Vol 7 Chapter 1 (1/2)

Chapter 1: Either way, I won't say it

In the end, nothing was explained about the disappearance of Nina Antalk, how she returned, or about the time she was away when Zuellni went on a rampage. It must have been because of the Haikizoku. It wasn't that hard for Naruki to figure out. She had understood the gist of things when she fought the 10th platoon. Some strange existence that resembled an animal had possessed Dinn Dee, and the leader of the Salinvan Guidance Mercenary Gang, Haia, had called it the Haikizoku. An electronic Fairy of a ruined city that held a heart full of hatred against filth monsters. It gave its power to strong-willed Military Artists. An insane Electronic Fairy.

Dinn hadn't resisted that power, and he now lay in the hospital, his consciousness gone. He had the strong will to protect the city but he didn't have strength to realize his dream. He had taken illegal drugs to strengthen his Kei vein, and he was then possessed and controlled by the Haikizoku. A real pity.

But the current Naruki could now understand Dinn's feelings. Zuellni going on a rampage had greatly saddened her. The reason behind the numerous filth monster attacks was a secret to many people, but Naruki, having entered the 17th platoon, saw Layfon's reaction. When he heard news of Nina's disappearance, that reaction of his wasn't just simple anxiety. He hadn't gone to school, and when Naruki occasionally ran into him, all she saw was tiredness on his face. He didn't even have the strength to cover up his exhaustion.

In the days when Nina wasn't around, Naruki directly felt the power of Layfon and those who were on about the same level as him. They weren't afraid even when they were facing filth monsters head-on. Layfon continued to fight with an overwhelming power. And because Naruki was a.s.signed with him, she saw the intensity of his fighting and his exhaustion.

Naruki had partic.i.p.ated in two fights against filth monsters since the time the Student President had called all students together. During the first time, she had received the order to retreat to Zuellni. A filth monster that could speak human languages had appeared and quickly disappeared like lightning. The second time was when Nina returned. Naruki was given the a.s.signment to stop a filth monster's movements. That action of binding the filth monster for one short moment was extremely important, and it also took everything Naruki had to execute. Whereas Layfon managed to fight a countless number of filth monsters and destroy most of them at the same time.

Dinn must have felt this sense of impotence a long time ago, the impotence that Naruki had felt in battle. Hence, in order to reach his goal, Dinn had to train himself daily and endlessly....... To the point of using Kei vein drugs and ending up bringing himself a sad ending.

Naruki wouldn't choose his path. Besides, she belonged to the City Police. Her wish was to graduate and join the Police Force in her home city. Witnessing Dinn's end, an end that failed to protect anything, had deepened Naruki's denial of Dinn's chosen path. She wouldn't take his road because she didn't have the confidence to see a different ending.

Zuellni's rampage stopped on the day of Nina's return. Considering how Zuellni went on a rampage on the day of Nina's disappearance.........

(The Captain knows something.)

And......Naruki also thought of the Haikizoku. It must be linked to Zuellni's past condition. Perhaps the Haikizoku's hatred against filth monsters had caused Zuellni to lose control and head for filth monsters. No matter how bad the Haikizoku was, no matter how mad it was, it was in essence an Electronic Fairy.

(The Captain must have done something on the day when she went missing.)

A wave of cheering spread out in the sports hall, pulling Naruki back to reality.

It hadn't been a week since the wave of filth monster attacks. An audience stand was built in the sports hall, since the hall was also used by other societies. Naruki came here today to cheer in a certain compet.i.tion.

”Ah, the White team has won two rounds,” Harley said in quiet despair.

”The White team does have the advantage at first, but it's about time......” Sharnid called as he watched the arena.

Layfon, Felli and Dalshena were also here. The groups of people among the audience stand watching the fight were all platoon members or people related to the platoons.

Nina was in the arena.

”But what's the point of holding a match at this hour? I haven't heard of such an activity before,” Dalshena said, cheering for the Red team.

Nina was waiting to enter the match as the 7th member of the Red team. All Captains from the 1st to the 17th platoon were fighting in an elimination match in Red and White teams. Without the Captain of the 10th platoon, the count of the remaining Captains numbered 16. Naturally, the captain of the Red team was Vance, and the position for captain of the White team fell on Gorneo. The rest of the captains drew lots to determine the order of their matches. The choice of the lead attacker was decided by the rank of previous platoon matches. And the result of who went on which team came about by nothing but chance.

”Well, let's just call this the festival to the conclusion of the platoon matches.”

”Just for that? They have time for this when time is all we don't have.”

”There must be some consideration behind it, for example, a.s.signing whom to what position.........”

”Didn't we already know that during platoon matches......”

The conversation between Sharnid, Dalshena and Harley quieted down after the signal sounded for the match to begin.

Naruki looked at Layfon. She didn't feel any doubt from him about the matches. His tension was gone. Instead, he now sat at ease like his usual self as he observed the progress of the match. It felt that he was more at ease now because Nina had returned safely. Totally different from before. Naruki wasn't sure whether her speculation was right. He had just returned to the Layfon that she knew......He was like that originally. Too bothered by how unusual he had become, Naruki had forgotten what his usual self was like. She had lost confidence in her memory.

(Does Layfon know?)

Did he know why Nina disappeared and how Nina returned? And did the people sitting beside him know too? Felli and everyone else. Did they notice anything? Or did they already know something? Was Naruki the only person left out in the team? Her strength was the weakest in the platoon. She still found it unbelievable that she was wearing a platoon badge, so she wouldn't find it strange if they kept her in the dark.

The match had entered its second half while she was deep in thought. It was finally time for Nina to fight. The Red team's third partic.i.p.ant had stopped the team from gaining a third loss. Nina now had to fight against the White team's 7th partic.i.p.ant. That person was the captain of the 14th platoon s.h.i.+n Kaihan.

”Ho ho, it's my first time to cross blades with you after the platoon match.”

”Please look after me.”

”I remember you trained with me daily when you first joined the platoon. What a tiring new member.........”

That was before the 17th platoon was formed. s.h.i.+n wasn't yet a captain, and as a senpai in the 14th platoon, he helped with Nina's training. s.h.i.+n was the same as the captain of the 14th platoon back then. They liked to help people. That was why n.o.body objected to his becoming the captain. And Nina had thought she would follow him. Not only did s.h.i.+n look after his juniors, but he was also powerful in strength. In truth, the 14th platoon ranked the third on the chart.

”Oh yes, I heard a talent scout had contacted Winse. I'm a bit envious. Who knows what he'd do.”

Winse was the captain of the 3rd platoon. It seemed a talent scout had contacted him before the 3rd platoon fought the 16th platoon.

”But I think they actually want you more. If you're serious, the captain of the White team might get tense.”

The ranking of platoon matches determined the captain of the teams. Gorneo's 5th platoon defeated s.h.i.+n's 14th platoon in the match. s.h.i.+n's words meant that Nina had a chance to win against Gorneo.

”Thanks for your evaluation, but.........”

She was happy of his evaluation. And it meant much to her since it came from s.h.i.+n.

”But.........I'm prouder of being a member of the 17th platoon.”

s.h.i.+n smiled bitterly, ”Nina really is Nina. Well then, let's begin.”

”Yes.”

The match began.

Keeping a distance from s.h.i.+n, Nina crossed the iron whips before her. s.h.i.+n's weapon was a sword. A thin blade that was made for the advantage of its speed. Kei enveloped s.h.i.+n and ran into the blade. A Sapphire Dite was good with conductivity whereas a Ruby Dite was good as a tool for creating Karen Kei. As for the last Dite of the three – its quality determined by the amount of black alloy in it – the Emerald Dite was best at gathering Kei.

s.h.i.+n turned the blade upward to point at Nina. It was a posture that Nina was familiar with.

(He wants to win with one move.)

His upper body seemed to lean inward as his hands embraced the handle of the sword for a sudden stab.........

Here it came.

External-type Burst Kei variation – Tenha.

A move that released the Kei gathered on one point in the blade.

(Can't avoid it!)

In a swift second of judgment, Nina ran Kei through her entire body. Internal Kei variation – Kongoukei. A move that gathered Kei in the targeted area to bounce off the attack. A high level defensive move that required accurate judgment.

The external Kei rushed past the iron whips to hammer her chest.

”Urgh.........” Nina moaned, unable to cancel the entire impact of s.h.i.+n's attack.

”.........” s.h.i.+n silently observed her reaction. He usually talked a lot, but he had turned solemn the moment he stepped into battle. This side of him remained unchanged.

(But that attack.........)

A chill ran down her back.

She could evade that attack when she was in the 14th platoon and in the platoon match. But s.h.i.+n had dealt an attack today that had far exceeded the speed that Nina had known.

(Has Senpai become so strong in such a short time?)

The attack she received could have ended the match if she hadn't learned the technique of Kongoukei from Layfon. She didn't even have spare time to counterattack. But s.h.i.+n's attack did have a weak point.

(It takes too long to gather the Kei. He won't make it in close combat.)

Sure, his speed and power had increased, but he had spent too much time gathering Kei.

Nina ran to attack s.h.i.+n's side. She would be using a move that everyone acknowledged as her special move.

(I'll show you how much I've grown!)

s.h.i.+n blocked her first attack that swung down from the upper right, causing him to move a step to his right. Instead of following tradition and defending her chest with the left iron whip, Nina took advantage of force rebounded from s.h.i.+n's defense and shot forth with her left fist. s.h.i.+n backed off a few steps. There was a smell of something being burnt mixed into the air, a smell of the clash of a Dite and protein......s.h.i.+n's fringe had been burnt.

Nina didn't stop. Taking the advantage, she shortened the distance between them. s.h.i.+n backed off a little and leaped forward within a very short distance. He executed a second Tenha before his feet touched ground.

(So fast!)

Then why did he spend so long preparing for his first attack? Was it a trap? But Nina didn't have the time to ponder that now. Her opponent had a strong defense and an impenetrable attacking power. But Nina did what she always did. Step forward! Judging that s.h.i.+n's Tenha wasn't as powerful as before, she put all her strength on the counterattack. No Kongoukei.

The a.s.sault coming from her left caused pain on her cheek as if her face had been split apart. But she did feel from her right wrist that she had hit something.

”Ugh.........” s.h.i.+n sat down in front of her as the judge called out her victory.

”Ah, my trick didn't work,” s.h.i.+n stood up, swaying, his hand on his injured shoulder.

”You've become strong.........Is it because of them?” He looked at the 17th platoon in the audience stand.

”Yeah,” Nina nodded proudly.

Naruki relaxed. Harley shouted in excitement. Layfon smiled.

”Ha, beautifully done.”

”s.h.i.+n's Tenha is used for medium distance attacks. Drawing close to him is the correct strategy.”

Having heard Sharnid and Dalshena's conversation, Naruki turned to Layfon in a small voice. ”Is that right?”

”Yes. Looking at his posture, I think he can shoot even faster. His steps are also firm. If the Captain chose to defend then there'd have been quite a distance between them.”

”Is that so.........”

Layfon's explanation helped her to understand the comments of the other two.

”But I don't know whether the Captain did think of it.”

”Eh?”

”It's hard to suddenly change your tactics. It's the same for your opponent. The Captain just chose the method she's best at. The captain of the 14th platoon must have abandoned his original methods in favor of trying out a new tactic. Otherwise, his strength shouldn't fluctuate that much.”

Dalshena thought Nina's quick decision was the key to the victory, but Layfon thought Nina's lack of hesitation to shorten the distance between them was it.

”Powerful strength doesn't guarantee the winning of a match, especially with the Captain.”

As he finished his sentence, the announcement came for the next match. This time Nina's opponent was the captain of the White team, Gorneo Luckens.

(Does that strength come from the Haikizoku?)

Everyone could tell Nina had become stronger. Her growth didn't come from a step by step training. Naruki knew before she joined the platoon. Most of the platoons had extra training besides the regular training sessions. She had seen some people faint by training too much, and she knew Layfon had accompanied Nina with her training. The result of this match was proof of Nina's training.

.........Was it really related to the Haikizoku? Nina had stopped Zuellni's rampage.........Did that mean she could use the power of the Haikizoku?

(Is this too premature a conclusion?)

Her speculation was possible, but where was the Haikizoku if that wasn't the case? Whom should Naruki ask......And who could give her an answer? And should she know of this? The management of Dinn left a question for her: What could she change even if she knew the truth? Who could have stopped Dinn if the Salinvan Guidance Mercenary Gang and Layfon weren't here?

(But......)

She couldn't just leave everything. Otherwise it was possible for Zuellni to go on a rampage again. It wasn't right to ignore the danger.

(Because normal people like Mei-chan and Mi-chan are in this city......)

The huge noise in the sports hall once again called her attention to reality.

Both of them moved at the sound of the signal.

Gorneo was the next stockiest person after Vance. One could feel the pressure just with him standing before you. The feeling of a difference of skill and physique would have defeated Nina if she let Gorneo's aura overtake her.

(In that case!)

Nina leaped forward as Gorneo moved towards her, pulling close the distance between them. Gorneo held a fist in front of his chest, and his fist seemed to look so much bigger than his body.

(Karen Kei!)

The left fist suddenly expanded. No, it was already here.

”Ugh......”

No time to evade! Nina could only block it with her right iron whip. A huge impact. The shrill sound of metal clas.h.i.+ng. The heat of Gorneo's Kei brushed past her face.

(The right!)

No time to breathe. Gorneo's right fist gave an even heavier blow on her left iron whip. She originally intended to swing the whip down from top to bottom, but the impact of his fist had guided her force to another direction, causing her to lose her balance and fall forward. Gorneo never once stopped. He moved to Nina's side like the wind. Nina didn't even have the time to stand straight as she felt the rush of an attack behind her – a kick that could easily break a thick tree trunk. She leaped away with Kongoukei, using the momentum of her leap to touch ground and roll to her feet.

(I almost lost......)

But her opponent wasn't without a weakness. Gorneo was readying his stance for a more powerful move. Nina stood quite a distance from him but she could still feel the pressure of Kei building up in him. It appeared the next move would be decisive.

(What kind of a move is it?)

Gorneo's weapons were his limbs. Karen Kei was a Kei technique that aided the four limbs in using rich variations of Kei. A technique that maximized the potential of close combat fighting. However, this didn't mean that Gorneo was invulnerable to direct attacks.

The air called. Another left fist lashed out. It shouldn't be able to reach Nina from that distance.

”Urg......”

But she did feel the heavy blow on the iron whips crossed before her.

(External Kei?)

External Kei, the type of Kei that was famous for its destructive power. It was a simple release of power rather than a technique. Usually, Military Artists who had trained in the use of Kei could execute that move. The difference was only down to how large a scale that move would be. A normal platoon member couldn't have released external Kei that could touch Nina at this distance.

The sound of something cutting through the air and chaotic airflow should have accompanied Gorneo's move, but all Nina felt was the sudden impact on her weapons.

(As if I was really struck. How? What in the world......)

Gorneo attacked again while she was thinking. She evaded to her right.

(Ah......)

A heavy blow on her right side. Her knees buckled and she knelt down!

”External type Kei variation – Jaryu.”

”Huh?” Naruki looked at Layfon. ”You know of it?”

”I've seen it before, but the person who made that move was stronger.”

”What move is it? It seems different from the usual external Kei.........” Dalshena gave her head a light shake.

Gorneo hadn't moved from his position. He dealt his blows as of a fighter training with a dummy. People could hear the sound of wind caused by his movements, but they saw no traces of any external Kei being released.

”That's Karen Kei. The Captain's tangled in small threads of Kei. Gorneo's Kei finds her through those threads.”

”Threads.........?” Sharnid squinted and increased his vision with internal Kei. Naruki also did the same but couldn't quite make it out.

”Ah, you're right. There is something?”

”Yeah? So if she can see those threads, then she can see through Gorneo's attacks.”

”Oh.........”

Every time Gorneo swung his fist, Nina's body shook. It seemed this really had something to do with the Kei threads.

”The Captain probably knows, so she's using Kongoukei to cancel the impact.”

”But she can't wiggle out like that. Same for Gorneo. He'll be fighting Vance next, so he should be preserving his strength. It's disadvantageous to drag out the fight.”

”True, though Kongoukei takes more strength than Jaryu......I see, he's only using four threads to preserve his strength. He should be able to manage more.”

”Just four?”

”The person I knew could control far more but changes would occur to the threads. Gorneo's move would be useless if we can tell how it's done.”

”Can you use that move?”

”Yes, but I'd end up using extra strength because I'm not trained in the use of Karen Kei. Besides, the speed isn't as fast as using the steel threads. Putting one's strength through the Kei threads isn't much but it's very tiring to use that effect to cut.”

Layfon explained in a natural manner. He really did know a lot. A little bit shocked, Naruki observed his face and saw him squinting at the match.

”But if Gorneo's left something up his sleeves, then he's underestimating the Captain. I already taught her two different ways to control Kei.”

Naruki returned her gaze to the match. Nina was still stuck with the iron whips crossed before her chest.

”Since she knows the enemy's position, she can adjust the Kongoukei to reduce the amount of Kei she uses. In that sense, she can defend with Kongoukei while gathering her Kei. If she wants to break this stalemate, no, if she targets her opponent, the Kei she's stored up will come into play.”

Naruki couldn't see the flow of Kei that Layfon was talking about but she did see that Nina was s.h.i.+ning faintly, and that light was getting denser and denser.

(Time to counterattack.)