Vol 12 Chapter 4 (1/2)
Chapter 4: The City of Spirits
Just what had happened? No one here could understand, but they were sure that so filth monsters had taken over parts of Zuellni, but those filtheach other They didn't seeh to seep through Nina's entire body, rit her teeth
A naer
Karian had kept a flake to coh that flake
”We'll take care of the filth round Please rest at ease”
The old woman's peaceful voice dispelled the ruckus in the roo breath to ease off the tension Her words comforted them In fact, Zuellni's Military Artists were at their limit To be attacked in the middle of an intercity match Many had been injured No one had died yet, but the nu heavy injuries was on the rise
They were saved! Relief showed on the faces of the members of the Student Council around Karian But Karian himself held a complex expression Nina was the saht have other goals, but they were sure at least that the Haikizoku was its , Grendan's ht now, no one knehere it was, though It was originally in Nina's body, but it had gone soht have abandoned Nina to possess another person In that case, ould Grendan do when it realized it couldn't reach its goal? Or, ould Karian do if the Haikizoku had possessed yet another student of Zuellni? But Delbone hadn't mentioned the Haikizoku, and Nina didn't feel the old wootiation was all about eliht after the conversation
Karian watched the screen on the ground, projected by the Psychokinesist
”What's happening?” he said in a small voice This was reality but no one knehat it was Karian called over the Head of Alche hiine what the other person looked like
”This is that, isn't it?”
”I can only think so It's a guardian beast”
”Guardian beast?” Nina cocked her head, but then she remembered
Before Nina entered Zuellni, the students of the Alcheot cancelled later – the Guardian Beast project In a strange event that Felli got caught in, she had been attacked by these monsters, but Nina didn't see it as she arrived late to the scene So it was a Guardian Beast? Looking from the function of a Guardian Beast, it was a roup of Guardian Beasts was attacking a giant
”So they were hiding in a place that we didn't know? So h check of the city when the city's base collapsed We would've found such a place if it existed”
”We did not investigate the underground h!”
Members of the Student Council said to each other
”But a facility that can sustain so y! Why didn't we find out about that” The Head of Alche
”Karian, there's a place I want to confiro too!”
Some secret information flowed between Karian and the Head of Alchemy
”But that place isn't connected to the shelter We'll have to return to the ground”
”No problem”
The Head of Alchemy was a very thin man, but enthusiasm and passion filled his eyes He wasn't scared of the outside at all
”We need guards Military Artists Psychokinesists I want a platoon for this, but we don't have any that is intact We lasses ”Contact Vance Since Grendan's going to eliuards”
Vance ca with him Gorneo and Shante Karian walked with Vance a distance away from Nina and the rest of the people in the rooht?”
On the other side, Gorneo was observing the situation
”Grendan is here”
”What did you say!?” Gorneo said
Bandages rapped around Gorneo's head Blood showed on the bandages He was surprised
”Just what is the Haikizoku that makes that city come all the way here?”
”I' for the power that the Haikizoku possesses”
”You overnment?”
”No Grendan itself,” Gorneo shook his head ”Only few people in Grendan know of this Originally, even the Luckens family shouldn't have known since they're not connected to the royal family No, I myself didn't want to believe a Haikizoku existed, so I don't remember where I heard of this fro They see in their discussion It appeared some time was needed till they made the final decision!
”Grendan is a Haikizoku”
”What!?” she couldn't co
”It does things that other cities wouldn't do Have I not thought of this before? I did, but I gave it up, thinking it was too ridiculous an idea But that is the reality Grendan is a Haikizoku!”
Yes, she remembered When she saw Savaris in Myath Leerin had had an encounter, then Savaris had shown up What did he say? He said
”The real consciousness”
”Is there another Electronic Fairy in Grendan?”
”I've heard of it, but only the royal faeneration of Heaven's Blades”
He didn't look proud of that fact, but as he telling her of this so easily?
”I'm Zuellni's Military Artist Even if I'm to return to Grendan, I'm still Zuellni's,” he said honestly ”I'll stand before Grendan if it has bad intentions towards Zuellni Even I can fight against soic emotion was in his words, but in the next second
”Ah!” Gorneo's head turned Shante had suddenly leaped to sit on his shoulders Her legs encircled his neck as she pulled on his short golden hair
”Don't worry! We'll beat them up!”
”You're too naive!”
”Don't think so much We just need to beat up our enemies”
Shante's quick words helped Nina relax her expression Gorneo looked funny with his troubled expression He was speaking to himself in a tiny voice
Karian and Vance had finally couard Karian and the Head of Alchemy They went back to the surface and headed for their destination Vance stayed in the shelter in case anything happened
”Just us?”
Only four people Too few to protect the key er zone
”The captain-level Military Artists are all unable to fight except for you four”
”What a terrible situation!”
This was the painful truth Nina herself ht have shown her shock if Sharnid hadn't voiced his out first She sed her words This wasn't a usual ti
”For those who don't want to rest, they'll never rest We must carefully observe and confirm those who force themselves”
This was the reason that Vance had to stay back His expression had always been bad, and now he looked even worse His teaht while cootten any sleep
Nina's wrists hurt She had received treatment but they hadn't entirely healed However, she could now ignore the pain Gorneo and Shante both had bandages on them Sharnid was the only person unhurt, but his eyes were red His visionHe had used eye drop medicine countless times, but he still rubbed his eyes occasionally
”Can we safely arrive there?” Sharnid looked at the ceiling and applied soain
The Psychokinesist had turned the sky into a an the explanation
”You're to leave from the E1 exit There's a distance to the destination from E1, but that area has the fewest number of filth monsters If the enemies come over to check the situation by sense of snetic barrier to control the flow of the wind, but that won't affect their vision”
”So we're to move tentatively!” Sharnid joked
Vance nodded ”Yes It's best if you don't get found out We still don't know the eneth We don't knohether four injured birds can defeat the and consue and head for our destination”
”Isn't it better to stay here and wait for Grendan's help?” Gorneo asked
Karian answered ”We still don't know their aiht become problematic”
”You mean the City's Electronic Fairy?”
”Yes,” he nodded heavily
Nina tensed at the possibility of so to Zuellni She didn't knohat Karian was planning, but she couldn't let this go if it was connected to the Electronic Fairy
”This is the teo!” Vance said
They walked through a passage in the shelter The aroma of food wafted to them This was the canteen, and many students were inside,meals for Military Artists The usual food eaten in a shelter was food that could last long, and this food was being cooked in the kitchen
”We can rest a bit and eat some hot food,” Karian said
Nina saw Leerin in the canteen The other girl had also noticed her Nina was a bit surprised Once the two of theot close to each other, questions surfaced Nina's expression was dull, but that was normal for this situation But Leerin was still bothered
”What is it?”
”I have a uely
Leerin looked at them ”Wait aof stuff
”If you're in a hurry, eat this on the way”
Sandwiches and soup in paper cups sat in the bag
”Thanks”
Though she wasn't hungry, she realized she hadn't eaten a thing for a long tiratitude
”Are you all right?”
Leerin smiled ”Yeah, I'm fine!”
But it still worried her Leerin's attitude was the sa But there was a reason behind that attitude She had wanted to make a carefree expression but had failed Whose heart was ate further Gorneo was calling her She ran with the bag in her hand
”Leerin, remember to see a doctor if your eye hurts!”
Leerin looked surprised Her eye had not opened again
Nina ran, hoping it wasn't so serious Layfon wasn't here, and this fact surprised her She had always believed he was here, and pain cut through her when she thought of that What would happen to her if she didn't think this way? The soup in her mouth floarmth into her body
A different air hit their nostrils the h the door As expected, this air differed from the purified air in the shelter and the dust-filled air when fighting the larvae The sky had turned dark No moon or stars could be seen, as if a thick cloud cover had shrouded the entire sky Electricity had been cut off froloohts on the streets led their way
The sound of clashi+ng filled the air Filth monsters roared But there was still soh they could fall from the sky, the number did not seem to have increased Co the entire city wasa bad pres
”Let's hurry!”
How could they let the Head of the Alcheroup Nina and Sharnid took up the rear, and the rest were protected in the ht vision She could see the path even without light That ability must be innate! On the other hand, Gorneo had chosen to walk close to the eht to check whether anything had closed in on they to change the flow of the wind through a ht have been effective
Nina was observing her surroundings, and so did Sharnid, but they didn't feel anything getting near What was this? She was undergoing a mission, and it was the sas were developing while she was still in the dark Just like the literal darkness surrounding theroup, they could see only very little, so they had to do all they could to survive
So Would Zuellni survive? Unease continued to plague her What about the Haikizoku? Did Grendan come just to defeat filth monsters? Not because of the Haikizoku? What would they do when Grendan realized it had failed? If that happened, Nina could only give up her body Grendan's people didn't kno the Haikizoku worked, and Nina had deceived them What would the situation be when they realized they had been lied to? She better take that possibility into consideration too
”You're thinking of soain?” Sharnid asked in a suess from that,” he said to the surprised Nina as he looked around ”You're thinking of using yourself for the exchange, right? Stop that thinking! No one would be happy if you do that”
”But”
”Layfon's forcing hi reckless!”
Nina was confused at his words
”Why's he doing that? That's important Since he understands Grendan, then he shouldn't move recklessly! But he was like that when you weren't here”
Heherself back then, Nina looked at Karian He was following Gorneo It appeared he hadn't heard them
He had said to her before her return that Karian didn't think it possible for Layfon to fight without a reason Hence, Layfon was only following Nina's reason for fighting, and he was doing that even now! They had to fight because they were Military Artists But that matter-of-fact reason for Nina did not work for Layfon He was too strong, and his birthplace was too different He had things he wanted to protect He betrayed to protect the people precious to him and then he was tossed away Was she to draw that Layfon into battle? Was she the one who drew him in? She had asked herself nuain She could only ask him for his power No one else had the power to handle the task
”True As a Military Artist, he really is too strong, so strong that we find it hard to stomach He surpasses all of us He's always acted clueless and cluhts But how should he fight? – He never thinks of that As long as he's set his goal, he'd probably fight even if the outcouy knows”
Layfon really was different when he trained As long as it was so that had to do with Military Arts, he'd become sharp and cold People found it hard to like hi clearly to the weaker people that they eak He had walked through many intense battles He had obtained a Heaven's Blade at the age of ten Fro filth e ten? She didn't yet have her own Dite But Layfon had already stepped into the battlefield, had already started facing the cruel and cold reality To let hiht differently
He sighed, ”Oi, if he really understood, he wouldn't have come here”
She couldn'tfor the orphanage What a Military Artist earned could sustain the operation of the orphanage, but he thought it wasn't enough He wanted to protect all the orphans in Grendan, so he participated in underground matches and consequently was exposed A person as a hero was not a hero in reality Nina couldn't reproach the orphans who thought they had been betrayed Probably even Nina herself would have condeht There ht be another reason It probably wasn't what Nina said before about his spirit, but just a more practical way to make up for his deeds in the past
Layfon had said that he wanted to kill, but he didn't end up killing He had the chance to kill the guy who threatened hi must have stopped hiht have been in his ht so But perhaps he couldn't kill hie to hide them If the trend went the majority's way, then he couldn't kill Gahard even in broad daylight Anyway, soht
”That guy's probably the same as you! He doesn't really think about the problem To hiuys don't think over things, so you never change Because you never think of whether the fight benefits you or not”
”I don't think I' this for myself, besides, with me here”
”If you really think you understand, then we ought to celebrate!”
She could only fall silent They were now at a distance fros, but this situation didn't allow the more
They walked some distance Still no filth hts And the sound of Grendan'slouder The sound ca, so it was opposite fro on the other side, they could feel the darkness deepening
Nina and her group walked a long circle to co The sound was close She could tell the location of Grendan even if she didn't want to know of it She could see Karian's face had turned stiff, but the Head of Alche ahead as if he was i to plan The clock tower that was the syits on the clock shone Light emitted from them so anyone could see them anytime They were about to step on the path that led to the clock tower
Shante took a step on the path, shrouded by the shadows of the trees, and stopped The path ide, covered by fallen leaves The building that hid deep in a distance where the path led to here that event had happened The event that Felli got caught in
Shante suddenly lowered her body, holding her spear and stared behind Nina
(One's heading your way)
The Psychokinesist's report was a bit late
A huge shadow acco headed for Nina
”It's here!” Karian said
”Nina, you cover for the Student President I'll stop it with Shante!” Gorneo said
Shante raised the spear The Kei on the weapon had already painted her hair red, as if she were being burnt
”But”
”No time for discussion! Go!!”
The Head of Alche
”Don't die,” Karian called
”As if?”
Nina chased after Karian Roaring shook the entire forest Trees fell one after another Shante shouted and Kei exploded one by one Nina turned her head around and kept running after the Student President Sharnid had already reached the entrance and had readied his sniper rifle
”Hurry and support theht but didn't say it They couldn't afford to draw attention Sharnid understood too and hadn't pulled the trigger
Once she entered the building, Sharnid followed
It was dark inside, but Karian and the Head of Alche ahead The Psychokinesist didn't knohat danger lurked before them, so he moved with caution Finally they reached the end of the building The Head of Alchemy touched the wall, and another space opened before them
”A false door!” Sharnid whistled
”This is a secret research facility,” Karian said
”I see?”