Vol 5 Chapter 4 (1/2)
Chapter 4: Hold hands while blindfolded
It had been a week since Layfon regained consciousness Most of his injuries had been healed, but the doctor hadn't yet given him permission to leave the hospital
Naruki arrived while Layfon didn't kno to pass his time
”Yo How are you?” she said
”I can't stand the boredom,” he said weakly
Naruki smiled in relief at his voice She had also sustained injuries, but they were less severe She had already recovered
”Still haven't had the operation yet?”
Most of Layfon's external wounds had recovered, but the spinal injury had been left untouched Caution was required to take out the debris ee of the operation was having a preparatoryover it Next would coed if the operation was successful
”I hope it comes quickly”
He couldn't stand the boredom and the numerous medical checks on him It felt like he had becooing a failed operation Haveherself?”
”Aaah” Naruki lowered her head
”She really doesn't have to do that”
Naruki said that Meishen was bla herself over the incident and had locked herself in her room She hadn't even co to school now”
”Sorry, it was my fault”
”I told you before that it wasn't your fault We chose that place You were just following us”
”But it turned out like this because I was hiding soesture stopped his we don't want others to know We aren't like Layton because our reasons for hiding them are different, but there are bound to be a few secrets I don't think we have to blame ourselves because of that”
”Naruki”
”I'm happy The fact that you can tell us about such a heavy past, isn't that proof of the trust between us?”
”Uh”
”That's enough But I hope you can wait for Mei She's confused because you got injured Can you give her some tiing an aard sed the topic to the 17th platoon
”Dalshena-senpai joined as your substitute”
”Really?”
”Aaah, Sharnid-senpai invited her”
Layfon thought it would be difficult to invite Dalshena, taking into consideration the previous incident with the 10th platoon Naruki thought so too
”I'm bothered but it's a sensitive topic Since the Captain has agreed to it, I can't say much about it”
”If you had a better relationshi+p with Sharnid-senpai, then it would be easier”
”Well That's not easy”
”Huh?”
”Anyhat should be done should be done It'd be good if you could be discharged soon, otherwise it would be less for me to have entered the platoon”
”Naruki, what do you think of what I did?”
”Other people's opinions don't matter to Layton, do they?”
”Uh well”
”I'ht My sense of , but I don't hate you because of it What's important is that it was in the past It's not totally cut off from the present Layton, but I can't say much about it since I wasn't involved”
”Sorry I asked soe”
”It's ok We were the ones who asked you about it, and I hadn't told you hts on it yet”
”Yeah”
”Layton What you did was a crime, but you were already punished for it I don't think it's so you can tell anyone easily, so don't worry too ht?”
”Letting go?”
”Seeainst the Mercenary Gang? You had two Dites The Dite you used against Dinn was in the for in the Psyharden's Katana skill, taught by his adopted father, Derek It wasn't a sword skill However, Layfon chose to fight with a shen he became a Heaven's Blade successor
”Didn't you say before that you don't think what you did in Grendan rong? But you've restricted yourself to some sort of a constraint? That's not because of the criuilt I think you just need to let go and release yourself fro to participate in the underground ivable in Derek's views If he used the Psyharden skills, then he'd have tainted Derek's reputation The only solution was for hi a sword and a Katana was delicately decisive He was able to use the shen he was a Heaven's Blade successor because of his ability to understand and use any techniques by glancing at them, and because of the support from the Steel Thread techniques that he learned from Lintence
”That's all I have to say Layton's the one to decide in the end”
(Lettinggo?)
He knew froo, still, he was hesitant
Someone knocked on the door
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The day of the match had come The audience was more enthusiastic than usual All of the platoons would have fought each other at least once after this match They would also have their results co in the next Military Arts Competition Nevertheless, all the audience wanted to knohich platoon was the strongest In particular, today's match would decide whether the 1st platoon could maintain its top position As such, everyone in the audience seat kept their gazes on the war field
”Wellit's got nothing to do with us,” Sharnid happily said in the locker roo for the first position were Vance's 1st platoon, Gorneo's 5th platoon, and the 14th platoon All three teaht after them, with two defeats under its belt The 17th platoon's opponent was the 1st platoon today The other two tea their match today with each other If the 17th platoon won the o to the 5th or the 14th platoon If team 17 lost, the 1st platoon would take top position, tied with the winning teaive it our best despite that,” Nina glared at hih we can't take the top position, we'll still do our best No, we must still win!”
Because the platoon wasn't in its best condition Because whether they won or not they couldn't take the first place These thingsif they defeated the 1st platoon Naruki's friends held an interview before with the platoons Gorneo, the captain of the 5th platoon, had said in the interview that if they couldn't win against the 1st platoon, then Zuellni wouldn't have changed from the time when it lost in the last Military Arts Conificantly, she didn't want to think that it was impossible to find a replacement for Layfon It was also for Layfon, since Nina had said to ”do so for hier
”I know,” Sharnid said, waving his hand weakly as if Nina's words ind to hiaze to Dalshena Dalshena sat with her eyes closed
”The attacker is the Captain?” Dalshena asked, keeping her pose Everyone's gaze went to Nina except Felli's
”Naruki and I will go up the left rear Dalshena, please take the right rear Sharnid will fire from a distance with Felli's support That'll be our forins,” Nina said She sed and waited for their reaction
”This time we're on the offensive We lose if the Captain falls Is this ok?” Dalshena asked as Nina had expected She knew she would point out the danger of having the captain take the front attacker position In truth, Nina wasn't sure where to put Dalshena She did check Dalshena's fighting style through the videos, but that was all within the forht on her own The 10th platoon had taken advantage of Dalshena's excellent offensive skills Nina had thought of using a siy, but it would be difficult because they didn't have enough tiether And Dalshena also held the same worry
”Please don't worry about oukei He said the Heaven's Blade successor, Reverse, used it as his defensive skill She couldn't use it as well as the Heaven's Blade successor, but with it, she had the confidence to defend against heavy impacts
”Then I just need to attack when the time comes?” Dalshena opened her eyes and looked at her
”Yes”
”Roger”
She closed her eyes again and waited for thechecked everyone's Dites, Harley came to Nina
”It's Layfon's operation today Is it finished?”
”Um? I don't know much about medicine”
Layfon's operation was today, an operation to take out the debris in his spinal cord
”I hope it'll go smoothly”
”Yes”
They must not lose this match If she continued to rely on Layfon and didn't ht And she wanted to show that she could do it without Layfon
”We'll win,” she said to herself
◇
Layfon was outside the hospital one hour before Nina'sThe problem here the debris was located in the spinal cord, and how to safely take it out This had been talked over in the preparatory , so all the doctors needed were to follow the decisionsthe operation Fortunately, the debris was in an area where the debris could be taken out in one and not in several operations So one operation sufficed The doctors had then sewed up the wound and stuck on it a wet pad filled with active cell medicine The pain felt like a cramp, but with the aid of Internal Kei, the wound should close up and recover within a day The thread used to sew up the wound would then o back to the hospital and have the thread taken out However, he couldn't do th
(I'th)
He checked his body condition in a relaxed manner and headed for the closest tram station This area was quieter today because of the inter-platoon ht after Layfon had checked the timetable at the station
”Ah”
The tram slowed to a stop The first half of the tra at the exit of the tram Since he couldn't escape, he entered the tram Meishen stood at the exit with a bunch of flowers in her aring so Meishen stepped back from the door in a fluster
The tram moved after the door had closed
”Ah, Mei hello,” Layfon smiled with embarrassment
”Layton, why?” Meishen asked, shocked
”Ah, I was discharged”
”Huh? ButBut you have an operation”
”Oh, it's finished”
”Uh? But, the operation?”
”Yeah, it finished quicker than expected I was surprised too”
Only the two of them were in the tram They sat side by side The scenery flowed outside theopposite theht-colored flowers between them Layfon had received flohen he was in the hospital Nina's was a deep color Felli's was a color that softened the rooht Meishen's flowers seemed to represent herself
The two of them looked at the flowers
”About before I'm sorry,” she said weakly
”UhRather than that, I'm happy that Mei isn't injured”
”Menever mind”
”Never mind, but”
”LaytonYou protectedher skirt as if she was using her entire strength to say those words ”Not only that, you also protected me when the filth monsters were here”
”Huh?”
”I heard about it fro like a secret weapon, but the Student President didn't say what it was He just said it's changed If Layton wasn't there”
”Uh”
”Actually, Naruki said that too,” she said, her head lowered Her shoulders sagged as if losing strength
”I don't understand Even though Layton's a Heaven's Blade successor, an incredible someone, I still don't understand I know Military Artists are incredible, but I don't understand anything beyond that Although I understand that you did so bad and was exiled from Grendan” she fell silent
Meishen was a normal person In Grendan, people would understand the term Heaven's Blade successor even if it wasn't explained
It was understandable that Meishen didn't coht seriously in the past inter-platoon th just a bit above a north hen he fought in the ainst the 10th and the 5th platoons Meishen and anyone else probably wouldn't understand the difference in Layfon's strength in those matches In addition, Meishen and the others wouldn't understand how Zuellni's Military Artists fought against filthas the fight wasn't broadcasted
(Aaah, I see)
He now understood the Queen's words on a deeper level This was the thing that no one was to know – that Military Artists fought filth th they exhibited in th of Heaven's Blade successors far exceeded the comprehension of normal people Hence, Meishen couldn't accept what Naruki said, that Layfon defeated all the larvae
”It was me,” Layfon nodded
”Really?” She didn't look convinced
”Is it hard to believe?”
”Uh”
”That hat happened But it's ok if you think it's a lie”
”Wh, Why?”
”Because I can't find the proof for you”
Naruki ht see the proof one day She was a Military Artist She had what a Military Artist possessed Perhaps Layfon would be there when Zuellni once ht filth monsters He didn't think the same opportunity would present itself to Meishen Normal people would hide in a shelter when filth monsters attacked
”Can't I trust you?”
”Huh?”
”I want to trust Layton”
Looking at her lowered head, this tih her words ithin his predictions, the feelings he got when hearing them were unexpected He had wanted her to believe hio smoothly was uncertain Anyone else wouldn't have cared To believe, to trust or not to trust ht of what Layton said You decided to do that after considering ht?”
”Yeah”
”I wasn't there About those people who didn't treat you wellI'ry at them, and I'm also sadBut, I don't understand thee them, but”
When he realized it, Meishen's shoulders were tre
”Mei”
”LaytonYou've done well,” she said as if she was”You did your bestbut they didn't understand youthey're so e Words defending those kids flashed past Layfon's head He sed the was like a defense but either way, they wouldn't forgive hi ago to Gorneo He had the right to hate hiht to hate Layfon, as Layfon had paralyzed Gahard He hadn't the right to stop that hatred, which was the sae
So,
”Thank you,” ca for him
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Thump, thu fro in the tubes? No No Zuellni denied that The reason ca of whichThe Electronic Fairy Zuellni did not exist in a human's consciousness A hue such a huge city A hu It wouldn't be able todidn't come from the city itself What was it? The answer ca mechanism was limited only to a certain place Where could it be besides that place?
Here
The center of the Mechanical Department In here The place that existed for the city's entirety The Electronic Fairy in the form of a childThat was the city's consciousness It pondered its feeling of looking at the city, and ofits own body Usually, it could clearly feel the boundaries, but now it couldn't re and that puzzled Zuellni But was that really the sense of hearing? It also felt like touch, as if a pulse was shaking it What was it, that feeling? Zuellni analyzed its feelings in order to seek the reason behind it, but no results surfaced It was strange
When Zuellni broke through its thoughts, it stared at that place Its gaze pierced through the outer wall of the Mechanical Department, the outer wall of the city to soo toAnxiety and ied Zuellni on
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