yamato guys had fooled them with that simple trick, to drive them into a Wild God state. They used that to turn them against Japan and the 72 Pillars and get them to support a new state based on Japanese Mythology. If they could calm them out of their Wild God state and explain the truth Yamato would fall apart.

Volume 6[]

Their group was headed to the beach in cars driven by Akane, Kanon and Lotte. From there Kazuki and Kazuha would slip away on a boat to infiltrate Ise Grand Shrine by sea. Some girls were unhappy that only the two of them were going, but since this was an infiltration mission, having a small group was essential. The plan was to calm the rage of the Chief God there, which was the fastest way to calm all the Japanese Divas down. After all, the Diva they had already calmed out of her Wild God state had been easy to convince of the truth.  If they succeeded Yamato’s base of support and facade of legitimacy would crumble. In order to hide their purpose from the spy, it was said the group was allowed to take a brief vacation. They were given two beacons they were expected to light up after the mission to indicate success or failure.

The Knight Order had arranged to rent a beachfront property, complete with changing rooms. Kazuki, as the only guy present, was the fastest to change. As the girls gradually arrived he planned to offer them honest praise on their swimsuits. He wasn’t sure what to say when two of them showed up in strange cloth wrappings they called “traditional”. Kōhaku was upset with Kanae for her bad advice. Kazuki and Lotte went out on the boat, which was small due to the need to avoid detection. It was equipped with GPS and a silent motor but was designed to appear nondescript to avoid drawing attention. The Ryūtaki sisters wandered off alone. After he got back Kazuha took her turn learning to operate the boat. Kazuki and Kazuha changed into casual clothes that wouldn’t look out of place in Yamato and they boarded the rather cramped boat. They weren’t carrying swords, to seem less suspicious. Their friends waved goodbye as they set sail.

Kazuki unlocked a new skill and was able to contact Mio with Telepathy. He let them know the mission was a success. He said many enemy magic users will have fled and urged them to attack new. Akane and Kanon arrived at the front lines for what should have been a surprise assault. But thanks to the spy Yamato knew their movements and were amassing their forces to protect the targeted garrison. Though this strike was no longer a surprise Kazuki said that large numbers of the Yamato magic users would have already left the battlefield. He also believed that the professional training and experience of the Knight Order would give them an edge. Akane selected the tactic for the battle. The students from the Knight Academy were among the rear guard. The other side didn’t seem to be lacking in numbers but Akane had faith in Kazuki. Indeed when they called Yamato’s bluff most of the rear guard turned out to be fakes without the ability to use Summoning Magic.  

Lotte flew above the battle using Deep Striker. While dodging incoming magic she kept in constant contact with Akane letting her know about the situation. Thus they could redeploy their forces quickly when needed. The discipline and training of their swordsmen was definitely superior to their opponents. They were able to break through the enemy lines. When the front line got into trouble students led by Hikaru jumped in to help. Lotte was playing a vital role here, but it took persuasion by Kazuki and Akane before the Knight Order would allow her to help, due to her being an Illegal Magician. Japan’s success in this battle so far could be said to be a combination of Kazuki’s creative style and Akane’s knowledge of traditional tactics.

Thanks largely to Akane’s leadership, it was looking like a great victory for Japan. She was suddenly contacted by Lotte who detected powerful enemy magicians approaching at high speed. The Yamato government had made an alliance with China and a group of their magicians had turned up at the last minute to help Yamato. As the enemy charged on horseback their efforts to take them out with long-range attacks were ineffective. Akane tried to organize the shocked troops, stunned China was brazenly getting involved here. The enemy pushed through their lines easily, their tactics were meaningless. They approached the headquarters where Kanon and Akane were. They decided to end the battle by killing the leaders, Akane was immobile from shock.

Kazuki arrived on the battlefield carrying Kazuha and Kamimura Itsuki. They would be unable to reach their friends in time so at Kazuha’s suggestion they were thrown. They weren’t able to hurt the enemies but succeeded in distracting them. Kazuki also launched a high-speed attack and failed to affect anything. Kanon used a spell that removed the Sacred Treasures held by the enemies.  The allowed them to fight back to some degree. But the Japanese Knights were still in disarray and helpless. It seemed things would get worse when Lotte detected more strange magicians approaching. But these figures on horseback had come to help Japan. Their leader used a Sacred Treasure that disrupted all the magic in the area. The enemies were left vulnerable by this and fled along with the Yamato troops. The Knights were ordered not to pursue. The strangers offered to join their ranks. It turned out they belonged to an alliance of Asian countries opposed to the aggressive expansion of China.

Kazuki attended a meeting that also served as a mission debriefing. The leaders of Ryōzanpaku were hoping to form an alliance with a Magically Advanced Country. Japan had always remained neutral in these conflicts. Soon the international community would step in and force a cease fire. They would then investigate and issue a judgment of which government was the legitimate ruling body of Japan. If there was a divided opinion on this, things might not be settled until the battle between Kazuki and Ikōsai Aisu ends and Japan had am official King. They were interrupted by the German Knights, including the newly recovered Beatrix. They announced they would be suspending their agreement with the government of Japan until this matter was settled.

Powers and Abilities[]

Swordsmanship: Kōhaku is exceptionally skilled in the traditional style of her family.

Equipment[]

Kōhaku tends to fight using six separate Sacred Treasure swords, each with their own unique abilities, making her formidable enough to even beat Kanae when she begins to use them. However, Sacred Treasures are forbidden, supposedly because they have a tendency to affect the minds of its users, but there is no real evidence those claims are true. Nor are the risks any greater than making a contract with a Diva. Kōhaku practices the style of the Shinkage family which is the ancient sword style taught in Kyushu.

Swords known so far:

  • Taroudachi
  • Murasame
  • Doutanuki
  • The Mi Kadzuki Nechika
  • With wood
  • Sukehiro
  • Ordinary Nodachi

Etymology[]

  • Hikita means "scratch, head, counter for animals" (疋) (hiki) and "field, rice paddy" (田) (ta).
  • Kōhaku means "amber" (琥珀).

Trivia[]

  • Kōhaku wants to combine the sword styles Shinkage and Hayashizaki.
  • Kōhaku and Kazuki shared their first kiss in Volume 12, Chapter 2
  • Kōhaku is the only member of the Harem who does not have a bond with a Diva. Kazuki later felt guilty for ignoring her feelings because seducing her would have no benefit for his power as a King.
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