Vol 5 Chapter 3 (2/2)
”You told theed the topic
”Huh? Ah Yes,” he nodded anxiously
”What's the point of letting the a pointI didn't feel I could keep it a secret anymore”
”Then, since you can't keep it a secret, you'll tell everyone about your past?”
”Well” Probably not Karian wouldn't want anyone to know of Layfon's past either
”Youthink too little about yourself”
”Huh?”
”Meishen Trinden, Naruki Gelni, Mifi RottenNaruki Gelni's all right, but the other two are just normal people They cannot objectively understand the abilities of Military Artists They know they can't do anything if a Military Artist attacked theht to so easily tell them your past?”
”Didn't you think of the possibility that so could happen?”
”I did”
If Meishen, Mifi and Naruki left hiht of that The worst situation was a repeat of his experience in Grendan He hadn't thought of anything else except for that situation, and if that situation arose, Layfon would have to leave Zuellni no matter how much Karian needed him
”If I asked them not to ask about my past, I'm sure they'd keep their word”
”Then you should have done that”
”But I didn't think I should leave things like that They wanted to knowbad, so”
”You want to be trusted?”
”Probably”
”About that, itfrom me who knows of your pastGeez, so you wouldn't be trusted if you didn't tell they You knohy I came to the Academy City, don't you, Fon Fon?”
”Yes”
Felli was born a genius in Psychokinesis Everyone had high expectations of her But doubt flowered in her of her predestined role to become a Psychokinesist, so she came to Zuellni in search of another path However, what awaited her in Zuellni was a city that had been defeated in past Military Arts Coood marks in Military Arts Karian, as Student President of the city, knew of Felli's ability And that was another unfortunate thing
”But Fon Fon didn't knohy I thought so Weren't you suspicious of me? And if I didn't tell you, then you wouldn't have trusted me?”
”NNot at all”
”But perhaps I lied?”
”Huh?”
”Perhaps I lied because I wanted you to ease off your suspicion against th orth the lie But
”You're lying,” he said curtly
”Why?”
”Because Felli's face is stiffer than usual”
”Huh?” she touched her face in a fluster, and that act alone had exposed her lie Layfon didn't think by copying Leerin'show he looked relieved, Felli glared at him ”Fon Fon”
”Sorry,” he lowered his head ”As you said, perhaps it was better if I didn't say anything and reht have kept it a secret if they didn't know”
In truth, the girls connected the term Heaven's Blade successor with Layfon when they heard of it
”Even so, I can't keep hiding it”
”You really are an idiot”
”Am I?”
”Yes,” she decided For some reason, the atmosphere between them had turned into the best Probably because they had returned to the feeling they used to have
” Do you want to know about s about Felli that I don't know, but I don't knohich part it is that I'm not aware of, so it's difficult”
”I hate talking from the time of my birth”
”Same here”
”You still want to listen?”
”Yes, if it's you telling me”
Layfon finally felt at ease as the atmosphere turned back to normal between them
At the sa in the area where Layfon was Ambulances stood at that entrance, and there were other vehicles used to transport cargoes They were all vehicles that anyone hardly saw in Zuellni They stood out on the ground where usually traainst one of the pillars supporting the ceiling He looked casually at the red and white vehicles to kill so for finally appeared
”Um,” the person frowned
”Yo,” Sharnid raised his hand happily
”What is it?”
”Is Dinn fine?”
”He's still unconscious”
”Oh”
It was Dalshena, a beauty with rich golden curls Her sharp gaze pierced Sharnid
”Aren't you going to see hiiven”
”Then Why are you here?”
She reo ”I see I heard someone from your team was hurt in that incident”
”We aren't as keen now”
News of the accident had quickly spread throughout the city That ht be due to the person as injured in the incident It looked like Dalshena really had no idea as injured
”The 10th platoon is disbanded It's got nothing to do with me now” The coldness in her words wasn't aimed at Sharnid ”We deserved it Your team just happened to take the role of executioner”
She knew a long ti trade She had a strong sense of justice, yet she failed to do anything to stop hi, but she reot injured”
”That first year student?”
”Exactly”
”How unfortunate”
”Yes”
The conversation went on s at the scenery behind Sharnid, and Sharnid was looking at the ambulance They treated each other as part of the scenery and continued the conversation
”So you came to visit? Somehow I don't think so”
”I can visit tomorro that we're immersed in the beautiful scenery around us”
”You need so from me? If it's a date, I refuse But it's probably useless to tell you that You never knohen to give up”
”Haha, not bad I'it count”
”Don't count So you really need so from me?”
”Yes”
Displeasure showed on her face ”Don't tell me you want me to replace the injured first year?”
”I don't think that's bad And not as replacement, but as a new member We're still short of people”
”I refuse”
His expression stayed the same despite the quick rejection
”'A Military Artist is a Military Artist So you work hard to protect the existence of this city',” he quoted
That stopped her froazine? What a good saying Who said such a thing?”
”You”
”What?” she said
”You don't remember? Well, it's been a while, so you probably don't remember it”
”Um”
”Remember it now?”
Layfon's classmate, Mifi, once did an intervieith the 17th platoon She also went to see the 10th platoon on the day of the interview What Sharnid quoted hat Dalshena said for Mifi's azine
”Aaah, I did So what?”
”Aren't you trying hard for Zuellin's sake?”
”I can do that even without entering a platoon”
”Don't you already knohat you can do by not entering a platoon?”
”WellI'h”
It was the time of the last Military Arts Competition when Sharnid and Dalshena were in their second year They hadn't entered a platoon back then, and they fought as soldiers of the lower ranks, during Zuellni's defeat
”Perhaps, but are you satisfied to fight against those i me with pride and aThe iht with you anymore The relationshi+p of us three is broken That's a reality we can't deny”
”I know that”
When Sharnid was still with the 10th platoon, people called hiest of Zuellni This was shattered when Sharnid left, and the ranking of the 10th platoon pluth of the 10th platoon and ed his hand into the illegal drug trade and ended up getting his team disbanded
”But I didn't call out to you because I want us to work as before We can't be like before now that Dinn's not with us I don't anticipate that kind of thing,” he said honestly ”The person we need now is so Layfon Of course, we need an attacker because Layfon can't enter the next th for the next Military Arts Competition That's e need you, Shena”
He pushed himself off the pillar and looked at her ”If Dinn were here, and I wasn'tWhat'd Shena look like without us? That, I think, would not be bad to see”
”Well, if you think otherwise, co Complex,” he didn't wait for her reply and brushed past her to leave the hospital
”Wait”
He stopped
”Why did you go to the 17th platoon, no, accept Nina Antalk's invitation?”
”Though I broke our relationshi+p, there's so important to ruht?”
”You always never speak clearly of what's i He didn't stop this tireeting
”I' as a side party, Myunfa felt herself getting sh all I heard was the recovery of basic functions Several of your ribs and internal organs were injured, right? It's not strange for a Military Artist to recover quickly from that” The person handed the bunch of flowers to the fe the vase, and went to stand near the bed, s
”Well, I've always been sick since I was little I get sick once hed on the bed
”I see That's been hard on you”
”Exactly, because of that, the doctor won't dismissthat a patient lying on a hospital bed should say, but the visitor didn't point that out The visitor's name was Karian Loss, and the person on the bed was Haia Salinvan Laia Karian was the Student President who made all the important decisions in Zuellni He ca
”I'rateful for the Student President to visit me So please take your time”
”Thanks for your invitation, but I didn't plan to There are e”
”Ha, as expected of the Student President You're so busy”
”Yes, like discovering that part of the foundations of Zuellni had weakened, and how ourup”
The smile in Karian's eyes disappeared On the contrary, Haia's fearless smile deepened
”Let ”
”I believe you We've been partners, so it'd be good if there's friendshi+p and trust between us”
”Friendshi+p is very ihter sounded between them Their words conveyed war but trust Myunfa trembled in that icy atmosphere
”As proof of our friendshi+p, I have some information for you”
”Oh, then I thank youbut could this be a parting gift? Your subordinates at the dor some sort of preparations”
”How could they? I'm injured and in the hospital They can't leave”
”True Sorry for that Your subordinates adood to leave it alone for so long”
”Oh, why?”
”No h the ti to support it, it'll continue to spread destruction That's the kind of thing it is You should listen toto do with the incident a few days ago?
”I see See but hand it to us”
”Does that mean Grendan's Queen kno to take care of it?”
”Hoould I know so that detailed? I wasn't born in Grendan I haven't even seen the Queen's face”
”U of which, you have quite the ambition to be a Heaven's Blade successor”
”I spoke too much”
”Oh ha, how much information do you have?” Karian sood memories”
”Sahed and told him another piece of information Karian's expression went stiff as Haia watched him cheerfully
◇
The recent ats? Nina watched the people at the Mechanical Departnated area on her own She didn't have someone to talk to because Layfon was in the hospital nobody was fast enough tospeed of Nina and Layfon, so no one would clean with her Usually, the other people cleaning here were normal people It was rare for Military Artists to take up this job
”Fu” she breathed out and glanced up The maze of corridors surrounded the center of the Mechanical Departination?”
In recent days, she heard sos ofthe Mechanical Departround Was this the cause of that noise? Nina didn't have the confidence in her own feelings Unable to calm down, irritation rose in her She felt as if the noise was overtaking her being If she could talk to someone, she'd feel more relieved, but
No one was around her Layfon was in the hospital Before Layfon arrived, Nina used to clean on her own for the sake of efficiency Even if there were people around, they were those who ran around for errands
They seemed busy?
”Nina!” A senior student called Nina turned
”Could it be”
”Could it be exactly I' on ya,” the senior student with a beard said and left running
Zuellni had run off again It was normal for the workers to be busy, but today was different
”Right, so that's why they're”
Why hadn't she realized?
Nina put down the brooht, is it because of Layfon?)
At that ti at the caht had deepened There weren't s in the production area Felli had left cairls and Layfon Nina wasn't too worried because it was highly unlikely for theer could be animals that had escaped from the ranch and turned wild, but they didn't have those aniht with Layfon and Naruki there Who would have thought that a huge hole would appear in the ground?
The intense shaking of the ground hit the caht Zuellni had stumbled across another filth monster's nest But then she heard the truth fro than a filth monster attack She felt as if her blood had been sucked dry, and her feet couldn't help but shake She had never experienced so this unusual had happened to Layfon
(Are you not going to stop uy's life?)
Layfon came to Zuellni to start a new life
(Yes)
He wanted to live like a norave up the benefits that a Military Artist would receive, and planned to live a normal life That hat he wanted Of course, a Military Artist wouldn't just accept his benefits He had to stand in the front line when the city faced a crisis He had to fight filth ht in the Military Arts Competition to win a seleniuht for the city And that hat made a Military Artist a Military Artist
Layfon wasn't escaping froht alone when he met such a situation
(A a new life?)
It was unfortunate that Karian knew of Layfon's past, and Nina had underestie Layfon worked hard because he was asked to He had sustained daht with theth Of course, he played a huge role in deciding how the 17th platoon worked in aback then?)
Nina and Sharnid went out to help once they heard fro the blood-covered Layfon, she wondered whether her own heart had stopped beating After recovering fro?)
She was thinking of the next match The doctor had said that Layfon couldn't participate The only front line attacker had retired That wasn't the only truth The 17th platoon had lost its entire function
(That's not it)
There were ht Sharnid had volunteered to find someone to replace Layfon, but there ays even if they couldn't find another person Nina and Sharnid could reinforce Naruki when the teaht not even need to es if the teauarantee victory, but she felt that the teaht But why)
At that ti had ended The torch in her hand illuminated a bloody Layfon His eyes were closed She did feel that everything had ended, including her thoughts and hope She once said to hi and determined declaration that was in fact weak and soft
”How useless I a on hith as a Military Artist far exceeded hers At the beginning, she had wanted to learn froer
”da Layfon covered in blood still remained in her She couldn't look hie ith her
”I can't be like that”
Probably because she had been thinking while walking, when she looked around, she didn't knohere she was Probably somewhere close to the center of the Mechanical Department A place like a small hill, surrounded by metal plates What was inside? The Electronic Fairy But as the Electronic Fairy doing in there? nobody knehat made a city move What Military Artists and the workers came into contact ere the tubes, corridors and wires that stretched out from the center How did Zuellni turn the mine into liquid form, how did the city detect the filth s that people didn't know
”Geez Where is this place?”
As if to keep her spirit up, she called and looked around
”Zuellni!”
Too ht She didn't knohere she was Nina raised her voice again Her voice echoed a various noises
When her voice faded, a ball of light flew to her through the gaps between tubes The forht The city's Electronic Fairy half flew and half staggered into Nina's arood,” Nina scolded Zuellni ive her
”What're you doing for today?” Nina asked and patted Zuellni's hair
Zuellni had her head on Nina's shoulder, but she suddenly flew froed Nina's head and put her chin on her head Zuellni pulled Nina's hair
”Uh? Over there?” she turned to look at the direction Zuellni was indicating
”There's nothing there?” she gazed in Zuellni's direction and only saw tubes and corridors
”What is it that makes you so happy?”
Zuellni didn't respond
”Zuellni?”
The tiny Electronic Fairy kept staring in that direction
The Zuellni now reminded Nina of an anxiety she once felt She couldn't tell whether it was unease, tension or excitement She watched Zuellni's direction in silence