Vol 24 Chapter 3 (1/2)

Chapter 3 - Goodbye, Encore, Afterwards

She felt pain in her chest.

But, right now she couldn't slow her feet because of that kind of pain.

Nina had a battle that she had to be in.

She had a mission, to fulfill her great-grandfather's long-cherished wish as well as the Electronic Fairies' desire.

So, Nina didn't stop running.

There was still a bit of distance with that flame beast that was like a mountain.

At this time, a new change occurred before her.

That was obvious.

Because the place she wanted to go to was currently the center of the world.

◇

How much time had pa.s.sed since first coming to this road?

She had long since given up on anything like counting time.

In order to wait for the day that had arrived today, how many things had already been lost?

In order to obtain one thing, the resolution had been made to give up everything.

So, it was only this thing that she couldn't give up.

Where had Saya gone after leaving Grendan?

She arrived there even earlier than Nina. It wasn't such a difficult thing for her who was the prototype of the Electronic Fairies and who had created this world.

But, because she maintained this world, she continuously spent her own strength, so the current Saya didn't have much strength.

She didn't have much fighting ability.

Even so, the black-clothed girl still appeared there.

Saya's moving figure appeared in the sky.

It was above the beast of flame. The strong rising airflow created by the burning flame carried the midair Saya. Though Saya was able to block the heat with her abilities, she was still helpless in the current situation.

Even if she knew that things would become this way, Saya had still come here.

She had come here, and she strongly believed that she had to have come here.

Here, right now, he was visiting.

The sky that had spat out the beast of flame once again split apart.

On the other side of the sky that was filled with various things, a black figure could be seen hiding among inexplicable colors.

A face appeared from the Aurora Field.

From the confusing s.p.a.ce that originally should have split the world into two...... the figures of two people flew out.

”Aien!” [1]

Countless, endless years were contained in that call.

The emotionless, mechanical doll's call reached one of the humans.

That human changed its path of descent, flying to Saya.

The human's figure overlapped with Saya's, and then they fell together.

The airflow battered against a coat sleeve.

”It's been a long time.”

In this kind of noise-filled environment came a voice that was low but carried feelings of affection.

”Aien.”

”Nn, Saya. Though I'm very happy we were able to meet again, we can't be this leisurely right now. That guy is also here.”

”Yes.”

The beast of flame was below the two of them.

It was a being different from the things that Aien...... that Airen and Saya had fought before.

”Aien, do you know what that thing is?”

”Something from Ignasis's wreckage, I guess.”

”Wreckage?”

”Yes.”

The two of them were clearly descending towards a searing battlefield, but one would feel that the conversation between them seemed leisurely.

”Something laughable is, when Ignasis was in his period of confinement, it could be said that on a mental level he was already dead.”

”Was it really like that?”

”Yes. But, the trouble was that that person seems to have left behind something like a split body.”

”That's the split body?”

”This thing doesn't know that it's a piece of Ignasis. It only has a part of part of Ignasis's character, and though it's a dangerous being, it isn't an evil being.”

”Aien, who did you learn this from?”

”I also only heard this halfway through. Also, Saya, you also encountered that person.”

”Eh?”

”......Ah, never mind. Nothing much would change even if you knew, so you don't need to concern yourself with this.”

”Aien is the one who's concerned.”

”Probably.”

During that conversation, the two of them had already arrived to a distance that counted as dangerous.

”Alright......”

At that time, the two of them suddenly changed their falling path, and the two who originally had been descending straight down suddenly moved out to the side.

Saya looked, and noticed that from Airen's coat extended something like a vine, piercing the surface of the ground in the distance. That vine was pulling Saya and Airen.

The two of them who were being pulled by the vine calmly descended to the ground.

”Next, Saya, since we've already confirmed that we're both fine, it should be about time for you to go to a safe place, right?”

”I don't want to.”

”Uh......”

”I don't want to leave you anymore.”

”I've really lost to you.”

Though he said this, Airen, who had a single eye covered with an eyepatch, didn't look worried at all.

”Ah, then we'll do this.”

”Nn.”

”Whether we live or die and disappear, we'll be together as two. Ah, in that case I truly hope that I can choose the final ending.”

”Nn>”

Saya nodded her head, and afterward two guns appeared in her hands.

Saya had prepared weapons for him.

In the past she had always stayed by his side, like now.

Right now things had returned to normal.

With that feeling, even in this h.e.l.l of heat, Saya still felt incomparably satisfied.

◇

Nina noticed the change as she ran.

The sky split, and two figures flew into the sea of flame.

”......d.a.m.n.”

The change became a tense feeling that a.s.saulted Nina's entire body.

Conscious that she was a single person, the feeling of tension that she endured even made her feel that her muscles hurt.

Even so, Nina had expected things to change like this.

Who could she share this resolution with?

Of the figures that appeared in the sky, one of them fell straight down, and in the end was devoured into the dancing walls of flame.

Then, what about the other?

The other figure that fell in a different direction suddenly changed its direction midway, flying towards Nina.

”An enemy, huh.”

Nina drove back the flame beasts while she advanced. Because of the new obstacle that had appeared, she felt angry and tense.

She would get rid of the opponent before she was driven back. That idea made the current Nina act very naturally. She was only able to do this because everything around her was an enemy.

That idea was also fitting for the figure that was drawing closer, so Nina released external Kei without saying a word.

But she wouldn't have thought that the figure would evade her external Kei.

The figure that avoided the Kei turned a loop, and then caught up to Nina who was thinking of ignoring her and continuing to run, flying side by side with her.

”How dangerous, I was almost killed.”

Hearing that teasing voice, Nina looked to the side. Nina felt that this kind of voice that seemed as if it sank deep into one's heart was a bit familiar.

”Nelphilia...... is it?”

”Yes. I've met you before, right?”

”Yes.”

Nina felt loathing and confusion at her arrogance-filled voice.

Past experience told Nina that she definitely couldn't look at her. Nina focused her mind on looking ahead. In this kind of time right now, the flame beast would still attack Nina, and it was fortunate that she didn't have the time to be misled by this flirtatious girl.

”Your relations.h.i.+p with that red-haired idiot isn't bad.”

Nina didn't instantly think of the answer as to who 'red-haired idiot' meant.

But, there was only one red-haired person that she and Nina both recognized.

”Are you speaking of senpai?” [2]

Something had the strength to hook her. There was something devious in Nelphilia's voice. So it was impossible to Nina to ignore her.

The answer that came up also made Nina concerned.

When she had last seen him in Grendan was when he had entered a mysterious hole that appeared in the sky.

At that time, hadn't Nelphilia also been there?

”Wasn't he with you at that time?”

”Yes.”

She had asked about something that she clearly knew.

That made Nina feel a bit angry, and to be honest she kind of wanted to get mad, but right now she could only endure and continue moving forward.

Though she didn't know why she had appeared here, right now Nina didn't have the energy to pay attention to those who weren't prepared to fight.

”Don't you want to know how he is right now?”

”Right now I don't have the leisure to care about those things!”

Nina quickly refused Nelphilia's question.

She didn't know what her goal was, but right now she didn't have time to play along.

”I have something that I have to do.”

”So that's how it is.”

After saying this, Nelphilia went silent.

But even with this, she still flew in the sky next to Nina. There was some kind of inexplicable dark, shadowy fog in Nelphilia's surroundings, and she was currently riding on that fog.

”......Ah, if you could get rid of that thing, then maybe it would be very good.”

Nelphilia said this.

Nina still didn't understand her meaning, but right now she didn't have time to ask.

Nina continued advancing, sweeping away the flame beasts.

She swept them away as she advanced.

At some time, she lost track of Nelphilia. Where had she gone? Right now she didn't have time to go look with her eyes. What had happened to Dix? Though that question wouldn't disappear from her mind, right now she had no leisure to consider it.

Since even now, the flame beasts were still attacking her.

The heat of the air had already reached the point where it could instantly kill someone. If she didn't have Kei, Nina would have been incinerated in moments.

If she stopped her feet, then the flame beasts would wipe her out, and if she lost focus then the heat would turn her into lava.

It wasn't only a problem of her feelings, but Nina's current situation also didn't allow her to stop.

But, Nina didn't have any intention to stop since the beginning.

She continued running.

The flame beast towering in front of her also seemed extremely close already.

At that time, a new change occurred around the flame beast.

Though one change after another could indicate that the situation was intensifying, Nina's tension had already begun making her feel worried.

The originally chaotic flame and heat suddenly became as if they had a direction.

Not only this, but it could be confirmed from here that there were intense flashes of light all over the opponent. It seemed as if there was someone fighting.

”......Who is it?”

There shouldn't have been anyone who rushed out sooner than Nina.

Then, this wasn't a Military Artist from there?

Could it be, that this wasn't even a Military Artist?

Perhaps it was an extraordinary being like Nelphilia that was fighting with the flame beast.

She didn't know who it was.

But at that moment, something happened inside Nina.

Nina's heart, which hadn't been shaken by Felli and the others or Nelphilia, trembled at this moment.

”Ugh!”

Because Nina was the one who was shaken the most and who felt the strongest feeling of crisis.

”Urrrraaaaaaaaah!”

She roared.

Increasing her speed and momentum, cleaving the flame, blowing the flame beasts away, and advancing.

Her speed was clearly not the same as before. The intensity and thickness of the shockwaves guarding Nina grew along with the increase of speed, raising their destructive force.

The flame beasts that came in contact with the energy of Nina's shockwaves were run through, being smashed away from her surroundings one by one.

Even with this, Nina still continued raising her speed.

The strength of a Military Artist's body and Kei had limits, and Nina was as if she were challenging those limits, continuously increasing her speed......

......And then, Nina finally reached the monstrosity of flame.

She leaped up.

Her target was the top of that body that towered in front of her like a tall mountain, and using the flame beasts that appeared one after another as stepping stones, Nina finally reached there.

”Finally......”

The moment she thought this, Nina's chest became hot. But, right now she didn't have the energy to worry. The heat of the flame kept trying to pull Nina into the abyss of death, and the continuously appearing flame beasts also slowly surrounded Nina.

Most importantly, there was something that she had to do after coming here.

Moreover, she could hear sounds of battle that she didn't know the origins of.

”Where is it?”

Nina sent the continuously approaching flame beasts flying while she searched.

Just at that time.

The flames that covered the surroundings like a forest began to shake violently, and a hole appeared, with something piercing into it.

Something like a Kei bullet carved a slanting path, burying itself into the monster's giant body, and then exploding.

Destructive shockwaves enveloped Nina, blowing away the surrounding flame beasts.

A surprising destructive force.

The thing that had buried itself was even now still penetrating the vast body of the beast, breaking it, and continuously going deeper, not seeming at all like it was going to stop.

That kind of might was on the level of Grendan's Heaven's Blade successors.

It could even already have surpa.s.sed them.

The destructive power in front of her was that strong.

”Who is it?”

The Heaven's Blade successors should all be in Grendan, and moreover all of them should be quite fatigued because of the recent battle.

Who could it be on this battlefield?

Nina continued searching, and on the other side of the flame that she avoided, she saw a figure.

There was a man and a woman in that s.p.a.ce.

The two of them were cleverly dodging back and forth as if taunting the claws of flame. The reason they could do this was because of the vine-like objects spread throughout their surroundings. Though the flame tried to burn the vines, every time a new vine would extend into a new place, and they didn't show any signs of decreasing in number.

The two of them moved the battlefield to the place where the new vines appeared while they fought.

The male wore a long coat, and held something like a pistol in his hand. The recent destructive strike had come from his pistol, which was proved after he pulled the trigger.

Nina looked at the woman...... no, the girl that was being carried on his left arm.

She looked exactly the same as Nelphilia.

But, they weren't the same.

Nina instantly saw that they were different.

Though they had the same outer appearance, the feelings from the two of them were completely different.

The girl carried in the man's arm also held a gun in her hand, fending off the attacking flame beasts. The cartridges that flew out disappeared in a s.p.a.ce somewhat far away from the girl, seemingly turning into a black mist.

The girl wasn't simply being carried by the man. What was surprising was that as the man avoided the flame and ran around, the girl continuously changed her position and carried out shooting.

Moreover, black smoke appeared from her hands, becoming black mist and disappearing, and at the same time the form of the gun in her hands changed.

It had just been firing high-speed bullets, and in the next moment it became something like a big cannon, and had also turned into a missile filled with explosive that could be guided through the air.

Weapons that generally weren't used by moving cities because of their resource consumption continuously appeared in the girl's hands like magic.

Though the feeling from the two of them was very much like the feeling of Military Artists, they had a definite difference.

It was an incredible feeling.

But, right now she didn't have the leisure to feel confused at that incredible feeling.

Coming back to her senses, Nina also began battle.

Though it was so huge that it was easy to be mistaken about it, below her feet was the beast of flame that towered above the earth.

”Haah!”

Kei cras.h.i.+ng, Nina swung her iron whips.

The strength that she obtained from the Haikizokus accelerated, and Kei rushed through her body, with the heat produced almost burning her body.

The iron whips that had been raised high were swung down.

Nina challenged the giant beast.

This was the strike symbolizing Nina's challenge.

The iron whips sank deeply into the tough-feeling flesh, and a shockwave penetrated into the interior.

The shockwave became destructive force that spread outwards.

The spreading shockwave destroyed the composition of the surrounding body, and the energy released became heat. Not long after, the released heat swelled outwards, diffusing out and dissipating its momentum.

In other words, it exploded.

That pillar of flame had already risen high into the sky.

That kind of explosion endlessly continued by Nina's side.

A raucous howl came from the battlefield.

It was the roar of the flame beast, and its triangular head in the distance was roaring into the sky. The burning waves that made up its fur began to move in a frenzy.

This wasn't a roar made because of pain.

This was a roar of rage.

The anger that filled it became sound and was released, and even so, this roar still wasn't enough to release all of its anger. Nina didn't plan on ending her attack here either.

The battle of the man in the coat and the black-clothed girl wasn't something that she should concern herself about here.

This being of flame wouldn't disappear no matter what, like a bottomless swamp of anger......

It could only turn its anger into destructive actions.

That flame beast was a being that could not be saved.

Nina thought this.

The feeling spread out from that roar made Nina believe this.

”What's going on!?”

So, Nina shouted out.

She used anger to confront anger.

Even if she knew that this kind of action didn't have any meaning, Nina still couldn't control herself.

”Don't involve us just for this kind of thing!”

Nina shouted her thoughts from long ago while she once again ran out with the monster's head as her target.

Nina had no idea whether this thing was actually an organism with something like a true life. But, since it had a head, and moreover since that rage she could feel was genuine, she could believe that the beast's consciousness was housed in that area.

”Then, I'll crush that place!”

Carrying out a thorough attack towards the weakness.

That was a very correct battle plan.

She no longer had any reason to think of other things, and the Haikizokus inside Nina's body also released their full power.

”Dischale, Tentorium, Falysodam......”

She called out their names.

”Armadune.”

Nina called out the names of the Electronic Fairies that she had inherited from her great-grandfather.

They who had been born in the Senou City had not chosen to become the guides of cities but instead were Electronic Fairies that had dedicated everything for this day, her great-grandfather had said about the four Haikizokus in the past.

”Melnisc.”

An Electronic Fairy that had chosen to become the guide of a moving city, but who had in the end lost control from loathing because his city was destroyed, was also in Nina's body.

A Haikizoku whose hatred for filth monsters and hatred for the culprit who had created filth monsters ended up becoming strength to lend to Nina.

And also......

The nameless Electronic Fairy inside Nina.