Vol 4 Chapter 2 (2/2)
”This guy used to study in the same research institution as me”
”Huh?”
”He really likes wine, so he left”
”I'm sorry”
”What's so bad about that? It'stheir conversation, the owner had finished cooking chicken fried rice
”Uh~ That's too usual You could have wrapped it in egg”
”Shut up, you spoiled lady Drink up Drink up,” he placed two glasses in front them
”Ah, I”
”I know This is just a cocktail”
Sitting before Leerin was a glass of green liquid
(For some reason, I don't think this is healthy)
If she said that, the oould get angry Butthe green drink suited the atht, the ice inside the glass shone like gems
Gu~~~~~~
”Uu”
Her sto
”Ah ha ha ha ha ha!”
”Please don't laugh”
”Never hter and the owner's persuasion, Leerin took a spoon, her face red, and she started eating the chicken fried rice along with the cocktail
This was a world of green diamonds
Unable to see the customers' faces clearly, Leerin felt as if she was underwater She viewed everything with silence That was the world it was like Underneath the clear light, the owner gazed around, or it could be that the custo at the owner What an unbelievable world This was the feeling she got, as if she alking in a tunnel underneath an artificial lake
(Ah, how unrealistic)
As if her words leaped into the water, a sound of water floated to her ears
(I feel so at peace)
The anxiety within herfinished the rice, she drained the relass had already lass, but she refused If she kept on drinking, she would not be able to stay in this watery world For some reason, that was how she felt about it
”Well well, she's asleep”
After drinking three glasses of cocktail, Synola noticed Leerin had fallen asleep
”Speaking of which, don't bring in someone who isn't an adult yet,” the owner said
”I wonder anted to forget his troubles by getting drunk,” Synola ordered her fourth wine
”Anyone orries can coet reality at this ”
”I need a spare”
”Huh, I guessed so already Besides, itto be a kid when you find someone you like”
”What's so bad with it? It's enjoyable to observe a girl in love”
”What a strange hobby”
Synola smiled bitterly at that conclusion
◇
After parting from Layfon and the others at the restaurant, Sharnid headed alone to a noisier part of the area He didn't plan anything special He was just going to show hiht
The long night was a source of Sharnid's worries He had thought nureat it'd be if he could just ju There wasn't a need to take insoirl He just needed to spend his ti to use up time He just wanted to stay here At least that was how he thought of it
Sharnid left the shop and saw so a musical perfor the performer, and hid hi his eyes, he listened without putting too much heart in it
He didn't want to stand out toohis face in the inter-platoonafter hiht have wanted them to catch him too, but nobody came to chat with him now – because he didn't want them to find him He had naturally hidden his presence
On the street were the musical performer and the crowd, people who sold their handmade crafts, lovers who picked their favorite pieces The half-decent tune acco a was even softer than the music No matter which side it was, people were everywhere around Sharnid Standing in the midst of all that, Sharnid had closed his eyes as he felt the passing of time He listened carefully and waited quietly for the moment to come
Today, that moment came particularly earlier than usual
At that sound pouring through his ears, Sharnid opened his eyes Light leaped into darkness The light around the shops stabbed his eyes Aure that Sharnid atching had disappeared fro
Sharnid waited, and a golden light flashed past hi and curly hair, as if ready to attack at any ait Her chin was like a polished dagger Lips claazed ahead of her Always ahead
She walked past Sharnid Their gazes didn't overlap Would she have stopped if he had called out? Perhaps Shena had kept on walking ahead Just as she doing? Sure, there had to be an answer to this, but he was anxious to find out the answer
Feeling like laughing at his indecisiveness, Sharnid left the shadow of the door to follow her
She exited the busy street without hesitation Her pace didn't slow It seemed she had already made up herat her fearless back, a question floated up in Sharnid's mind, unbidden
(Could she be)
Tension surfaced in him Cautiously he kept his Kei inside him and followed her at a distance
They arrived at the outer area of Zuellni near the practicum area of the Construction course He remembered there were some shops around here when he first enrolled in the Academy City Few people would come to this place, but it ell-known because of its suitability as a hide-and-seek location However, when Sharnid had taken notice of this place, the shops were already closing down In the end, its one-year level of popularity was sustained by as in vogue in the Academy City
An explosion pulled hiot ready to fight The sound of the explosion was from a far distance Sharnid hid hi his Kei at the ready A horrifying presence flashed above his head
(Layfon, is it?)
That presence felt fa soures left his view of vision quickly It seeuy he was chasing She kepttowards the direction of the sound Sharnid used internal type Kei to strengthen his muscles and he leaped onto a rooftop after her
As he expected, her destination was around the shops The water guns put on display were bloay as Military Artists of the City Police rushed in
Sharnid strengthened his vision and confirht
The City Police surrounded one Military Artist, who got past the police enclosure with ease Sharnid saw Layfon chase after that guy, but he didn't otten away A fe person)
That wasn't so that she must not see Relieved, tension left his stomach
When he had recovered himself, he felt a presence at his back
”Why are you here?”
It was her So hard touched his back To think the person he had been chasing had doubled back to cohtly of hihtti today Don't you think it's quite an exciting night tonight?”
”I don't think so It's just a noisy and unco intent poured out behind him He raised his arms above his shoulders
”Don't move Even with the safety lock on, you won't last at this distance”
Sharnid turned around regardless He wasn't pierced through She held a lanceSharnid's in dissatisfaction
”Why are you here?” she asked again
”Didn't I say taking nighttime strolls is my hobby, Shena?”
”Don't call me by my name”
ShenaDalshena looked discontent Dalshena Che Matelna, the Vice Captain of the 10th platoon, who used to be Sharnid's comrade
”Have you noticed, Sharnid?”
”Noticed what?”
Only the two of theht of the question that no one else but only the two of the? I was just strolling alone and ended up here That's all Isn't it the saht Well, we ran into each other because of the ruckus”
With doubt in her expression, she put away the lance
”ThenSeeo,” Sharnid said, having glanced at the shop
”Sharnid”
He stopped in his steps
”Why did you leave us?”
Why? Just why? He had also asked himself that question nu thee trouble
”Don't you know?” he said
”I' because I don't know!”
”Really?”
”Uer, he couldn't help but laugh
”WhyDidn't ear? We decided to guard Zuellni together Have you forgotten?” she reproved hi the oath in my oay”
”Is the 17th platoon the answer?”
”Probably”
”Do you think you can better keep that oath by staying with the 17th platoon than with us?”
”I'm not sure about that, but”
”ButWhat?”
”Shena, so If you keep speaking like that, you'll end up like ?”
Sharnid didn't reply He headed in the direction back to his dor of thebehind Sharnid's words, or had she already tossed it away and continued on her path
Just keepforward That phrase was the most suitable for Dalshena Throay all burdens and keepforward towards the roads ahead Dalshena Che Matelna was the most suited to this phrase
”AhGeez”
He was so laughable to hope for her to look back at hiht
◇
The rumble of an explosion woke Nina frothening her ears to listen to any sounds, she dressed herself in the sports unifor by her bedside and left her room Outside the dormitory, waves of Kei assaulted her
”It should be fro
The Kei frohting?)
As she ran, she pulled out the Dites and restored theht now Why was there a fight around here? All she understood was that Layfon was fighting This was enough of a reason to propel Nina forward
However, this level of KeiThanks to Layfon's training, Nina ed to feel it The Kei she felt just then was more intense than the Kei that Layfon used in the inter-platoon matches His opponent's Kei was the saer than any platoon er than that
The fact that Layfon was fighting alone with that type of an opponent worried her
”Why can't that guy” the rest of the words never got out of her mouth
The sudden presence stopped Nina in her tracks She leaped to her left The path she was on just a o exploded External type Kei
Nina clis but didn't find her attacker
”Who is it!?” she shouted
The sound of soh air answered her Nina avoided that attack too As the ground exploded again, Nina saw the gathered Kei
(An arrow?)
An arrow that was shot with Kei? It seemed the weapon was a bohich meant the enemy wasn't anywhere close
”This is bad”
She had deduced the enemy's location from the direction the shot ca of which, Nina's Kei was not enough to counterattack at this distance If she ran in to get closer, her enemy would probably retreat toto spend some time on this, she could probably find a way to
But if she did that, then Layfon would have to fight alone She et to Layfon's side
(In that case)
She had decided A light nod of the head, and she ran for Layfon's direction
The arrow came
”Ha!”
Her iron whip blocked the arrow An instantaneous explosion sent Nina flying She rolled back to her feet and ih the dust cloud
Internal type variation of Kei – Kongoukei
Layfon had taught her this defensive Kei technique She hadn't coh to cancel the impact of the Kei in the arrow
”I don't have time to play with you!” she roared at her ene
Another arrow shot at her She flicked it down Another explosion, another cancellation and she continuedthe same process
After the third arrow, the precision of the eneround behind Nina before exploding The archer needed so more accurately The arrow that had failed to hit Nina only round's hard surface into tiny pieces
The Kei of the arrows that were crashi+ng against Nina's back suddenly disappeared
”What!”
She had a bad feeling about this
The archer had stopped shooting Nina kept on running while increasing her speed When she reached her destination, everywhere was quiet
The ground of the destination was torn apart, evidence of an intense fight Sparks scattered across the ground Layfon's back faced her He didn't look injured, but he was just standing there Looking at the inert Layfon, Nina's bad feeling didn't go away She saw a Dite lying around Layfon's Dite in its restored form Only the handle was left It didn't seee crack ran down the handle
”Layfon”
”Huh? Senpai?” Layfon turned around, looking shocked Nina was surprised that he didn't notice her when she was standing so close to him
”Why are you here?”
”That should beto make it sound casual
”Ah, uhwellhow should I put it? Um” he stammered with a troubled expression
(AhAs I thought)
He tried to explain but ended up saying nothing As she watched hie about hied side He was like that when attacked by the larvae He was like that when he fought the matured filth monster alone He was probably like that too when he was in the ruined city's Mechanical Depart to get injured, by hiine
But
(Have you noticed it?)
Whether Layfon noticed it or notNina could not make a conclusion