Chapter 5 (1/2)
Chapter 5: Sealed Green
———Log
What was that?
What actually was that? Why did this happen? Why?
Fro
I cannot determine what it was
Relius had said that it was not Kusanagi That Relius disappeared sed by the black object
Did he die?
Tell me, Relius What is the best action that I should take?
Is that the object that we have created?
Wrong That object is
The Sheol Gate
That object is not of this world
Why did it happen?
That's right
The lynchpin
I have made it for the sake of such a moment like this
However, the key isn't in what I have left
The key I have to obtain it somehow But how?
I' else
I can only wait here until my life is exhausted
Part 1
The out of place door which Trinity had discovered was pretty plain
According to Celica, the door had an old lock that was quite sina easily opened it with just a few kicks
What awaited there was a thin, dark passage Unlike other places, this passage didn't have any illuhting installed
Relying on the light Trinity had na as the lead Then, they reached somewhere But there was only another door that stood still inside the dark passage
”This one has an electronic lock”
Celica, alking behind Ragna, said that while looking at the small panel beside the door They weren't sure whether if it was thanks to the electric source of the whole facility that was still active, or if it had an independent electric source, but the lock was functioning securely
Ragna tried to knock it lightly The security here was tighter unlike at the entrance It didn't seee no matter how many times it was kicked
”So, what do we do? Frankly, it's tooit”
”It's also too dangerous to just blast the door off We ht in it”
Recalling the time when she was about to blow the elevator's door, Nine quickly said it while shaking her head But there was a smile without any worry whatsoever on her expression
”So, we'll do it like this”
While saying it, Nine's supple fingers sparkled Thin electric currents froers shocked the electronic panel Sparks scattered around
A moment later, the secure bulky door was separated in the ishly started to open its upper and lower ends
”Seriously?”
”Onee-chan's a”
Having too quickly cleared their objective, Ragna and Celica couldn't help but mutter their admiration
”Fufu”, smiled Nine triumphantly
”If you construct a system so advanced to a certain point, it actually beco”
Different fro s Perhaps instead of 'understand what the syste', maybe 'you could forcefully bash it as you like' was more appropriate
Nine shook off the reers as if re intertwined threads
Although the passage from the entrance until then was narrohat lie in wait inside was an unexpectedly spacious room
Rather than a rooht have been better to call it a square
When they first entered, the color of the illumination took over their visions It was like it was doe until noas a lie, the sophisticated and refreshi+ng green-colored lights shone on
The room had an elliptical landscape
Within the interior that was surrounded by metallic plates, there were severaldevices It appeared so conducted The desk where there was a coe quantity of papers scattered around its peri tape
However, it could be said that an unknown disco within the room
”What's with this roo~”
The first one to notice the source of their disco her face, she turned about and looked around the room
Just as she had said, this room was odd
Not having any of the Black Beast's scratch, it was spotless It was as if just a few days ago, or o, since the last ti there had little to do with destruction and deterioration
It didn't have any smell of dust or rust It added more of the eeriness
”I feel like we've wandered to a strange location”
While speaking bitterly, Nine cautiously proceeded to the inner part of the room
Suddenly, the atroup up until now trembled and vanished
Trinity had dispelled her protective ic
”We don't seem to need it for a while now”
Certainly, the air that was conta the First District which could roast their internal organs if they had no means of protection didn't see about It was fine to take a deep breath
It wasn't only this room The air within the cave from before where the Cauldron existed was also clear The substance called seithr that was overflowing from the Cauldron neutralized the radiation and other harmful chemical substances It didn't seeienic air
But the only one in this roo it on her skin was Nine
”A hidden room, huh”
Inhaling the strangely refreshi+ng air which had been released by the seithr, Ragna walked within the room He picked up a piece of paper that fell at his feet
The bluish-green lightings were diible But since the writing was in japanese, it was nothing more than cryptic letters he had never seen before
Even though he didn't know the letters, Ragna understood the drawing Ragna frowned at the nu that was on the center of the paper
There was sora else entirely
Fro
”What's this? So like a machine? It's like a nail Ah!”
Inadvertently lifting her gaze just now, Celica made a loud voice At the same time, she pointed toward the inner part of the room
Silently blending within the green lightings, a gigantic object shaped like nail was hanging in the air alongside the wall
If it was a nail, then it should have had crude silhouette Yet it was so fascinating that it was like an ornareen patterns stood out on the aesthetic silver surface Metals and ht lines Those lines appeared to give off a calculated charm
Ragna felt that its size, whether its height or width, could easily fit approxiht have been because of the lighting, but it could have possibly bene even larger
It had a rather sacred feel drifting around as if it was a nail-shaped Goddess statue The beautiful main part was clad in several silver chains The stakes pierced strongly to the ceiling and wall
”Isn't this drawing actually about it?”
According to what Celica was pointing out, the drawing on the paper Ragna picked up was the blueprint for the captivating gigantic nail of an objet d'art
If so, it seemed soht seee, and insight was needed to create this kind of object?
The kind of dread like the Cauldron had crept up to Ragna's nape
”It see exists near the Cauldron?”
A hidden rooot built for it
”This room's probably built to observe that Cauldron”
Trinity spoke while playing around with a computer a bit separated from them
Ragna was surprised on how she handled it Someti on her fingertips Perhaps she was borrowing the power of ic
Pushi+ng up her big glasses, Trinity turned on the sub-display and showed it to Ragna and the others
The view there was looking down from somewhere as it projected the front view of the Cauldron from before
”Looking at this caes in the atmosphere around the Cauldron, like te in”
”Then this device is also related to the Cauldron and Boundary, huh?”
Ragna took a glance at the silver and green nail froe of the surveillance ca to confront
”Oh?”
Continuing on fiddling with the computer, Trinity tilted her head in confusion
Nine, as picking up the scattered papers that were on top of a desk, turned around
”What's the matter?”
”I was checking it up since it's been on ht, this room is odd”
The sertips were disappearing He had to ain what he had seen just now
”The data from this computer The computer's clock Not much time has passed since the day of the Black Beast's appearance~”
”The specific time?”
”One year”
It was like only a year had passed in the room Realistically, six years had passed since the appearance of Black Beast, but the time here had only passed a year
”I see”
While dropping her gaze to the documents she picked up, Nine muttered in displeasure It seemed only Nine understood why the flow of time in this room was unusual
Suddenly, Celica's behaviors na felt uneasy Before he knew it, she had snatched the paper that had the diagra it intensely for soh enthusiasm to bore a hole in it
When he looked at Nine, she was also staring with a griathered up that was scattered on the floor before
Ragna had a bad feeling
”Celica?”
He softy called out to the tensed-up girl as just beside him
Celica's shoulders juna with such an anxiety that would make her tremble anytime soon
”Ragna This”
”Soerous written here?”
Celica shook her head for so many times
As ifunbelievable, she pointed at the writing that slanted upward badly as it went on, so bad you couldn't even pretend to say it was good And then she gulped before starting to speak
”This is Father's handwriting”
In other words, Shuuichirou Ayatsuki's
Sona, Mitsuyoshi+, and Clavis had been seeking after
Ragna's expression took a steep turn
”You sure?”
”Yeah I don't have any doubt I remember it very well”
Celica intensely stared at the diagram she held, but then also looked at it with affection The footprints of the father she had been looking for were surely there
Ragna once again looked up at the gigantic instru them When he took a nificence was overwhel
”Then, your old man created this?”
”At the very least, I think the design here was made by Father”
”So in the end, what's this thing? It's too fancy for an interior”
The ceiling above the silver and green nail was built exceptionally tall The supporting chains were connected to several pulleys When examined, they should be used to raise the nail even further up
Celica took a glance at the diagram
”It see written here that explains what it's for, but”
Just as Celica was about to speak, a loud noise interrupted
Everyone looked back all at once Nine had read the docuna and Celica, also from Trinity It was the sound of a bundle of papers thrown onto thedevices
The five-centimeter thick docu its strength, it once again scattered on the cold floor
Nine stoth She put all the hatred from her heart
”Don't mess with me JUST HOW ROTTEN IS YOUR MIND!!?”
Having been stoely torn up The panicked Celica tried to save the documents from her older sister's feet
”Onee-chan, what are you doing!? These are Father's”
”They are! That man undoubtedly wrote those! And also the blueprint and data containing the concept of that instrueous and no joke No one but that !”
”Hold on a moment Tell me your reason properly I'm completely clueless as to why you suddenly snapped”
Ragna forcedly interrupted both of theathered the documents from the floor and held them to her chest, to stand
In thethat was disturbed by her excessive anger Even so, to vent her unsettled emotion, she struck the ith her fist
Worried, Trinity gently touched Nine's back She took that chance to finally suppress her fury by biting her lips
”The Boundary is filled with the substance called seithr The seithr was always overflowing continuously from that damned hole of a Cauldron It's reasonable to think that the being from the Boundary called the Black Beast was also heavily influenced by the seithr”
”That information is extremely uncertain”
”It can't be helped nobody wants to get close to the Black Beast And its re you can carelessly approach”
To have one of the Ten Sages of the Mage’s Guild say that, he couldn't just easily disanizations had their hands full on dealing with the daes caused by Black Beast They weren't in the position to just settle down and begin an investigation
And then by not having any decisive ability to oppose the Black Beast, they would just be in disarray when facing another one of the Black Beast's destruction The vicious cycle happened on a global scale, with its end yet to be seen
”Let's get back to the topic See, the Boundary and the Black Beast are like ais used to halt the flow of the seithr”
With a stern expression, Nine looked at the exceptionally fascinating artifact
Some kind of unrest drifted frona and Celica's faces stiffened in nervousness
”What will happen when the seithr's flow gets stopped?”
”It's simple Basically”
Nine sluggishly opened her na's question
But as her words were on their way out, another voice followed on instead
”Basically We will be able to stop the activities of the Black Beast”
For some reason, a hoarse male's voice could be heard from the room's entrance that was left open until now
Part 2
It wasn't the voice of the people in this roona turned around and drew the sword from his waist
But immediately, there was hesitation in the tip of that sword
Nine had ic and caused the bulky ular fra there
With an unhealthy appearance, his skin was engraved with deep wrinkles, as if it were coated with them The hair was also inally, his age should have been within his forties, or what had been said as the first half of the prime ti hiue that one past his sixties
The figure wore dust-stained pants and a shi+rt with a slightly dirty white robe of top of it It was like he had been secretly living for about six years within the deserted underground ruins
His flat and narrow glasses were a bit bent with a save an impression of nervousness
He was Shuuichirou Ayatsuki
Ragna could hear the noise of Celica taking a breath beside him
”Father!?”
No sooner after she called him, Celica leaned forward and ran off As she ran, she intensely stared at the figure in disbelief
”Are you really my father?”
His appearance was considerably different from what Celica remembered
Although he had always looked unhealthy after he shut himself within a research institute, he never looked this h he had a slender build, he was never so thin that he ht not have appeared youthful, but his eyes were never sunken so deep
His appearance had coed too much for what six years could have done
The white-robed and spectacledCelica's body as if he weresure of it And then he clumsily raised his lips
”It seems I'm able to meet you once more Looks like the heavens haven't abandoned me yet”
The pitiful and hoarse voice was of course different from what Celica remembered, but the somewhat cynical accent he passed was of her dearest father
Even if he was unexpectedly old, he was unmistakably her father
”Thank goodness You're really alive I' for you But why? If only you had contactedall these six years I'd have rushed to your place anytime”
She had finally ht were mixed with tears It overflowed as she broke down
Shuuichirou responded with a clumsy smile However, his feeble body couldn't even raise his arm to caress her Instead, his body sunk to the wall He stared at the daughter with muddy eyes
All the communication lines with the outside were cut off The protective suit which purpose was to withstand the severe air pollution on the outside was entirely daed The only means to reach the exit that was on the upper level part was only by staircase But the exhausted Shuuichirou couldn't possibly climb it to the top
At first, it was possible to pick up the radio signal from the outside However, the nuclear attack erased the established signal
For six years, nobody had coet out He was always alone in the deep underground Thinking of the loneliness, Celica's spine trembled with shi+vers
”I'lad I was able to find you”
His loneliness should have ended now Celica wiped her wet cheeks with her palht smile to cheer up her father
Relief She felt the anxiety she had been holding was ht for her to search for him after all
From behind her, harsh words stormed in
”Celica! Get away from that man!”
It was Nine Celica turned around with a bewildered expression
Those words were too much for someone who finally met her father But Nine was completely serious, or rather she revealed her fierce hostility toward her father
”Onee-chan?”
”Coht this instant Do not approach that man”
”But why? He's really Father! He's alive!”
Celica went against the older sister's words and held her father's hand The fingers on the completely dried up hand were stiff like a tree bark But there was certainly warmth within the hardened muscles
But clohly shook off their hands
”Hey, you!”
As one would expect, thinking her action wrong, Ragna raised his voice in disapproval
But he was silenced by a sharp glare from Nine
”Get away from him!”
She yelled again This tiu it forcibly fro that ti Celica
Toward the stabbing,attitude from Nine, Shuuichirou looked up and watched her with an annoyed gaze His lips smiled
”Konoe, huh”
”Don't say my name so casually”
With unwavering hostility, Nine rejected her father
”We undoubtedly finally h the trouble, so answer o, what kind of experiment did you do here? No, not that Why did you create this object?”
The object Nine talked about was filling up the majority of the rooreen patterns
A while back, Shuuichirou said so able to stop the activities of the Black Beast
Shuuichirou raised his blank eyes He looked at the object that was peacefully sleeping Then he moved his heavy, dried-up lips
”I've wondered if it ht happen We have failed The object we've constructed was lost in the Cauldron Instead, we've invited fear”
Once, the Taka it, an object was created with the purpose to supposedly directly interfere with the Boundary However, what appeared was a
Shuuichirou'sfar away
”It was certainly the Sheol Gate According to what he said, what exists beyond it was probably hell I was always terrified What would happen if ere to fail? Before I noticed, ht Because of that possibleseithr fro to it”
Shuuichirou lifted his stiff arms and stretched his hands toward said instrument
”It was this Kushi+nada's Lynchpin”
The object called the lynchpin that had unith silently stood beautifully It was as if it was in deep slumber
The hands that had stretched to the lynchpin fell down
The back that had been leaning to the as slipping Shuuichirou's thin, weak body sat down above the cold floor His body was no longer holding up
”FATHER!?”
Celica rushed and slipped through Nine's side She kneeled beside her father She kneould only give her a temporary peace of mind, but Celica still put her hands on her father's chest and perforic
Celica possessed an exceptionally natural talent in healing ic But still, she currently couldn't heal wounds that weren't visible She couldn't heal illness Further Shuuichirou's body wasn't an ordinary illness
”Quit wasting your h concentration of seithr It is too late to do anything about it”
It was seithr poisoning Like how alkaline neutralized acid, seithr could neutralize harmful substances But just like alkaline could be har exposed to too much seithr could also be poisonous to one's life
”Perhaps, this is the end,” Shuuichirou told his teary eyed daughter He th toward the hand that had fallen once and placed it on Celica's shoulder
”Listen well Celica My lynchpin could close that hole That ly affected by the Boundary It's only temporary, but it should be able to stop all of its activities”
”Fa-Father?”
Suddenly, heat was co from Shuuichirou's voice Despite that his body was about to be depleted of his existence, only the hand that had been grabbing Celica's shoulder was strangely powerful
It was like he wanted to entrust so really important
”I was alaiting for you For you to come here, I was always”
Growing impatient, Nine tried to separate the father's hand that had been grabbing her younger sister's shoulder
But Shuuichirou's thin are Rather, because it absolutely wouldn't let go, his fingertips forcefully dug into Celica's shoulder
”This is my final research It needs your power for it to be completed Your”
”Release Celica!”
Nine yelled as if she were striking hiry voice, Shuuichirou's body was slammed to the wall that was just behind him
Unbelievably, her biological father was bloay by a shockwave
Celica tried to blaone too far
But before she could speak her discontent, a low laughter disturbed the cool air
”Huhu haha My lynchpin will seal the ht tosurpassed his”
He was talking to hi held by only his willpower, already couldn't be ainst the wall, Shuuichirou looked up at the ceiling and laughed
Looking at her father who sounded so triu her froain, she forcibly pushed Celica behind
As she got startled all of a sudden, Celica twisted her feet, but Ragna immediately held her
Everyone hadn't separated their eyes from Shuuichirou
”You're disgusting as usual It isn't about anything like the world, humanity, or the Black Beast You just want to show off the result froenius person, don't you?”
”Yes, indeed I'm a scientist Isn't that obvious? I was always frustrated I was no enius under any circumstances He was undoubtedly the only necessary person for our research and experiments I was no more than an extra”
The blood-related daughter despised hiet through to Shuuichirou He ht have put his pride on top of his comprehension
Shuuichirou'sto it
”He hadmy lynchpin”
If his body were able to move, he probably would present both of his ar it
Despite the hoarse voice being barely able to be understood, his trena, Celica, Nine, and Trinity's nerves to convulse, as if he were holding their collars
”Isn't it nificent? It is My lynchpin is the last option for humanity”
After his pale lips carved a smile, Shuuichirou ceased to move Like an old man, his eyelids fell down before anyone knew it, snatching away the lynchpin from Shuuichirou's pupils
But perhaps the brilliance froure had been burned at the back of his eyelids
”Father?”
After a little while, Celica called him with tearful voice There was no response