Volume 7 - Chapter 20 – Safety Factor (2/2)
170 percent, 180 percent.
The surroundings of Gigantes and Reiko were shining with dazzling light. It was just the surplus energy of when Ether was converted to Mana.
“H-hey, Jin, will Reiko-chan really be fine?
Reinhardt who was watching seemed to still be worried. Jin himself couldn’t help but worry. But she had faith in the smile Reiko had shown earlier, and was only watching attentively.
190 percent.
A snapping sound resounded.
200 percent.
Something was smashed up inside Gigantes. Simultaneously its body changed into simple rock and crumbled apart. There was no phenomenon of radiation any more.
Reiko lowered her output all the way to her regular 5 percent, then dusted off the dirt clinging to her body.
She then faced Jin and quickly bowed her head,
“I’ve caused you worry.”
She made a brief comment. Jin rushed over to Reiko,
“Reiko! Are you okay! Are you injured anywhere?”
He asked while gasping.
“Yes, I’m fine. …Father, I’m an Automata so please say broken or damaged instead of injured.”
Reiko replied. To such Jin replied,
“Idiot, I told you earlier didn’t I, that you’re my daughter. That’s why I’m talking about injuries.”
“Yes, thank you very much.”
Reinhardt watched the exchange in silence, but,
“Jin, Reiko-chan, shall we go back soon? Elsa’s must be worried too.”
He called out to them. Jin was in agreement with that.
“Got it. Reiko, does Gigantes have a core or anything like that left?”
“I’ll investigate.”
Reiko immediately walked over to the rock fragments that had compromised Gigantes, dug them up and eventually she seemed to have found something.
“Father, there was nothing more than this.”
She said and handed over fragments of a Magi Crystal.
“I thought so, that would happen if you poured in so much Mana.”
Jin muttered while holding the three small fragments in the palm of his hand.
＊ ＊ ＊
From the summit that she had been watching with worry, pieces of rock came falling down.
“Could it be…They’re fighting?”
Elsa tightly grasped the hands she had crossed in front of her chest.
Then the summit’s area was engulfed in a strange light phenomenon.
“That’s…Magic Energy?”
For the light to be that bright, how much Magic Energy was it even. Elsa’s face when white as a sheet with anxiety and worry.
But at that point, the strange phenomenon stopped already, and without means to know what had happened Elsa spent the time achingly as if she had stomach pains.
But, when the sun was nearing the middle of the sky, the long-awaited sound of footsteps came.
“They came back.”
Elsa jumped out of the carriage. Outside the butler Claude was waiting to greet his master Reinhardt.
“Jin-kun, Rai-nii.”
The figures of the two, then Reiko appeared in sight of Elsa, who knit her brows seeing their state. That’s because Jin and Reinhardt were both wounded.
Jin’s palms were bloodstained, and both Reinhardt’s knees had bled.
“It was a strong enemy after all?”
Elsa asked with worry and Reinhardt replied with a smile,
“Yeah, it was tough. But there’s no need to worry any more. Reiko-chan beat it for us.”
The Reiko in question was following Jin by him without having gone invisible.
“But you’re hurt like that.”
Elsa pointed out, while Jin smiled bitterly and said,
“Oh, this is from when we were coming down the mountain and we both fell. Our walking sticks and water also fell and disappeared somewhere.”
After that explanation Elsa’s expression became strained.
“Idiot. You worried me. It’s good that you’re both safe.”
She then began to cry big drops of tears. Because of his bloody palms Jin refrained from touching Elsa, so Reinhardt was the one to hug and console her.
“Sorry about worrying you. But we’re back now, so don’t cry.”
Reinhardt said and calmed down Elsa a bit.
It goes without saying that after cleaning the wounds with water, they were healed by Elsa’s healing magic.