Vol 1 Chapter 3 (1/2)

Chapter 3: Training

I've finally settled down How are you over there? It's irritating how cities can only reat if we could just call, but how do you fix a line between cities? If that could be done, the cities would probably trip on the cables

Honestly, I' at the Mechanical Departet used to these irregular hours sooner or later Right now, all I can do is keep at it

School life is all right But I haven't hadto you and doing so now Ok, this is reality, so I can only accept your laughter I really regret it

Froo of the Heavens Blade, I've turned back into someone normal Except, it's difficult to make a fresh start So A voice insideMaster won't let it Her Majesty won't allow it Even I don't agree with it Letting go of the Art of Katana wasiven by letting go of the Katana was et it all

That's just an excuse Everything is I'm really useless

I won't send this letter It isn't worth reading

◇

”Are you ok?” Mifi asked

It was now lunch break Layfon bent over the table He didn't even have the strength to go buy bread

Mifi drained the pre-packageda foot, tossed the packet into the rubbish bin The packet flew through the air and fell into the bin as if it was sucked into it

” Mifi-chan, you're dirty,” Meishen protested

The nored Meishen, who had her handkerchief pressed to the side of her head Meishen was also looking at Layfon

” Are you all right?”

”Yeah, I'm fine”

Even Layfon hi at all He saw bags under his eyes in thea bit down

”Talking about yourself with that expression You're so unconvincing”

Naruki returned to the classroos and placed one before Layfon

”Here I just picked whatever since I didn't knohat you like”

”Ah, sorry Thanks”

”No worries Reh”

Naruki smiled as she took back the money fro from the harness

”So what's the reason? Work at the Mechanical Departly good”

Layfon got up slowly and took a bite of the bread fro The dryness of the bread was uncomfortable He inserted the straw into the packet of ? Was it hard?”

Mifi took out another packet ofand inserted a straw into it

The three girls sat down in the chairs around him He smiled bitterly and sucked milk from the straet the inside of hisplatoon ,” Naruki nodded

”Platoon match?”

”Ah, I know I heard about it before, but I've forgotten, so I'm not really sure,” Mifi raised the same question as Meishen Naruki started her explanation

As for Layfon--

(Naruki speaks like a senpai Do all fe of this, Layfon didn't take in anything being said around him

”I've talked about the platoon matches before They're to deterher your rank is, the et in the Military Arts Co?”

”Of course That ed Besides, you can really do so for Military Arts people to take pride in”

The way she put it felt like it had nothing to do hat she was talking about

”But isn't that dangerous? If it was erous place”

”That's coz you're thinking of it froet to run a ht?”

”Oh, I see”

”If it's Meishen, you'll also do your best in your cake shop, right?”

”Yeah”

They both understood now

”To get good nity, but also about the evaluation of strength In strategic planning, you've got to really know your own strengths Like whose ability is the best, which platoon excels, those kinds of things So the best way to get a better understanding of all that is to create real war-like situations, , the platoon est? That sounds like a little kids' fight”

Layfon couldn't help but agree with Mifi Who is the strongest? Thinking how he got hiht, he couldn't s his bread

”The matches aren't conducted in the manner of knockout matches The purpose isn't to see ins the most est Still, we can't deny that some people really care about the matches The th and precision of the teaet prize ularly take top place in the General Studies' test

”A topic not related to me has appeared”

Mifi puffed up her face, and the two other girls s hard?” Meishen asked cautiously with anxiety in her eyes

”Yeah, um~~”

They'd know even if he denied it, but it looked pretty bad to adue wordings Men really are proud creatures This saddened him He could only s coz he likes it, so you don't have to force yourself to train so hard! It's best to just pretend, since training is tiring,” Mifi concluded, after finishi+ng her third packet ofat her bread and eyeing Layfon suspiciously

He didn't train because he liked it

That was the truth He didn't like Military Arts anymore No, seriously, he had never liked Military Arts It was so he had already lost

It was the saain as lost

Wolfstein Layfon's title that the Student President used, was also one of the things he had lost It was not possible to get it back

The Student President was seeking that which could not be taken back

And, the Nina who knew nothing of it

”That's right”

Layfon returned his attention to the room

”Oh, yes”

”Huh?” from Mifi In her hand was a fourth packet of milk

”Do you just drink rily conveyed her need to overcoave hi

◇

Nina's iaze stabbed his face

Even so, he couldn't help it In the battleground reserved for Military Arts students, Layfon held the restored Dite in his hands, a feeling of directionless uncertainty rising inside hireen Dite for hiht For he as hiding in the bushes, the geht of the blade ainst the trunk of a tree and controlled his breathing His heartbeat had to be regular, or else the training ularity and attack hi Layfon Though he didn't feel that he was responsible in any way, he was the only one here Both Felli and Harley aiting for orders in the rear

Sincethe Electronic Fairy Zuellni at the Mechanical Department, Layfon had not seen a smile on Nina's face

Sharnid was the first reason behind her irritation He was late for training He totally ignored her harsh reproach and didn't even reflect on his actions All he did was utter a casual ”sorry” with dissatisfaction and Restore his weapon

Sharnid's weapon was a sniper rifle On top of the light and white Dite was a large scope It'd be impossible to avoid the automatic machine's attack without Sharnid's support

Layfon still felt uneasy

He had no idea what Sharnid's range was The breathing irregularity could be because of that He relaxed his breath

Next was the unease that came from his uncertainty of the enemy's location

The last teaence support The doll-like, silver-haired, beautiful girl used a half-transparent staff that was s that looked like flakes which were scattered when the staff was in operation

Felli had the power of Psychokinesis She could h Psychokinesis, she could scatter the flakes over large areas to obtain intelligence and convey the information to her team members

”Two responses at point 1005”

Felli's light and faint voice sounded through Layfon's earpiece This was also an ite Felli's Psychokinesis, so it was harder for enelances, Layfon and Nina rushed out of the bushes An arm s, then a robot shaped like a barrel with a wooden knife fitted onto its wrist was spraying red paint everywhere

”Too slow!” Nina called as she retreated After collecting herself, she lashed out at the machine with her iron whips, and Layfon headed for the other autoht He et so Nina could concentrate on her fight

As if to answer his prediction, the other robot was about to swing down its weapon The fake wooden axe chopped doards Layfon's head He took a step back and felt the passing of air at the tip of his nose

Unexpectedly, he got hiht with anothertype Layfon ”uh”-ed at that fact and dipped his head to avoid the axe

Distracted by another long-range attack fro her opponent, Layfon was unable to rily into her trans, she knocked off the colored wooden knife and struck the machine with her other iron whip

Now that Nina had won, Layfon didn't knohat to do next Should he lead the ene he couldn't block the fire froet of the enemy, and besides, he didn't have the confidence to ith her In addition, once the captain was defeated, they'd lose the erConfusion caused Layfon's movement to slon He did avoid the axe, but the way he did it looked so ridiculous that even he was angry about it

He'd lost his balance

At that ht he couldn't avoid the next strike He felt the sa-distance shot cah the air

Spattered withdispleased Everyone was tired The scene had nowRoom With both wrists on his knees, Layfon sat tiredly on a chair, looking at the floor Sharnid laid down on a bench, his eyes covered by a towel Felli was the only one with a cal it

Nina stood before theh

”We just foro, so I understand we can't yet coordinate well I clearly understand that,” Nina sighed, and relaxed her shoulders

Then she asked each person:

”Sharnid, why didn't you cover Layfon?”

”It's not that easy to avoid shooting your own teammate It's not possible with the kind of coordination we're ai for, if we can't even breathe on the sa ofa coht with the enemy scares me,” Sharnid waved his hand

”Really?” She looked at Layfon

”Layfon, why didn't you lead the enemy to me?”

”If the captain fell then we'd have lost I could act as bait and draw out the enemy”

”You should have let me make that decision”

”Yes, but there wasn't tie, so he didn't have the leisure to wait for her order

”Felli, your searching speed was too slow Couldn't you be faster?”

”That was my limit”

Felli's reply was unusually cold Her refusal to respond was like a whip across Nina's face Would she howl out in anger? That thought tensed Layfon's shoulders, but Nina re this silence would last? Eh he felt suffocated, he didn't feel like breaking that atmosphere

He was already exhausted

But

”ExcuseHe immediately noticed the atlared at him

”Ahahah, I ca of the Dite,” he replied, scratching his head Perhaps speaking up helped him to make up his mind Harley carried his box to a chair and opened it

”Since he's used it for a few days, I think I can get sos done If anyone else feels your weapon needs adjusting, you can let !” Sharnid sat up slowly

”Harley's settings are perfect That I can be so relaxed is all thanks to you”

”Mine's ok,” Felli shook her head

”Really? That's great Nina?”

”No If there's a need, I'll let you know”

”Sure”

What happened next was just the sound of gears being laid out on the floor In this very short period of ti Harley's azes, but Harley started to whistle happily

The atmosphere became more relaxed

No, perhaps they were only tired of the embarrass

”Where are you going?”

”The training's finished, right? Even if we're going to have a o back after a shower Got a date afterwards”

”What!”

”Then I'

”Aaaah, Felli's not gonna wash away your sweat?”

”I don't sweat ashereat row upSharnid's teasing, Felli left the rooed and headed for the shower room

With his head on his hands, Layfon watched Nina standing there He had nothing to say to her Her shoulders were treht him

But he felt he couldn't stay silent anyears, Harley sees Nina's face showed she didn't kno to end this aardness

”U what to say

”We have to practice a formation You come over when you're done”

Nina walked out The irritating sound of the door closing affected the air of the rooood if she cal

Layfon smiled in return

”Seriously, Nina can act calmly, but she's impatient now That can't be helped”

His face full of smiles, Harley wrapped a wire around Layfon's Dite

”Senpai really understands her”

”Kind of We're childhood friends”

”OhHuh? But I remember Senpai”

She said she ran away from home

”Haha, ran away from home? Do you think she wouldn't know anybody at the place she ran away to?” Harley said cheerfully

That was true

”Uh, that's true Why didn't I think of that?”

But on second thought, he knew the reason Nina ca deterave off a proud and lonely air

So he felt she didn't know anyone here

The other reason was that he didn't know anyone here from Grendan

(Ah, so that's why Her situation's different fro secretly at hi of Nina Besides, the other three girls that he knew also came from the same city He felt helpless with his slow intuition

As per Harley's instruction, he restored his Dite The wire around the Dite conveyed its information to theat the number on the display

”Why did senpai want to form a platoon?”

”Do you find it hard to believe?”

”Senpai's only a third year, isn't she? I heard that most of the platoon captains are fourth year or above Hasn't she still got time?”

”Yeah, if you look at the study years, then there's still time,” Harley nodded ”But who knohether this city still has ti on the keyboard, Harley asked, ”You know right? You should have heard of it from the Student President”

”Yes”

”He said it was to er, but he did all that to increase our fighting strength”

”Is that it?”

”That's right, but I don't think that's all of it He's stubborn”

”Ah, let's leave the Student President aside for now”

Harley clapped his hands, pulling Layfon back into reality His face had turned green just by re the nasty memories about the Student President

”The time Nina spends here is important to her You should know since you heard of her running away”

Layfon nodded Nina had said that she wanted to see what a majority of people couldn't see: the world outside the city

”That's a precious experience Yes, it's a precious experience to come to a city run by students only, but it's even more precious an experience to understand the outside world A lot of people can never experience that”

Even so, there were nuh to conduct the Military Arts Coht for fuel In other words, this was the proof that the city had enough number of students

This told Layfon that there were ht

But a majority of people would never see each other Even Layfon didn't know everyone at Grendan Grendan had a population of about a hundred thousand people

But if people lived in the same city and wanted to meet up, they could Perhaps if they desired to see each other, even with the filththe earth, they could see the person of another city But he couldn't place the level of difficulty of those two types ofbus just to see another city

It's extreerous

Nu back and forth in an isolated world Thinking of this, it felt so unbelievably hard to coht have never iven the chance to ?”

”Nina doesn't want to lose that experience, so she'd try everything within her power Nina's the type of person to act”

”So please don't hate her too much,” Harley added

Layfon didn't think he hated her

Afterward, he headed alone for the training co roo to arrive as it was close to the battleground

Layfon felt a heavy weight on his shoulders as he neared the entrance of the training coht No, he knew he had a burden there He just didn't want to realize that it was on him

If they lost in this Military Arts Competition, the city would lose its fuel source In other words, the city's consciousness that he came across at the Mechanical Department – that cute Electric Fairy would face its death

What a tragic thing

But he couldn't really feel that happening Just like the clear scene reflected in the glassy surface of the door to the training co in another city He couldn't comprehend the fact that what he did would have a direct ih the door and headed for the training roo rooned to contain the varied powers of the Military Arts students, but it didn't seeive up?”

He heard this just as he was about to open to the door to the training room of platoon 17

He stopped

There were other students in the room besides Nina

Three males surrounded her The tension in the air caressed Layfon's skin His wrist moved towards his weapon harness on its own

Nina's arhtly She stared at the three students with an icy gaze, hiding her emotions

The conversation continued No one seemed to have noticed Layfon

”You should kno that it's not easy to forht in front of Nina said

”And your members are Sharnid, who can't coordinate ith his ability, and two others that the Student President forced into Military Arts Morale itself is already a problem Do you really think you can form a team with those people and lead the down on Military Arts”

The target person wasn't hi down into his sto the Internal type Kei It was the opposite of External type burst Kei The Internal type Kei could directly affect one's body

The voice with Kei made Nina tremble

”Let me say this for the last time Join our teaement and hard defence Besides, you only need to be in our tea, but her eyes showed she was not afraid and threatened

She didn't look at the hand stretching towards her She stared right in the eyes of the young man

”I thank you for your invitation Let h evaluation,” she said firmly

”But if I still want to test my ability No matter how badly I look in others' eyes, I still want to test th”

Her resolute answer tightened up the atain This time it wasn't the person before – probably the captain of the 3rd platoon, but the other two people

Layfon held his breath

The captain of the 3rd platoon sighed

”I knew you'd give me that answer”

He relaxed his shoulders The other two also lowered their hostility

”I feel you're wasting your ability really, why did the Student President accept your unreasonable teaize It's not a bad thing for the city if you becoer”

”But, I hope you understand that this city doesn't have the tirow”

” I understand”

”Good”