Vol 2 Chapter 3 (1/2)
Chapter 3: Cry for what?
That night, she was cleaning the floor by herself with a cloth
All kinds of noises, signifying the gears were at work, filled the Engine Roo, as the noises she heard the previous night while cleaning kept distracting her Now? It didn't bother her anyloves, the cloth, the blackened foam of the soap, and the dirty floor that stayed dirty no matter how hard she worked at it
In truth, Nina wasn't looking at anything
According to the student in charge of the Engine Roo the City Police' ular job when he already had to clean the Engine Rooets sick)
What would happen to the 17th platoon?
The teaot sick
(NoThis is too strange)
She had expectations for Layfon when he first joined the platoon, but they were lower then She had only seen him as a particularly brilliant Kouhai in the Military Arts, but what she now anticipated was the level of his fighting skill
She didn't think it rong for her to expect hier than she first thought he was This was the truth, and it wouldn't be right to ignore that reality She would use what could be used There was nothing wrong with that way of thinking
(I've alanted to find a solution)
Sharnid and Felli were the sath but not the drive Nina wondered whether her expectations of them asted
The team she had formed was not the team she had in mind
But she didn't wish for a perfect teaed since then
nobody was better as a sniper than Sharnid She hadn't seen the true worth of Felli's Psychokinesis, but the girl's ability h for the Student President to recoe and skill in Dites hadn't failed her
Nina thought all she needed was for herself to becoer
But
Layfon appeared
(That power)
In Grendan, a place with ainst filth monsters than any other city, Layfon had become one of the Twelve Heaven's Blade successors
(Is scary)
That day when the filth ht she'd die as food for the larvae She thought she had no way of resisting the principle of natural selection that ruled the world
Nina ca in a city facing the end of its journey, Nina had for she held was frail in the face of the gigantic wave of filth monsters
Layfon had pushed back that wave He wiped out all the larvae and killed the mother all by hi on the other side of the air shi+eld – in a place where the air was polluted, filled with harmful substances
Was he human?
And she was relieved when he collapsed
Yes, he really was hued city and for Layfon to recuperate in the hospital had wiped away her feelings of that ti
The 17th platoon could operate as the ideal tea as they had Layfon's power
(ButWe still lost the match)
They lost to the 14th platoon in the platoon match
The captain of the 14th platoon said it wouldn't work if only Layfon was strong
(ThenJust what should we do?)
Nina was confused The 14th platoon had used teamwork to win Was that what the 17th platoon needed? But she held no expectations for that to appear any time soon Her experience with the team, from the moment when it was first formed till now, told her it was not possible
(What should I do)
Despair must have come to her thenNina must have realized what the team needed when the filthcame to her when she was helpless
There could be no teath
A tug
”Uht her attention back to the present At soht weight had settled on her shoulders and the back of her neck She reached back and felt so soft
”Oh, it's you”
She took hold of the thing and pulled around to where she could see it
”GeezDid you run away again?” She smiled
Zuellni returned an innocent smile
The city's consciousness, a consolidated form of electric particles, protected the people fro it gently Nina relaxed at that guileless face
”YouWhy do you like et a reply
And as Nina had known, Zuellni only sns of whether she had understood Nina's words
”Yeah, I shouldn't need to think about that”
This kid really loved the people living in this city Nina wasn't anyone special She had only accepted Zuellni under a chance circumstance, so the Electronic Fairy often ca Nina's face
Zuellni wanted to be touched in turn
The consciousness itself, rather than its physical manifestation in the for you was the best thing in my life”
And
”Because I met you, I want to protect you”
Nina ine Room Just like Layfon, she was shocked at the encounter She knew the city had a consciousness, but she had never guessed it took the forirl
”I can love this city because you're in this for cold-blooded Just viewexperience to touch, to understand another and laugh together I'm very happy”
That hy she wanted to protect Zuellni through her own hands
”Yesthat's right”
She held Zuellni close to her face The Electronic Fairy struggled as if she was itchy, then she pressed her nose on Nina's hair Her small nose touched Nina's ear lope The absence of breath was the difference between human and Electronic Fairy
”I'll protect you with er
How strong could humans become? Nina knew someone was far ahead of her
That, at least, was a level hu, Zuellni!” she murmured in Zuellni's ear
Zuellni shook Nina's hair, pouting in incomprehension
◇
”Ah!”
The sound stopped Felli's steps
This was the entrance to the Military Arts training coirl that Felli saw stood up from the steps She was Layfon's classmate – Meishen Trinden
”Ex-excuse at the teary-eyed Meishen, Felli wanted to ask whether her face was that scary, but on second thought she decided against it
(She ran away the last time too)
The last ti, so Felli asked her to co so incomprehensible, and had run away
(I know I'reat shock to Felli
”UmUh, well”
”What is it?”
Felli still replied in a deliberately coldMeishen
”Ah,” Meishen lowered her head
Felli knehat Meishen wanted to talk about
The letter
Besides the letter that Meishen had dropped when she fled, she – It wasn't possible for her to come and find Felli, especially all by herself
The letter was for Layfon
Felli had thought, for astamps from various cities and its worn out appearance, proof of its long journey, convinced Felli it wasn't a love letter
What she wanted to knohy Meishen had a letter for Layfon? And who irl's name
Felli couldn't hand the letter over like this She'd feel guilty for giving it back with signs that the letter had been opened
(As if I had peeked at the letter)
Felli thought so, leaving aside the fact that she did open the envelope and read the letter She still had it with her It'd be bad if her shi+fty brother found the letter in her roo
”Ah, excuse meExcuse me”
”If it's about the letter, I've already given it to hiFelli wondered She was tired of Meishen's stuttering and planned to say so, but what burst out of her htaway that it was a lie)
Then Meishen could have interpreted it as a ht of what to say, it was already too late
Meishen lifted her face, her disposition now bright and lively
”Thank you very much!”
Not a lie anyht I'h the entrance to the coive Layfon the letter before Meishen ive it to him?)
That was the probleave it to him, he'd know she had read it
(ReallyWhy?)
If it was anyone else's letter, she would have returned it with no interest at all
(Why did this letter come to my hand?)
She resented this unfair coincidence, but not the cause of it – Meishen The girl must have received the letter under so delivered to the wrong place
(damn)
”Felli”
Someone called her name as she cursed the postman who made the flawed delivery
It was Nina
”Lucky I ran into you I booked the battle arena We'll train over there today”
”All right”
”Please tell the others that I'll take care of the paperwork for borrowing the training drones”
”Ok”
Having greeted Felli quickly, Nina headed outside the training complex
(Battle arena?)
Just when annoyance at the conversation caood place)
nobody would find out if she placed the letter in the Locker Rooh that nobody knew Felli was the one who put the letter there
(Yes)
Felli hurried to the training facility She had decided on the )
She found herself getting irritated for having to lie and take up this troublesoet rid of the letter fro coht too much of it, too much of the person who sent this letter, of what Meishen was thinking when she picked it up, of whether Meishen had looked at the letter, of the expression Layfon would have when he received the letter
And the expression she herself showed after reading the letter
(I'll put this letter back quickly!)
She wanted this ione
Felli's hand pushed open the door to the training arena
◇
This thing was huge Too huge
”So what is it?” Sharnid asked
In the room were Layfon, Harley and Sharnid It wasn't that Sharnid came on tiain
Felli's lateness was usual though
”Well, this is for my research”
What cae sword
The sas removed from a niche on the trolley, and the sword's handle now rested near Layfon's chest It was as long as Layfon was tall It was a sword, but just a wooden sword A feires were twisted around the blade
”Layfon, can you try wielding it?”
”Oh”
Flabbergasted at the huge blade, Layfon took up the handle and lifted the sith one hand
The heavy weight pressed down on his wrist
”How does it feel?”
”A bit heavy, but I can use this”
He waited for the two others to retreat to the wall and then swung down the blade
The weight of the sword and the centrifugal force of the swing caused him to lose his balance
”Uain and let internal Kei run through his body
This strengthened his flesh, increased the density of his htness of the air He swung again
A lol ru
”Woah!” Harley called as the gale swept past his position
Layfon's consciousness had already drifted away from the outside world after Harley's outburst He tried different ht Sudden stab The howling of the raging wind do fro thanks to the centrifugal force He immediately knew he had to handle this weapon differently, but it wasn't possible to use that move in this narrow space
”Hu”
Layfon stoppedKei and heat inside him
”Are you satisfied?”
Layfon almost sed back his breath at that icy voice
Felli stood at the door Her elegant brow furrowed Her cold gaze pierced him
”Thank you for all your hard work”
”Yeah! It was hard!”
The silver hair that seeled up like a typhoon
”This long hair”
”Ah, yes?”
At the edge of his vision, Layfon saw Sharnid and Harley running as far away as they could fro to do with theh to whistle deliberately
No, forget Sharnid, even Harley ran away Just as going on
”Were you listening?”
”Sure”
”Really? This hairIt's hard work to comb it everyday Yes, very, very hard”
”UhIs that soThat ”
”Ha! Hahaha” All he could do was laugh dryly What else should he say? Nothing
No, there was so
”I'y”
No hesitation at all
”Aaaah, isn't this fine? Look, Layfon regrets what he did”
”No ht this thing in, weren't you?”
”Sorry,” Harley lowered his head, shot down in an instant
Felli sighed ”Nevermore iot per over there today”
”Wow, that's sudden”
”I don't get it either”
Without changing her foul mood, she disappeared to the other side of the door
Released frohed at the same time
(Ohthe battle arena)
”Senpai”
”Yes”
Layfon spoke softly to hiht, I'll ask”
”Thanks”
”What're you two talking about?”
”Just talking about the sword”
”Oh”
Sharnid looked at the huge sithout much of an interest as it was placed back on the trolley
”ButWhy did you have to ?”
”AhIt's the issue with the density of the foundation No matter how it's calculated, the size cohter”
”Oh, so you'reisn't your specialty, is it Harley?”
”Yeah, anizing infors, but et was only approved on the condition that ork on this project with three people”
”RightSounds annoying”
”That'syou're stupid I just don't know ,” Sharnid waved and left the rooether, they headed for the battle arena
Training ended without incident Layfon thought the cooperation of the team as a whole was better than when he first joined He could feel Sharnid's eyes when he was providing support froh not as fast as the time when the filth monsters attacked Zuellni, it wasn't as slow as before either
They had three rounds of ainst the drones They won all threethey could co Even so, Nina's distant expression remained
”Well, we'll stop here for today”
”Uh, thanks for the hard work, everyone”
”Thanks for the hard work”
The review session in the Locker Room ended sloppily under Nina's announcement As usual, Sharnid headed instantly for the bathroole drop, took up her bag and left the roo complex to train with Nina
This was because the team needed its two primary attackers to work closely If they couldn't develop a chemistry between the was just talk
”Layfon”
”Yes?”
”You can go back today”