Vol 12 Epilogue (1/2)

Epilogue

He was blocked He had planned to ambush him but it hadn't worked The chain had wrapped around the shi+m Adamantium Dite, and at the end of the chain was a e body turned around, the chain had wrapped up the Katana like a snake

”You're the same naive brat as before”

Those spirited eyes were less than a aps in his teeth carried with it heat of Kei that caressed Layfon's face

”I thought you had already decided, but you hesitated at the critical moment That's why you could make such a naive attack”

Rui with Layfon He ai to crash into a building The ie hole in the wall Tiles fell froht his abdoone

”You think you can do it with your body? Haha!?”

” I can stillthe debris ”Kei still flows and I have a weapon These are enough to kill you”

”That's why I said you're a brat,” Ruih caused the air to ruround

Ruimei was a difficult to understand Heaven's Blade successor like Cauntia Once he was in battlehis Kei to run rath As such, the Queen wouldn't let hiht as he willed, destroying everything in his surroundings in a battle

”What'd you do after killing me? Kill off Troyatte too? Lintence as well? Then Barris, Kalvan, Reverse, Cauntia? What about after killing everyone? You'd kill the Queen too? And all the rubbish here? And after that? Destroy Grendan as well? And after? For this brat who hasn't taken the future into consideration, how long do you plan to stay naive for?”

”What else can I do!” Layfon shouted

Before him was a face he was used to, a face he had known since he was little Rui here Layfon had never liked him, since the time he first laid eyes on hih time If it was Ruimei, Layfon could kill him But he had failed Even with the Katana's movement sealed off by the chain, he'd have liked to leave traces of injury on Ruiive Lintence and Reverse He would hesitate if he had to face those two He doubted whether he could really surpass Lintence and kill hiht himself terrible to want to kill Reverse

The kick caain Layfon blocked it with his arain, and this ti

”What is it that you have to do now? Be a coward brat? Killlost and think of what you should be doing!”

”Wu”

”Delbone!”

(Yes, yes)

Delbone's bitter laughter sounded The flake flew to Layfon's side and projected an i of the red dots spread out on the ns Delbone used on the map weren't just information She had already memorized them all They were all filth monsters

” Felli”

(I've already said so) Came Felli's faint voice He could hear the exhaustion in her voice

(I've told you about the filth otiation with Grendan, and I've followed your judgment)

”But”

If she could tell him in more detail

(Stop it, Layfon)

Delbone cut hiirl's talent In this situation, you can only rely on her to gather information You've lost control of yourself, Layfon)

(I) Felli wanted to say so power's declined because of having filtered too h you have talent, you lack experience)

Delbone's words hit him like a rod

(But weren't you the one who didn't notice it, Layfon? Before you became a Heaven's Blade successor, you had coordinated with different Psychokinesists You've experienced long battles You've seen Military Artists who fainted due to overworking their Kei veins You've seen Psychokinesists whose thinking poere reduced and could do no more You had the experience to discover the problem, but you did not notice it No one in this city holds uide them, ill? But you did not do it)

He was scolded Delbone was scolding hi the responsibility of this battle was his That was his first ti this

”I”

(Theis to have her rest now?)

(Ah)

Felli's voice suddenly disappeared Her flake lost its power and fell onto the ground beside Layfon Layfon could do nothing but stand here He didn't knohat he should do now

Ruimei had left for the next battlefield

Delbone see to Felli There wasn't a place in this city that her power of Psychokinesis couldn't reach

(What have you to say next, Layfon? If it's soe, will listen?)

”I I didn't come here to be a Military Artist”

(But you're standing here as a Military Artist You should already kno cruel this world is Or are you saying Grendan isn't enough to make you understand the cruelty of the world?)

Not at all

(I've never anticipated you to be a commander The ideal Heaven's Blade successor is so else But you should be able to cos You have experience that won't lose to anyone else's If you use that experience well, the Military Artists in this city will becoer)

He had a lot he wanted to say And it wasn't his desire for things to turn out like this He didn't make himself like this The Student President and the Head of Military Arts ht And wasn't it the captain's job to look after other Military Artists?

But he couldn't say these things Delbone said he should help them with their lack of experience He could have done that but he chose not to That hy she scolded hi in an Acades Wasn't this the mission of those who lived in an Acadeht Nina and the others the basics of Psyharden What else? There were , but he had pushed them aside

(This is the consequence of your actions)

Delbone's voice was strong and hard But the feeling she conveyed was only that of a kind old wory expression However, those words had a huge impact on Layfon

(Stand up, Layfon Alseif Because of your foolishness, there's still so you have to see)

”What”

(It's so important to you That's why you've come here? The outcoedy that's occurred in this city But you have to face it)

”What are you saying? Delbone!?” he shouted, his words like a threat, but they failed to reach her

(Go and witness it, then decide what to do If you are still the same as the present you, then you're finished)

The flake in the shape of a butterfly fleay Layfon stood up His foot touched Felli's flake when he wanted to chase after it

He picked it up, put it in his pocket and jumped He had never realized that Felli was the one who supported hi now if not for her She had fainted too when Zuellni lost control That ti as she had used it now, but she had to process far more information than now It wasn't just quantity, but types of infor Nina and the others si else – because Zuellni was in a desperate crisis

Layfon had never thought about her Indeed, this was his fault He didn't need her aid to return to Zuellni Savaris was right beside him back then He only needed to follow him from a distance that was neither close nor far He could have let her rest for that ti of this was enough to make him feel down He continued to jump, the map that Delbone had shown already etched into his brain The place where nuathered was his destination

The entrance of A10

Just as this thing Delbone had mentioned? A bad premonition stuffed his chest He ran faster

◇

Troyatte was outside the crowd of giants and elie Military Artist However, the nuht on Delbone's map had hardly decreased

”What are these? So smelly and so roup of giants The giants moved to surround her To the eye of a filth iants all raised their weapons, but they died when they did so

”S creatures”

She held a gun in each hand and opened a hole in the chest of the giants around her None of the bullets hit the ball that Nina said was the giant's weakness Even so, these giants died Barmelin's dismal eyes could see deeper than Sharnid's She had discovered their deep life veins in an instant and had shot accurately Her attacks cut off the giants' lifelines in one swift iants trampled over their fallen comrades to encircle Barmelin with their weapons raised

”No one's life vein can escape er with unbelievable speed

The gun barrel contained only six bullets She had used theun barrel of her left gun popped out, pushi+ng out the empty bullet shells A part of the chains that weaved around her waist, chest, wrists and feet exploded The separated part flew in the air and changed its shape All the chains were Dites Once Barmelin poured her Kei into the chains, they'd becoun barrels as if sucked in by force Bar was done s from one action to another as of a e

She had opened large holes in the giants' chests in the process of her dance Once she stopped dancing, a part of the chain vanished

”So troubleso a chill at her own action and word, she shi+vered atop the corpses She tightly hugged herself with the guns in her hands Her gun barrels were eiants seized the chance to bury her alive But she didn't move an inch for she kneould happen next

A flash ran past her Only a Heaven's Blade successor could feel it, and only a Heaven's Blade successor could evade it But that wasn't a flash that one could evade entirely Even Barmelin herself did not want to attempt it

Steel Threads Not infinite, but the number of steel threads could only be called countless Steel threads ry and thirsty wild beast seeking its preys Once it found thehter the its prey and piling the corpses up The action wasn't to satisfy the beast's appetite This could only alleviate soer Besides, this wasn't just to satiate its hunger

It also sought strong enee whether these giants held the right qualifications The giants stood trial with their own bodies to evaluate what qualifications they held If they weren't suited to stand as strong enemies, then they must die And even if they suited the criteria, they still had to die No matter what the anshat awaited theiants lost their form and collapsed, cut into tiny pieces No one could stop the threads

The large black coat swayed Green smoke floated above him He walked in a relaxed et near The zone of death expanded No one could control this situation Mercilessly, the Steel Threads cut down its enemies and anyone who planned to stop theiants fell With his second step, fifty giants fell With his third step, hundreds of giants collapsed

The giants fell as he walked Barmelin, Troyatte and even Ruimei could not e empty area had appeared

”Is it here?” the arette fell on a lu to look handso Go die,” Barmelin scolded

Lintence's eyebrow did not shake at the scolding Besides, he wasn't even listening He took a new cigarette from his coat and lit it up Friction between steel threads caused sparks, and he used that heat to light up the cigarette

”Have you labeled it?”

”I already made the mark”

In truth, Barun to mark the shelter's door If she had used the Heaven's Blade, she'd have opened a hole in the city

”Make a hole with your bare hand”

”You do it Don't irl?”

”What a o die You smell like foul smoke”

”Which e water s her coo Her hands shook at his reminder, but she did not raise the weapons After that job, she had been taking flower petal baths till now

”You should clean up your job If you keep being so willful, you'll find yourself working in the sewer again”

”Go and die Become a doll of your own Steel Threads and die”

Lintence's lips shi+vered as he listened to her curses The ground underneath him suddenly sank He had cut it open with the Steel Threads Beneath him was the entrance to the shelter He landed and walked into the deeper part of the underground shelter

”How revolting!”

Barmelin's body shook when she couldn't see Lintence any That stiffwasthan that

Lintence continued to head deeper into the shelter He cut apart all the defensive doors and walls before him with the Steel Threads He didn't feel anyone's presence This areathat the students had made a quick decision and then evacuated in an orderly h to carry out such a task His evaluation of the students rose a little bit as a result Lintence's birth-city was too peaceful So peaceful that they couldn't even evacuate in an organized manner But for the students in this city, the ability to carry out such aa while, he saw her

”Lintence-san?” Layfon's childhood friend looked at him with shock

No one else was here beside her Why was she here? Lintence found that surprising, as if she had stayed behind, knowing he was co to pick her up

”You knew?”

”Why are you here?”

The two asked their question at the same time, then fell into silence

”I'e in her expression did not escape his eyes

”What is it?” he said without thinking

”Huh? Nothing,” she shook her head lightly Her expression was co of exhaustion

”Is Grendan here?”

”Yes,” he nodded

Her shoulders rose as she sighed ”I feel like a fool I rode the roa bus here and had an unco is like Most of the NoThat truth won't change,” he said

People searched for a safe place to live in Cities searched for safe places to keep their people alive That hy a city would move and drift Only Grendan was different and unusual Roa cities But soh two cities were close Lintence had coain a city he had traveled to before This thing happened frequently Even though he wanted to travel to another city, he'd end up arriving at a city in his previous itinerary, stopping hiuessed she didn't knohat to say He took a deep drag of the cigarette

”If you have nothing to take with you, I can lead you out now Got anything?”

Leerin thought for a h she wanted to talk to Layfon again, she abandoned that thought

Though Lintence felt a feeling of faret, he did not care for that Itto him War would take place All he needed was to follow the Queen to satisfy hiardless of the little significance it held

”Let's go”

”Right,” she nodded

Lintence turned around to retrace his steps, and stopped

”As I thought, you can't!” soed The sound of wailing came behind her back

”Wh, hat” she ireen sh and turned around once ht of it I've been thinking since then, and then I understood I understood a very important fact”

Leerin fell under the ehtly with both of her ar her head against her like a cute little animal It was Alsheyra

”What is it?”

”If this continued, you'd carry ive you for such a shocking thing!? Such a thing?”

”Even if I allow you to touch my Leerin's back and shoulder with your perverted hand, but But if you touch her butt, and caress her, and you took her hoht of that, I, I, I!”

”Who knew of such things,” he said, not wanting to converse with such an unreasonable person

”Wh, hat” Leerin opened and closed her

”Sy, Sy Synola-senpai? Why are you here?”

”I came to save you”

To hear that seriousness from the person in front of her, even Barhtened? But we don't have anyone else who suits this mission But never mind We can return to Grendan”

”Ha, Ha”

Alsheyra Leerin called her Synola Synola was the Queen's fake identity when she lived outside the palace Though she was the Queen, her ti as a Queen was probably less than one tenth of the Queen's working hours Lintence never thought it hile to listen to her, so he had always filtered her words out As such, he never re of which, why No How did you get here?” Leerin finally shook loose Alsheyra's hands and stood up

Alsheyra's expression turned serious, whereas Leerin's face turned white Lintence was fah that was in itself a tragic thing, he did not sy He meant the wasted effort sheso from you”

”Oh, I see”

”Actually, I'm the Queen!” she placed a hand on her own chest and looked apologetic

”Really” But Leerin's ansas cold

”You don't believe me?”

”No, I see That's why Lintence-san followed uard”

”You noticed?”

”No, but I felt what you do is possible That's the kind of feeling I have”

Leerin had let her down er reaction from her A more confused, then more shocked expression A normal person would not have believed her words, but the person who had with her Heaven's Blade successors would not have lied At least, that kind of person would not have appeared in Grendan Leerin wasn't suspicious of her at all Only that her reaction had betrayed Alsheyra's expectation

”Huh he wanted to control himself, his mouth opened on its own and he failed to suppress what calared at hihter

”Whatever, let's hurry up and leave It's about tihed as he said Alsheyra looked down

”Awith its butt too”

Leerin walked after Lintence with suspicion, not sure what they were ih Alsheyra was deterh the broken defensive walls and front door to arrive outside the shelter

”That's too high for Leerin”

Originally, part of the road would descend to form a slope But Lintence had cut a hole with his Steel Threads, the gap between the ground they stood on and the ground of Zuellni o tiht

They didn't hear anyThey heard Bar above They had aliants Otherwise, those three would be too impotent

”You can shake Lintence loose now” Alsheyra's voice was like a spoiled cat Leerin planned to ignore her

”You're a girl, Leerin, youand super-sloppy Look at his hair If you give it a flick, fleas would ju,” Leerin said

”And he doesn't wash his clothes daily”

”Ah, that's possible”

”Right? So let me do it”

”But I'm afraid to let the Queen carry htened”

”But”

”That guy's a guard, a bodyguard! I can't restrict his ar!”

”It matters not whether the person here has free hands or not,” Lintence said

”Shut up!” Alsheyra glared at him with a reddened face Since her expression was like this, it'd be useless for Leerin to say anything hed and accepted her suggestion Alsheyra clapped her hands happily without the air of a Queen

But the ”air of a Queen” probably never existed in her in the first place Leerin accepted this without ht she shouldn't be bothered about this, she still wanted to think more on it

Before that happened, the ht covered one side of Lintence, but the impact was nonexistent Lintence's Steel Threads had blocked the attack

”Let Leerin go!” Layfon shouted He stood indown at them His Katana looked to have stopped in the air The Steel Threads had cancelled the Kei iarette His speed and power made Layfon s his words

”So naive Did they not tell you already?” he said faintly to the young ritted his teeth He looked at the person as carrying Leerin and his expression froze

”Your Majesty”

”Hi, young reeted him with a smile Despair fell on him

”I'm sorry, but I have to take Leerin with me”

”What joke is this!”

”Leerin only came out to travel Isn't it natural for her to return to Grendan?”

”Don't justits own assumption?” Alsheyra said

Layfon looked at Leerin ”Leerin, coaze

”Leerin!”

”This is the Queen's order I can't disobey her,” she said in a tiny voice

”Leerin!”

”I! I want to return to Grendan One day, I'd return, and that just happens to be today That's how things are Layfon, you can think like that”

He landed, suddenly losing his momentum, but he still held the Katana ready

Lintence noticed the weapon in Layfon's hand It was a Katana

” What did you do to her?” Layfon said

”What manner you have What do you think I'd do to her? Either way, she's my cute junior in Grendan”

Layfon's expression didn't sway He understood the Queen's personality It wouldn't be strange that she ht actually be Leerin's senior And this was the truth Why did he ask such a less question? He should already have known

”Leerin said she wants to go back Layfon, can you ret His expression held both regret and stubbornness for Leerin His gaze sought hers, but she kept aze away She did not ask for his help

A teacher-student relationshi+p did not exist between Lintence and Layfon The feeling was probably negative even if it existed

Layfon could do nothing He did not have a Heaven's Blade and he ounded Though his Kei flowed, he could not use his full strength He had no chance of winning against Lintence and the Queen

”Layfon, please,” Leerin pleaded

He shrank The tension vanished Lintence could tell froain I think you can keep living a norless

Had Layfon gone rusty? Lintence thought He had thought so froetting rusty That hy he left his home city Layfon, on the other hand, left his home city to become rusty That was the difference between theinal path To Lintence, this was a shauy who couldn't stand by his poas useless

Keepobstructed the road to Grendan Nothing Not filth monsters Not Military Artists

The presencethrough his entire body When Lintence felt it, the Steel Threads h the steel threads to close in on Alsheyra

But Alsheyra did not turn around

The Steel Threads had blocked that attack The light of Kei exploded

”I thought you'd given up”

”Stop joking”

On the other side of the Steel Threads was Layfon's serious face

”Layfon!” Leerin called over the Queen's shoulder ”Please”

”No!”

Leerin's expression changed at that eht her expression and went to stand before Layfon

”This is so unsightly It makes it so hard to tolerate that I want to see you suffer so? If this continues, I can do nothing Isn't that what ”unsightly” is? No, never ht Leerin's gaze and wanted to knohat she thought What expression did she hold now?

”No ot nothing to do with you any Rationality could not contain one's eh, he hi rusty He'd have died protecting his home city

As he had expected, Layfon's eyes contained nothing but fury