Vol 3 Chapter 4 (1/2)
Chapter 4: The darkness of gushi+ng water
Even if he wanted to forget what had happened on that day, he couldn't To Layfon, it was a branching point of his fate, and to Leerin, it was the usual end of a day The curtain of the stage fell on that day
It was a fine day, as if nothing unfortunate would happen during it The tiles of the roof used for rainy days were spread out in the audience seats at the battle arena, bouncing back the glare of the sun The shadow of Queen Alsheyra could be seen through the thin curtain on the stage, and before her stood eleven Heaven's Blade successors
The twelfth stood in therose fro Heaven's Blade successor waited in the arena, his Heaven's Blade already restored as he regulated his breathing with eyes closed
Leerin watched with the kids froirls put their hands together in anxiety, as if they were praying The young boys stirred in their seats, their hands balled into fists They were all calling ”Nii-san” (brother) Leerin confirht, then turned her attention to Layfon
Today'smatch as to whom the title of 'Heaven's Blade successor' would be bestowed upon
There were only twelve Heaven's Blade successors The only time when a vacancy appeared hen a Heaven's Blade successor died and a match was conducted to decide on the next Heaven's Blade successor The other way to becoious twelve hen the Military Artist who topped the year's fight record was appointed for a match with a Heaven's Blade successor of his choice, and won in that ory
The challenger hadn't yet shown hiht for a Heaven's Blade, the current Heaven's Blade successor was usually the one to appear first in the arena
Leerin couldn't see Layfon's face as he was facing her with his back, but she could see hih to put a stir in Leerin's heart
She kneorried in the recent days He was always sht the shadows flitting past his face She kneorried, but she didn't ask hi as hard as usual and he was obviously avoiding being alone with her
She had finally found a chance to be alone with hiot up and went to the kitchen for soh the corridor, she saw hied her route and headed for him
”Layfon”
”You're still awake”
Layfon wasn't surprised at all He must have noticed her when she entered the corridor
”Yeah, I'm not sure why Layfon too?”
”A little”
”Could you be worried about tomorrow's match?”
”That's part of the reason My opponent was trained by the Luckens, from which another Heaven's Blade successor was raised He'll be harder to beat than other opponents”
His voice was dry and irritated She knew in the blink of an eye that that wasn't the reason behind his anxiety
”But you won't lose”
”Of course not”
As expected
Although he was indecisive about a lot of other things, he was full of confidence and arrogance when it came to Military Arts Because of this reason, he had very few friends outside the orphanage This end result was because of his being a Military Artist, a Heaven's Blade successor when he was outside the orphanage – Layfon Wolfstein Alseif
nobody knew the side of his He picked up babies and paced around to keep theht to look after Leerin who had a high fever He stopped going to school in order to earn ry Leerin, he flattered her like a dog to make her happy Whether she was sad or happy, he was always by her side
No one No one understood Layfon
But Leerin knew She knew very hen it cas associated with Layfon
So
”It'll end quickly,” Layfon s”
No one but Leerin would have noticed his heartbreaking back as he strode away
”The challenger, Gahard Baren!”
As the announcer shouted out the name, the Layfon on the screen opened his eyes
It was an extremely icy expression, an expression of a Heaven's Blade successor that would never appear in the orphanage
The challenger appeared on the screen He was in the same Military Arts school as the Luckens The restored Dites that had changed into armors enveloped his arms and feet
The Luckens family was a family of Military Artists, excellent in the Arts of hand to hand combat Gahard had been trained by that faht be two Heaven's Blade successors from the Luckens school was a hot topic before theand firm muscles showed on Gahard's sleeveless arms The difference between Gahard's and Layfon's body builds was the difference between that of an adult and a child
”Can Nii-san win?”
”Don't worry,” Leerin patted a younger girl's cheek ”Layfon is invincible”
She didn't care whether he could win or not What she worried about was his expression she saw yesterday night
(Layfon What are you thinking?)
More like, as he planning?
But she never guessed his plan
She thought she knew everything about him, but she still didn't knohat he had inhe had to ry and uneasy about herself for not understanding Layfon
”Begin!” the announcer called
Gahard readied his fight stance
Layfon raised his sword
The ht enclosed the arena The air vibrated and the ground echoed that vibration The entire arena shook, and Leerin hugged the younger brothers and sisters as they gathered close The keening of the arena ran through her head Fear ate into her heart
Silence ca silence in the air, Leerin lifted her head She watched the screen It showed nothing but rolling dust and sand
Layfon stood in thedown his blade naturally, the end of his finishi+ng move
Gahard had flown back to a corner of the arena along with sand and debris
”OhAh” His chilly screahed up blood His left hand treht hand
”AahAhhhhhhhhh”
Moaning with despair as he bled
Gahard's right hand was gone More like his entire right arone Blood pooled around him
”Ah, AhhhhhhhhhAhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”
The screen cleared
”Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!”
The screen showed the side of Layfon's face Within that icy expression, his muscle twitched
Gahard had exposed Layfon the next day to the entire population of Grendan The match became the best proof of Gahard's accusation
She re with Layfon, she would recall that day In that match, Layfon Wolfstein Alseif was turned back to Layfon Alseif
The day when she didn't understand Layfon
It wasn't that she hadn't wanted to ask why things turned out like that But she couldn't blame anyone Not Layfon, not father
She couldn't consider things like ”Just whose fault is it?”
If she didn't look for the reason behind this incident, but rather for the person involved in it, she ht have traced the cause back to the debris scattered on her clothes
That caseshe couldn't easily face
The time of peace continued No filth ed much around Leerin Savaris and Lintence's worry hadn't affected her She continued to enjoy her normal school life with Synola These were Leerin's current feelings
Protect That hat Savaris had said
To protect her froh she wasn't co to do with her Heaven's Blade successors would never protect a normal resident like Leerin this closely
ButItto do with the city
She pondered this question, but she didn't have a clue
Noise that didn't match the scenery of dusk drifted to her Leerin frowned
The noise ca in a flat-topped building It was a fa heavy As the sound of sparks scattering off contacted blades drifted into Leerin's ears, her stiff expression softened
She opened the door to the building and the sound pressed towards her
Inside the building, it looked much the sa protective gears practiced with training swords As a normal person, Leerin couldn't see the unseen force that sometimes hit her The wind inside the Dojo blew her hair around
She headed deeper into the Dojo to the audience stage
The person sitting in an audience seat nodded at her An aging male whose short hair was streaked hite Leerin nodded back and opened another door to head deeper into the Dojo
”ThenNext”
The waiting rooh space to live Leerin walked into the kitchen, checked the food in the freezer and thought of what to buy She picked up a shopping bag and the key to the ht what she needed in the shops nearby and returned to the kitchen to make dinner
The noise in the Dojo stopped when the s utensils, the people from the Dojo entered the kitchen in a racket
”Good work, father”
”Aye,” the person from the audience seat responded simply and sat down at the table
Derek Psyharden Leerin's adopted father
”There seeood Oh yes, did a letter come from the administration?”
”Yes”
”Really? Then let's look at it later”
The sound ofutensils spread out in the kitchen Derek was usually quiet, but his silence felt strange today
His apprentices were being noisy as usual, sitting around the table as if it was a war
Father had resigned as the Head of the orphanage He resigned and gave the position to soe, the place from where Layfon hailed, could avoid public attention The people living near the orphanage knew Derek's personality, so they didn't have much of a response to Layfon's event, and they came to the Dojo as usual, but it wasn't the sae also hailed froe In reality, the real Head was still Derek, but he didn't show hie and had iven permission to live in the Dojo once a week to look after hi over there?”
”Hm?”
”There shouldn't be a problee”
”I can't”
”People over there should have calh it all by now”
”PerhapsHowever, this is a problem of responsibility I'm Layfon's comrade To other people, I shouldn't appear in that place any s are”
The conversation ceased They didn't speak till the end of dinner
”Did anything strange happen recently?” Derek asked suddenly when she ashi+ng the dishes
”Huh?” Leerin's hands stopped their motion and she turned around
”What do youaard recently?”
”Aard? Is so?”
”Hm, it's difficult to explain It could be caused by a humanor could be not”
”What”
She wanted to laugh, but she couldn't
(Could it be)
Was this what Savaris eted?
But she wasn't sure whether this was linked to Layfon
”I have an i totally different How should I put itWell” he stood up, turned around to enter his roo
”Father,” she looked at hi a Dite
”Leerin, stay behind me”
”What?”
”There's a murderous intent in the airIt's here”
He pulled her behind hi one of the walls in the roo only stayed for one moment
The next moment, the wall had been destroyed
”Ha!”
Kei shot out froht wind blew in Leerin saw a huge hole in the wall
”Who?”
Water gushed out froh the hole and the gaps in between the high fence, Leerin saw so on the road outside the Dojo That person drew close to theht stance
Light in the rooure
” Huh?”
”What?
Both Leerin and Derek were duht aret him
In Layfon's last match
The one who had turned Layfon from a hero into a criminal
”Why”
That person appeared before herand in this situation
He hated, but he had no way of avenging himself
And he must still hate a certain person
”Gahard Baren,” Derek oat
Layfon restored his Dite
”Just whatis this thing?”
It was a strange feeling Nus like thefrom it overwhelmed the darkness around it It was about as tall as Layfon This wasn't soushi+ng out, showing no signs of stopping This was a warning Layfon knew fro stance and cautiously kept his distance frooat watched Layfon
(It doesn't look like a filth er fro before a human Was it temporarily full because it had already eaten fro Layfon had
The golden goat didn't seeht Still, Layfon was concerned about its eyes Those green eyes continued to watch him No e reflected in clear green pupils that were as cal
Those pupils weren't those of a normal beast It was like a human in the body of a beastThat htly held his sword
”You look different”
A sudden low voice entered Layfon's ears The voice shook the darkness they were in Layfon looked around for the source of it But there was nothing worth his attention around hi for the people in this territory? Then letto oat, but its ain ”My body is rotten It's useless Driven by mad hatred, my body's turned into flame I seek a new master You who I hope for, obey my wish Possess nasis into a sword, and burn your enemies into ashes”
”Were you the one who spoke? Who are you?”
Unknown terror filled Layfon Was this a trap? Could there be a Psychokinesist controlling it? But he didn't sense any Psychokinesist If there was one around, he couldn't have escaped Felli's attention
So this beast was the only thing here?
(I should knohat this is if I capture it)
He stepped forward
(Eh?)
He did step forward, but how cooat had not shortened? Did the goat ain and the distance between theed
”Why” He looked down at his feet
(How?)
His feet hadn't oat watched hie
(I can't ular, running norh his body and his sword He didn't have the exhaustion he had had while fighting the filth ain But why couldn't he move?
(Could ICould I!?)
Fear dooat's eyes shaking Ihttie, even if his vision was strengthened through Kei, he couldn't have seen it
But he felt he really did see it
Sooat had overwhelmed him
(ItIt's sed oat's existence that had sed him? If not, then why couldn't he oat said
Layfon didn't see its mouth move, as if the voice ca
”Whoare you?” he ed It was difficult to speak He increased his Kei, hoping that could break hi with his body Kei spilled out onto the ground, and the s yourself”
His consciousness clouded, but he didn't give up He was beginning to forget why he had to defeat the goat, but Kei still filled his body, spilling out fro by instinct His Kei flowed out for that sioal