Hunter Series #183:
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※本作はハンターシリーズ167「転生」の英訳版です。 Mai Hachisuka, attractive, graceful, and clever, with a dual-income family and spirited disposition, seemed to unite an entire world of minor misfortunes of existence; and had lived six years in the world, often unable to keep the minor things from distressing or vexing her. She was the older of the two children of a most affectionate, indulgent father; and had, in consequence of her brother's suckling, been mistress of his house from a very early period. Her memory had recently come from her "former existence" for her to have more than an indistinct remembrance of her caresses; and her mother's place had been supplied by her "real mother" as "foster mother", who had fallen little short of her "own mother" in affection. Seven years had Yuki Hachisuka been in Mr. Hachisuka's family, less as a mother than a friend, very fond of both her daughter and her son, but particularly of Mai Hachisuka. Between them it was more the intimacy of close friends. Even though she was the nominal "real mother" for Mai Hachisuka, the spiritedness of her temper had hardly allowed her to impose any restraint; and the glory of her former existence being now long passed away, they had been living together as friend and friend very mutually attached, and Mai Hachisuka doing just what she liked; highly esteeming Yuki Hachisuka's judgment, but directed by her own if she could. The real evils, indeed, of Mai Hachisuka's flow were several physical disadvantages, and an unitedness of the worst rotten-lucks; these were the disadvantages which threatened alloy to her feats. The former danger, however, could be eliminated by doctors' attentions and medicines, and the latter danger was just as same as that of her former existence, so they did not by any means rank as misfortunes with her. Enjoyment came--a gentle enjoyment--but not at all in the shape of any disagreeable consciousness.--Mai Hachisuka entered to an elementary school. It was the extended range of activity which first brought pleasure. It was on the entrance-day of her that Mai Hachisuka first sat in delightful thought of any continuance. The entrance ceremony over, and her new friends gone, she and her parents were left to dine together, with no prospect of a possibility she would be able to do. Her father composed her to sleep after dinner, as usual, and she had then only to go bed and think of what she had gained. The event had every promise of happiness for her. Yuu Takai, her classmate, was a girl of blameless character, wide range of activity, easy fortune, mentally matured for her age, and pleasant manners; and there was some satisfaction in considering with what self-denying, generous friendship she had always wished and promoted the "Party"; but it was a black morning's work for her. The want of Yuu Takai would be felt every hour of every day. She recalled her past kindness--the kindness, the affection of ten "adventures"--how she had learned as a Tenderfoot and how she had played with skills of a Girl Scout--how she had devoted all her powers to attach and amuse her in health--and how treated her through the seisure of her flow. A large debt of gratitude was owing here; but the intercourse of the last three weeks, the equal footing and perfect unreserve which had soon followed Mai Hachisuka's entrance, on their being left to each other, was a dearer, tenderer collection. She had been a friend and companion such as few possessed: bright, well-skilled, useful, gentle, knowing the way of Mai Hachisuka, interested in all its concerns, and peculiarly interested in her former existence, in every pleasure, every scheme of hers--one to whom she could speak every thought as it arose, and who had such an affection for her as could never find fault. How was she to take the advantage of the change?--It was true that the Hunter headquarters were only a few miles from here; but Mai Hachisuka was aware that great must be the difference between the fact that the Hunter headquarters were only a few miles from here, and the possibility to Mai Hachisuka regain "his standings as a Hunter"; and with all her advantages, friends and parents, she was now in great danger of suffering from solitude as a Hunter. She dearly believed her friends and parents, but they were no companion for her. They could not meet her in conversation, practical or playful. The evil of the actual disparity in her friends' ages (and Mai Hachisuka had been a matured man) was much increased by her strengths and skills; for having been a Kobujutsu artist in "his former life", with ability to draw on her inner strength, she was a much superior girl in ways than in years; and though everywhere beloved for her sense-motive-skill and her wisdom (but not for her diplomacy skill), her talents should have recommended her at any time. Yuu Takai, though comparatively but little apart, being settled in the opposite end of the school district, only a bit more than one kilometer off; but it was much beyond her daily reach since she had activities of Brownie, English conversation and Kendo (and since Mai Hachisuka had ballet lessons). Mai Hachisuka must be struggled through a long straight holidays, or "Golden Week", at her grandparents' house, for she cannot play at her school with Yuu Takai, who would have gone to her grandparents' house. Having arranged all these matters, looked them through, and put them all to rights, she was just turning to the playground where Yuu Takai was waiting for her, with considerations of the two cousins, as well as of her aunt and uncle, when the great iron slide-gate opened, and two persons entered whom she had never less expected to see--A girl in mourning black with a Beagle of more-than-two-meters height, and with a girl of shivering blue hair and sharp red eyes--just like a murder-addict Hunter she had once seen.--Yuu Takai's word sufficed to convince her that something extraordinary had happened. The girl in black looked white and frightened, and blue-haired girl had a bloody knife in her hand.--The iron gates and the entrance where Mai Hachisuka was were not twenty meters asunder;--Mai Hachisuka made Yuu Takai to call their teacher, and the Beagle was immediately stabbed his heart, gaped his radial arteries and fainted away. Mai Hachisuka was not so strong, but she had an agile and witty disposition of justice, was totally free from conceit, and only desiring to be cautious at any dangers. The blue-haired girl's early assault to Mai Hachisuka was very fierce; and her grapple for increased damage, and her slashes using exaggerated and elegant spins to cut through the arteries, showed that there was no need to boost her strength, though formal combat trainings must not be expected. Altogether she was quite convinced of the blue-haired girl's being exactly the overwhelming threat for her--exactly the something which was not certain she could survive. Her teacher, Yuu Takai went to call, was out of the question. Two such could never stop the girl. Two such she did not want. It was quite a different sort of thing, a sentiment distinct and independent. Her teacher was the object of a regard which had its basis in gratitude and esteem. He would help her as one to whom he could be useful. For him, however, there was nothing could be done at the blue-haired girl; for Mai Hachisuka, everything. Her first attempts at usefulness were in an endeavour to find out the chance to backstab, but she could not find. She was ready to dodge every attack in her assault, but on this subject questions were vain. Mai Hachisuka was obliged to all-out defense--but she could never believe that in the same situation she should not have discovered the chance, provided that she could stop the girl. Mai Hachisuka had no penetration. She had been satisfied to evade just what the blue-haired girl chose to kill her; and looked no farther. There was no returning Yuu Takai--nor much likelihood of the blue-haired girl ceasing to attack Mai Hachisuka; but a few seconds brought a great alleviation to Mai Hachisuka. The ploy of the blue-haired girl was detected; Mai Hachisuka had tumbled to behind her, by taking maneuvers of ballet and Kobujutsu; and the blue-haired girl, who had been a great annoyance to her, was now stunned. Human ears could not bear sudden air rushes, and she could never believe the blue-haired girl to be different from other people. What was unwholesome to the blue-haired girl she regarded as fatal for anybody; and she had, therefore, tried to face, as fast as possible, to the back of the blue-haired girl, and when that proved successful, as simultaneously tried to box the ears of the blue-haired girl. She had done it as the attacks of making no effort to defend against the blue-haired girl's attacks. The former existence Mai Hachisuka was an intelligent, gentlemanlike man, whose frequent trainings were one of the comforts of his colleagues; and upon being applied to, they could not but acknowledge (though it seemed rather against the bias of inclination) that ear-claps might certainly be effective to disable with many--perhaps with most people, unless abused. With such an opinion, in confirmation of her own, Mai Hachisuka hoped to make the blue-haired girl helpless; later the blue-haired girl was disarmed; and there was no rest for her benevolent nerves till the blue-haired girl was pinned. The intruders did not wait for the operations of justice; they took themselves off in a hurry. The young children of the elementary school have walked again in safety before their panic began, and the whole history came soon into be a matter of little importance but to Mai Hachisuka and Yuu Takai:--in their imagination it maintained its ground, and Mai Hachisuka and Yuu Takai were still confirming every day for the story of the other intruders--the girl with a wristwatch and the lady, clad in a gorgeous dress, pointing a wand in the direction of the children--and still tenaciously correcting the story if it was varied in the slightest particular from the original recital. In this afternoon, Mai Hachisuka and Yuu Takai had walked home together, and taken a road in a shopping district, which, though apparently public enough for safety, had led them into alarm.--About half a kilometer from their school, making a sudden turn, and deeply shaded by fragrant orange-coloured olives on each side, it became for a considerable stretch very retired; and when the young children had advanced some way into it, they had suddenly perceived at a small distance before them, on a broader patch of parking lots by the side, a party of thugs. A thug on the watch, came towards them to call out; and Yuu Takai, excessively frightened, activated her personal alarm, and calling on Mai Hachisuka to follow her, hopped up a stone fence, cleared a slight hedge at the top, and made the best of her way by a short cut back to the school. But poor Mai Hachisuka could not follow. She had little problem to hop up the fence, but her first attempt to clear the hedge showed her disadvantage of it as being her stride absolutely short--and in this state, and exceedingly righteous, she had been obliged to remain. How the thugs might have behaved, had the young girl been stronger, must be doubtful; but such an invitation for attack could not be resisted; and Mai Hachisuka was soon assailed by three thugs, headed by a stout man and a great boy, all clamorous, and impertinent in look, though not absolutely in word.--More and more frenzied, she immediately activated her personal alarm, and giving a blow to the chin of the great boy, and begged them not to come closer, or to catch her.--She was then able to sneak, though but slowly, and was moving away--but her stoutness and her infancy were too tempting, and she was followed, or rather surrounded, by the whole thugs, calling a halt. In this state Anzu Iida had found her, she struggling to escape and demanding freedom, they dragging her into a car. By a most fortunate chance her leaving her high school had been delayed so as to bring her to the girl's assistance at this critical moment. The pleasantness of the early summer had induced her to walk forward, and leave Hiitsu Ichigo to meet her by another road, a kilometer or two beyond Anzu Iida's high school--and happening to have borrowed a Compact Disk the night before of Hutaba Hujino, and to have forgotten to restore it, she had been obliged to stop at her door, and go in for a few minutes: she was therefore later than she had intended; and for their enthusiasm about Mai Hachisuka, was unseen by the whole party till almost close to them. The terror which the thugs had been creating in Mai Hachisuka was then their own portion. She had left them completely frightened but not for a long time; Mai Hachisuka and Anzu Iida eagerly trying to escape, but hardly able to do anything, had just strength enough to reach the lair of the thugs, before the spirits of the two were quite overcome. It was the girls' idea to be brought to the lair of the thugs: they had thought of no other place. This was the amount of the whole story,--of Mai Hachisuka's as soon as she had recovered her sight by convex glasses and recognition, before Anzu Iida was forced to wear glasses and to leave the room.--The thugs dared not stay longer than to see Mai Hachisuka bound well; the fortunate spoils left them not another minute to lose; and Mai Hachisuka assuring of the talk of the thugs, planning to notice of there being Anzu Iida in their lair to her parent, and to demand a great amount of money in exchange for her, they dragged Anzu Iida away, with all the adornment and obsession to the glasses that could hardly be uttered. Such an adventure as this,--a courage young girl and a lovely young woman thrown together in such a way, could hardly fail of suggesting certain ideas to the coldest heart and the steadiest brain. So Mai Hachisuka thought, at least. Could a Hunter, could a martial artist, could even a commoner have seen what she did, have witnessed their appearance together, and heard the history of Anzu Iida, without feeling that circumstances had been at work to make them peculiarly interesting to each other?--How much more must a finder of a Hunter gadget, teken away from Anzu Iida, be on fire with speculation and foresight!--especially with such a groundwork of a plan to escape as her mind had already made. The thugs had not been gone two minutes, and Mai Hachisuka had only accomplished to escape from the restraints bound by unskilled capturer, when Mai Hachisuka heard the thugs. Mai Hachisuka had not been thinking of Anzu Iida's safety, she had forgotten to think of Anzu Iida--but she was very threatened when she heard her. Mai Hachisuka was right, who had named appearance of Anzu Iida as the cause. She had been detained by a tempting body of herself; a nervous moan, which had grown weaker for some minutes--and Mai Hachisuka had quite given up every thought of helping, at least directly;--and had she known how strong she should be, and how many, with all the thugs, she must defeat, she believed she should not have helped Anzu Iida at all. The lack of weapons was excessive; she had never suffered anything like it--was wise she had not assaulted to the room--nothing killed her like grapple--she could bear any degree of attacks, etc., but pinning was intolerable--and she searched the bedroom in which she had captured, as the result of a pair of paperclips and tool kits, making her very dauntless. She picked the wardrobe in the room, followed in half an hour she was creeping in the vent duct. The hall in which Anzu Iida was, the trapped entrance, and the bathroom, being used by one of the thugs, only remained; and someone's spirits now rose to a pitch almost insane. Even Mai Hachisuka grew tired at last of search and stealth, and wished herself rather walking in state with the risk of being found by the thugs, or running away alone, and quite unattended to, in tranquil observation of the police officers arrest them. The appearance of Hunters looking out for Anzu Iida to give notice of the help was a joyful sight; and even the bustle of collecting and preparing to assault, and the solicitude of Ichigo Hanta to compete for first place, were gladly endured, in the prospect of knocking out all thugs which was to close the very questionable enjoyments of their pleasure. Such another scheme, composed of so many ill-assorted people, she thought never to be betrayed by non-Hunters. If Mai Hachisuka had still, at intervals, an anxious feeling for Anzu Iida, a momentary doubt of its being possible for her to be really cured of her distrust to other Hunters, and really able to accept them from unbiased inclination, it was not long that she had to suffer from the recurrence of any such uncertainty. A very few minutes brought her safety, and she had no sooner an opportunity of being one hour alone with Ichigo Hanta, than Mai Hachisuka became perfectly satisfied--by telling Ichigo Hanta her secret!--that Shusaku Godai, recruited by Mai Hachisuka's former existence, had thoroughly supplanted her former existence, and was now forming all Mai Hachisuka's views of happiness. Before the end of April, Mai Hachisuka, attended by Yuki Hachisuka, to the nominal "audition" held at the Hunter headquarters, and saw herself recruited as "child model" with so complete a satisfaction, as no remembrances, even connected with Yuki Hachisuka as she stood before her, could impair.--Perhaps, indeed, at that time Mai Hachisuka scarcely saw Boss, acting as a judge, but as a boss who employ her again.--Hunter #8, annihilated in the recruit of Shusaku Godai, was now the latest Hunter, Mai Hachisuka. |
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