Vol 14 Chapter 1 (1/2)
Chapter 1: You still haven't
With the sound of the wind in his ears, Layfon kept running and ju the Sapphire Dite in the form of steel threads, he carried Felli with his left ar and ju He pressed on as he moved upon Grendan's earth
”Layfon Alseif!”
The voice filled with hostility echoed everywhere Directed at Layfon, the voice see in all directions The confrontation with Claribel had created an unexpected result The chaos continued to spread even now, rippling out in bigger circles The chaos never once stopped around Layfon Having ent air, he could never predict just how large a fire was to e but run
”Three new Military Artists have appeared at point 1200,” Felli said next to his ear She hugged his neck tightly, her breath brushi+ng past his ear The tension that one couldn't feel in her flake was now carried through by her breath
The steel threads danced No, it had never once stopped fro the external Kei of Military Artists aiuys fro the for a safe place In order to enable Sharnid to keep running, Layfon had put all his concentration in the fight
For the three Military Artists for a net to stop him, they didn't even have time to release external Kei before Layfon hammered them into unconsciousness
”After 100m, please turn to point 1400 andforward at Felli's direction, but it was very difficult He was only defeating the other Military Artists It'd have beento kill them off, but he didn't choose that method Instead, hehim If he had chosen to kill, he'd probably have chopped off Claribel's head in the second move
Why did he not do that? Why didn't he kill them? Even Layfon himself couldn't find a persuasive answer to those questions But for some reason, he just couldn't kill them He had ed his thinking now, so in his heart would hold back his resolve
But
”Uu!”
The external Kei of nearing Military Artists ran through the steel threads to his wrist Though it'd be easier to block the attack if he were to spread the steel threads around like Lintence, he had no spare time for that now He couldn't perform that move in a flash like that person The steel threads were a very good weapon against th was far from Lintence's He wouldn't have sunk into this desperate a situation if he could concentrate fighting on his own, but
”Hey!”
Sharnid's voice ca, we still can't escape the Psychokinesist's search?”
This was Sharnid, who could speak with his usual attitude in this unusual situation Layfon agreed with his words, but even he hith left
As Sharnid had said
The flakes of Psychokinesists flew a the Military Artists so to capture Layfon'sinside the net of steel threads, strong Psychokinesists' power could glean inforet Under nore of steel threads to destroy farther flakes, but it was i nu he could toall of his concentration on operating the steel threads, he had left the choice of the route to Felli If he hadn't done that, he would have already left openings in his defense
One must never underestimate Grendan's Military Artists This was a city that had much more real battle experience than any other cities A city that had experienced roup battles more than any other cities No matter what the situation was, it could even easily ith any strangers to carry out combined attacks This was because if the city couldn't do that much, Grendan's Military Artists would not have survived this long Layfon was protecting Sharnid and Felli If he wasn't careful with his moves, they would have been defeated by Grendan's Military Artists beforeNina, Leerin and any other Heaven's Blade successors
”I have an idea,” Felli's voice sounded in their ears Tension seeped from her voice
”As such, please head for the destination If possible e arrive there, even just a h, we'll completely disappear from their eyes”
”Is that possible?” Sharnid asked
”If I have time to weave the steel threads formation” Layfon could only reply He needed tien Kyoku, as his technique wasn't as good as Lintence's Besides, the more numerous the enemies, the harder it was to control the move, but sier Just speaking of weapon type, Dinn's metal threads was the same type as the steel threads The level of difficulty to wield this type of weapon was high, and it was easier to understand that the more familiar one ith this weapon, the more horrific its power
To weave a formation in a split second like Lintence Not only would Layfon fail to produce Sougen Kyoku, hein this situation was fatal
”Good Just leave it to ht Sharnid would accept this mission so quickly
”Ah?”
”Even so, we only have 10 seconds Please, I don't want to get careless”
”Eh? But”
He did not give voice to the words in his throat Perhaps he orrying too much, but no matter how much he worried, this was reality Layfon wasn't the exception All Military Artists in Grendan were the same, and it was particularly so for the Psyharden who had never forgotten the feeling in a real battle
But he had to say it now
”Senpai, it's impossible for you”
Even so
He failed to say it
Why?
But there was no time to ask himself anymore
”Got it,” Felli replied instead
”Felli-senpai”
”There's no time for discussion First, we've to escape”
This truly hat they needed but
”Ok, then let's start three seconds before we arrive at the destination Though I don't knohat ht in it”
No time to reply They were about to arrive at the destination There were around 130 pursuers Around 50 flakes were trying to circle the intruders Two to three people were Psychokinesists Layfon felt that clearly and found the number unexpectedly low His confrontation with Claribel had sparked a fire in Grendan, and that fire would certainly spread But with this nuer, Layfon still couldn't make a decision
”I”
Let me do it That hat he wanted to say With this level of Military Artists, Layfon could defeat them if he were to kill them However, Felli didn't permit him to speak
”Fon Fon Please be more honest”
”Eh?”
”We must stop the source of fire to prevent this situation fro Only 1 more second till arrivalAction Start”
”Oi!” Sharnid shouted and turned around behind Layfon
Layfon had already eliets left were all behind him There were 30 Military Artists, and they were all different froh Sharnid was a top Military Artist in Zuellni, his action here was brainless Would the future of a few seconds after, change because of his action? Layfon should stop him Stop his brainless action, but it was too late They had pro the Dite, Layfon considered whether he should change the direction of the steel threads
But why?
Why did he feel that soht to si the formation? The fore How to swing the Dite, how to let the Kei run, how to adjust the Kei through his Kei vein All these points had clearly eed in his mind All that was left was to realize theen Kyoku was put into action, it wouldn't stop till it was finished This was how deep and complicated Lintence's e It had taken him a horrific amount of time to just familiarize himself with the weapon There was a reason why there were fewer steel threads users than Karen Kei users Luckens' secret was also difficult but it was still just physical exercisethe steel threads were different The difference of threads, the flow of Kei, the ripples of Kei, everything were of a high level
Concentrate If he got distracted, he'd fail
It had begun
One second
”Here I go!” Sharnid shouted and rushed for the Military Artists
”Restoration!”
The two guns in his hands were restored Close quarters coht, Sharnid had raised the guns and rushed the thirty Military Artists in order to protect himself He blocked off the external Kei from them
Two seconds
The explosion broke through the sky along with a huge noise The air floas scattered into pieces as a huge wave sed Sharnid whole This was a group strategy created to stop in-rushi+ng larvae The dignity of adults was sullied today for having used this le person, a person as still an iht of external Kei and the dust of explosion floating in the air reht
Three seconds
An even bigger feeling of Kei came from behind his back A heavy pressure that easily overwhelmed the Kei of all thirty Military Artists No ht of it, he knew it came from Layfon If not, an even more terrible character must have appeared behind Sharnid, Layfon and Felli
(No way?)
Holding to that belief, he stood again in the arena that he couldn't escape from He believed that his action would turn the situation around
”Sonity of a senpai!” he shouted as his spirit rose
Four seconds
Grendan's Military Artists calmly calculated the result of their external Kei They felt nothing for the end of the Military Artist who had been protected by Layfon They had a general idea of this person's strength by looking at the way he escaped, his running speed, his leaping height, his pose They thought his action was brainless and so they released theirin a battle, an unsafe arena as they faced an eneh this fool was a Military Arts student, they were not his teacher They had no obligation to point out his foolish action
The external Kei had already ground this person into powder as if he was put into a blender That hat the Military Artists thought
But that did not happen
The sound of gunshots pierced through the sound of explosion The prediction went awry in the nextthrough the attacks of the thirty Military Artists This time, the rain of Kei bullets came to baptize these Military Artists
Five seconds
The safety setting of the weapon was released This wasn't permitted in the platoon matches and the Military Arts Competition The bullets he used there were anesthetic In here, Sharnid could choose to use both real and Kei bullets When the weapon's safety setting was on, he could not use Kei bullets Though real bullets were powerful too, the number was limited However, there was no limit to the nu his Kei and shooting it out The quality of the gun had placed a certain a as he had Kei, he could keep on shooting
”OHHHHHHHHH!” Sharnid voiced as he kept shooting He wasn't just shooting He wastoo He moved to find the locations that he could shoot the bullets through the amorphous wave of external Kei
”Haha!”
Even he himself didn't expect it The ambush was very successful In fact, there were few Military Artists who failed to evade the sudden attacks
Six seconds
He had reduced the nuuard down He could feel new Military Artists closing in
”But you're a bit late”
The Military Artists dispersed and formed a circle around Sharnid Sharnid rushed for them
Different kinds of weapons attacked hier a simple Military Arts student
Seven seconds
Sharnid's contribution was unbelievable Though he did it in an erasped hold of the opening through his experience in nued to shoot out Kei bullets accurately This was different froht As such, he defeated three ht and nine seconds
Continuously attacking was tiring His h the ti
And then ten seconds passed
”I' on you”
Sharnid escaped fro Kei bullets everywhere and ran for Layfon The Military Artists were speechless at his action of leaving his back coht be a trap They considered whether to give chase or not
Less than even one second had already decided their fate
Sougen Kyoku – Needle makeup
The result took place in a flash The Military Artists and all the Psychokinesis flakes that were gathering information around them suffered the same fate
They were pierced in a flash
Invisible steel threads were laid across the earth during Sharnid's fight with the Military Artists These threads suddenly all pierced the sky The heads of the threads enlarged with the Kei in them None of the Military Artists could resist them Even the flakes had become the steel threads' prey, pierced one by one This happened to not only the Military Artists fighting Sharnid, but to all other Military Artists and flakes seeking to get close The ih The Military Artists didn't have ti Layfon had controlled the threads so they didn't pierce any vital spots
”Keep going down,” Felli said as Sharnid arrived The three of theround canal and closed the heavy lid above them
◇
It was pitch black
”This isn't a bad idea but” Sharnid walked ahead of the team with a painful expression Felli was in the middle and Layfon took up the rear The three of theround canal Sharnid made this expression not only because of Layfon Felli herself understood it well As a huge a water was enough to drown out the noise of Layfon's teaard of anything
”So s his nose
This underground canal was used to carry aaste water
”No need to repeat e all know,” Felli said She wasn't all that coh Internal Kei systethen his senses, he deliberately chose not to strengthen his sense of s his nostrils, causing a nasty feeling in the depth of his throat
”If there's a better way to escape, please tellyou, Felli-chan”
”Of course”
”The entrance we used is destroyed It'd be hard for our pursuers to follow, but I'm not sure about the Psychokinesists”
”It's all right It's already hard to investigate this place fro with the flakes andthe flakes ment? Incredible If you can do that, why haven't you been using it? If Nina had known, she'd be mad”
”Not that I haven't used it before I didn't kno to use it till now Recently, I've thought of this method At that time when I took over the other person's flake”
”So Felli-chan's been thinking”
”You said you hated it, but you gradually came to like it? Not bad”
”Go die, perv”
”Speaking of which, you two can really talk”
Layfon was trying all he could not to breathe It was unbelievable to see these two converse In addition, the three of the in order to stay in their Kei state
”Well, this situation won't change even if we don't say anything”
”I was mentally prepared e chose this escape route”
”But then”
Layfon sighed, following closely behind the two Felli directed them when they came to a branch Layfon put all his concentration behind the them He focused his Kei in his ears He heard footsteps that sounded like Military Artists, but he could tell they weren't all that near Felli was choosing the safest route for them
It should be okay to relax a little in these circu of which, the situation turned worse iinally planned for us to sneak in more safely”
”It seeaze stabbing Layfon
”This is his horeet hiaze turned sharper
”Though you instantly bloodied the other person, that's really like your style What else can I say?”
”Then Who is she?”
”Eh?”
”That girl named Claribel How are you two related?”
”No Nothing special I don't think I've fought with her together that many times”
Of all that he reed to one of the three royal faranddaughter of the Heaven's Blade successor Tigris
”Then isn't she a lady? If you had stayed in Grendan, you ht have been promoted”
”Impossible”
Layfon kneas i
”You t it, right?”
Claribel had suddenly attacked with a sword That kind of girl can't have any good feelings towards him
”No no I didn't feel any hostility It felt more like an action devoid of any evil intention”
Sharnid's words triggered his memories True There was no hostility in Claribel's action He thought she was here to punish the exiled But he didn't feel that was her intention Perhaps she only cath This kind of Military Artists was not lacking in Grendan
”She likes you”
A mischievous smile from Sharnid
”No That's just a way to th”
Layfon's expression was troubled Felli's fury increased
”So nothing else happened between you two?”
”Huh?”
”NO-THING ELSE! Fro's happened between you two in the past”
”Nothing special Well, the only thing I remember hen she first participated in a battle I went along as an observer”
”Observer?”
”Well, an experienced Military Artist has to accompany any new Military Artists in their first battle He's there to observe and protect the newbie My adopted father accoris requested ers ”You must have helped her in a cool style”
”Uh? Not that cool That battle turned into a long one unexpectedly She didn't control the use of her strength and fainted I took care of everything afterwards”
”Look As expected”
Felli's gaze was icy
”Why didn't you realize”
”Eh?”
”Give it up Even this cluuy is a Heaven's Blade”
”Really”
Layfon didn't understand them and cocked his head
The three of the Felli's direction was very accurate The sound of their pursuers was getting further and further away
”We'll head up here,” Felli said this after an hour
”Finally My clothes and hair s hair and o up first”
Layfon climbed the ladder, pushed open the heavy lid and stood up on the ground to check everything was safe He then pulled Felli and Sharnid up with the steel threads
No one was around
They seeh there was no evacuation siren ringing, it was rare to see the sun so high in the sky during this hour
The three of them finally let out their breath Perhaps a iven up the search As Felli had said, their disappearance had reduced the passion of the Military Artists
”Speaking of which, just what's going on?”
Perhaps just as the conversation went in the underground canal, Claribel just wanted to challenge Layfon and held no hostility towards him However, that made the actions of the Military Artists inco suddenly broke and caused a huge ruckus A fight had happened not long before, but ere they so tense?
No
”Has it not ended?”
”What are you talking about?”
Sharnid placed the lid back Felli's icy gaze was still on Layfon It seemed the conversation about Claribel had cast her into a bad mood, and she hadn't recovered from it
Layfon was the one as teased Why was Felli in such a bad etJust wondering about the huge ruckus”
”I don't know but it's not strange under that circuht?”
That circumstance
The contact between Zuellni and Grendan The contact between an Academy City and a nor in Zuellni's sky All these were extremely unusual circumstances Since they discovered the Haikizoku in the ruined city with the 5th platoon, the unusual circumstance had not once stopped Had it all been decided that things would turn out this way?
”Okay, let's go,” Sharnid walked over to the his home at point 0900”
”Hey, don't say that now!”
”Can't be helped I was concentrating on the Military Artists We've to avoid hio”
”Ah”
He could tell from Felli's words that they couldn't ether
Even so, they'd make it if they moved im at her feet, holding the handle and did not notice Layfon They could still ood at fastto worry about
But Layfon did not move
The person alked out of the house was a female Her hair was delicate and had been cut to a very short length Her head was lowered as her hair willfully allowed the gravity to pull it lower
Layfon saw the fine hair and shoulders, and the shopping basket in her hand
Only he understood
”Eh?” She lifted her head and saw the
”Layfon?”
”Lucia-neesan”
◇
His head hurt Not because he was sick This hurt ca at the end of helplessness He just felt his head hurt
”Really”
Minse pressed a hand down on his teer cousin lie on the bed with a helpless expression In the end, he did not return to the palace but had instead headed for the outer edge He had carried his cousin who had her ar done it
Besides, a siht wrist firmly as she lay on the bed even in this situation She didn't look pained Instead, she looked rather happy
But it was better than being looked at with a dejected expression Still, his cousin's expression prevented hi rescued an injured person All he felt noas the feeling of having done soht, Layfon is the best”
His cousinof this repeatedly? For those people who took advantage of the Gahard incidence to exile Layfon from the city, his cousin must have wanted to make the tiht, it's still far fro with theth?”
His cousin was caressing the recovery device Looking at her vague expression, Minse had no other feeling than that her cousin was dangerous Though she wasn't erous when Layfon was involved The close age gap between them was only one of the reasons But it seemed she had already noticed Layfon before she had her first battle Her feelings for Layfon after the first battle was e that it wasn't a feeling a normal female would have
”That's not related What is truly needed is a very balanced strength that can be fully utilized no th exploded from a person in a crisis, then he can't beat anyone”
”I can't hear the real reason”
”I said that's it”
Minse looked at his cousin as nodding strongly He turned his silent gaze to the scenery outside the
It was very tiring for Minse to discuss the theory of battle He was a Military Artist who didn't possess any great power One could say that he had given up because he hadn't undergone any fast growth The fight with the Wolf Faces back then e just when he wanted to take a rest Thinking of the words Her Majesty and other people would say only added to his exhaustion There was nothing that could heal him
”Anyway, the commotion seems to have died down It appears they have successfully hidden theone on for quite a while had died down Minse didn't think Layfon was defeated as he hadn't felt a Kei stronger than a Heaven's Blade successor This h he wasn't that happy with Layfon, the coood news in this situation Anything happening right noas not nore would certainly take place later The action of the Wolf Faces had pointed to it Instead of finding the path to the Inner Court as usual, the Wolf Faces had directly taken a mission to assassinate the Heaven's Blades The more correct reason was that they wanted to eliminate the power of the Heaven's Blade successors Their purposetheir full strength in the co huge was about to occur
A huge ruckus at this tith to stop Layfon so it was better to honestly let hiht to stay here and receive treatht way, I can't do anything I want Aa, but I still want to fight one more time I heard it can be treated by dusk One more time”
Minse shook his head and left the rooht he wanted to return earlier but it had to be at this time that he met the person who halted his steps
”What an unexpected ”
Minse failed to utter a word as this was a very special person The peaceful at from this person didn't crack apart as the person watched Minse from the wheelchair It was impossible for this old lady not to know Minse was here
He tried to speak with the old woman
”It's unusual to see you, Delbone-dono”
This was the hospital Delbone slept in Not only that Savaris, who had sustained injuries in Zuellni, was treated here too Though it wasn't impossible to meet with her in this hospital, the old lady before Minse had always been sleeping, acting through her power of Psychokinesis alone Hence Minse never thought he'd randchildren has been ad towhile It lacks warh the flake”
”She's a fortunate grandchild”
”Did you come to visit too, Minse?”
”I'm here to visit Claribel You should already know?”
”So”
”Though I don't knohich grandchild of yours is injured, but is it soe but randchild were Psychokinesists Even her great-grandchildren worked as Psychokinesists Most of the mainstream Psychokinesists in Grendan were her direct descendants Delbone, who held all information of Grendan, was not just simply a Heaven's Blade successor
”No I don't think Minse knows her She left Grendan when she was very small She only returned recently”
”There is such a person? But speaking of which, can she be in Zuellni?”
”Yes She h Zuellni but she was injured before that, and it wasn't life-threatening”
”Really? Then that's good”
”Yes Either way, she's the grandchild I care for the most I'm really happy”
Minse could only think of her as a kind and approachable old lady as he looked at her expression
”I hope your grandchild can be safely discharged”
”Thank you Ah, and also, Her Majesty hasn't noticed this commotion yet His infiltration and Claribel's personality are all within predictions Please rest at ease”
”Seems I can sleep better Thank you”
”There's no need I've got to go now”
”Yes, goodbye”
He watched Delbone wheel the wheelchair past him then he headed for the exit of the hospital
He smacked his lips as he felt the sweat left on his head He already knew This shouldn't be surprising Delbone's Psychokinesis had always been covering this city It was i that happened in this city What was terrifying was the existence of a Psychokinesist like Delbone Nothing would happen to this city so long as she lived She knew before anyone else the nearing of filthspeed of filth rateful for that Also, Grendan's political cli was that in Grendan existed the Heaven's Blade successors led by the Queen As such, no one had truly experienced the Queen's terror
She possessed an overwhelatherer with her, Delbone It was reality that these tere cooperating One wrong stepdictatorshi+p that no one could resist It was good now because the Queen and Delbone had the same aim The city's economy was stable There wasn't much commotion in the lives of normal citizens But if one out of these three points was to break down, then syht appear
Minse had this premonition
Minse's family had fallen because of his connection with Layfon He wasn't all that good as a Military Artist and that had changed his past naivety He could see the cruel reality ht explain why he was more tired He could only be chased by all sorts of realities as he didn't have the clear goal of being a Military Artist