novelTo the Indecisive Person (2)
| ← Ch.108 | Ch.110 → |
Troyatte ignored Ruimei's reproached and continued to laugh.
"As she said, old man. We're all adults. How long are we to fiddle around for? If you're feeling like a child being scolded, then show her that you're the adult."
"Um........."
"You're right. Let's believe in that person, " Reverse said.
"Tsk, fine."
Ruimei nodded reluctantly.
Everyone else also followed Reverse's suggestion.
"Hey, don't take all the good things yourself."
"Uh? Ah, sorry."
"My Reverse is a real good man compared to you. Of course!" Cauntia said happily.
"So noisy, " Barmelin said.
(Annoying adults. )
That voice had been faint from start to finish, and that was how it was left to the adults.
She sighed deeply in the shelter.
It was Felli.
(They're the Military Artists with the highest status in Grendan. You should have respected them more. )
(I'd give them however much you want if that can change the current situation. )
Felli answered Elsmau's complaint coldheartedly. She was surprised that Elsmau was Delbone's successor and the Psychokinesists, Fermaus, of the Salinvan Mercenary Guidance Gang. She was also surprised that she was female. Felli never thought this would happen.
Felli's experience was rich as a Psychokinesist. Elsmau's Psychokinesis interfered with her and rendered her helpless when Haia captured her. Felli had never stomached that part down.
But this time she had to put aside her anger, surprise and regret. She should concentrate everything on the crisis before her.
(But do you think your strategy would work?)
(We'd only encounter the same result if we did it the same way as that person did. )
(Even so.........)
Delbone had successfully connected Felli and Elsmau before her death. This meant together, the two of them held the power that equated Delbone's, or close enough to Delbone's.
(Or do you have the confidence in this situation to finish what that person wants to do but hasn't finished?)
Elsmau fell silent. Even Felli didn't have that confidence.
But they had no other choice. They must increase the accuracy of the Queen's strike. What Elsmau was concerned with was the person that Felli said was to open the hole.
(That's what you're looking for. Why not trust that a little bit?)
(True. I can only trust now. )
(Anyway, the flakes on the outside have already conveyed the message because of the rampage earlier on. This means we can still see the situation outside even if the hole is to close up again. )
(That's only if the opponent's weak spot hasn't changed. )
(Uh, either way we're racing against time. )
They had finished confirming their strategy. Elsmau had been working as an informant for the Mercenary Gang alone, and Felli had few chances to work with other Psychokinesists. Both of them lacked experience in teamwork and so they were unable to cover up the tension they felt.
"Hey."
The sudden voice made Felli's shoulders shake. The short shout contained pressure that one couldn't ignore.
That voice belonged to Lintence.
(What is it?)
"Let that girl speak."
He heartlessly chased out Elsmau. Felli calmed down a little before answering him.
(I'm here. )
"Ask that guy just how long does he plan to keep playing for."
(..................)
Felli couldn't answer. Perhaps this man already knew she wasn't a citizen of Grendan. That must be it. So she must speak with "the guy" that Lintence mentioned.
She felt that to be the biggest difficulty in this battle.
◇
The situation continued to change. The feeling of collapse was obvious in the air. Chaos exploded in a split second in the river of live-bullets beneath his feet, and this made the collapse in the air turn more severe.
"Father!" Layfon called. He knew he had to fight in front of his father's mental preparation, but he felt that they shouldn't keep fighting in this situation.
"Not only Leerin is in this city! But also Toby and the other siblings!"
"I've already said so. If you want to do something, then open the path ahead with your katana!"
But father's words didn't change.
Layfon felt that he must do something now. He couldn't let this situation go on anymore.
(Fonfon. )
He saw the butterfly-shaped flake as he jumped in the gaps between live-bullets.
"Felli?"
He was shocked to hear this familiar voice, but he immediately caught the flake and stuffed it in his pocket.
"Felli, what is it? This flake is......?"
(Delbone-sama is dead. )
"Eh?"
The shock from the words caused an opening in his fight.
Derek would never let this opening go. He closed the distance between the two in a split second. Two weapons clashed again. Layfon's head could have been flying in the air had his time of shock lasted longer. He shivered at Derek's murderous intent.
(Let me tell you the current situation. )
But Felli kept speaking in this situation, as if she didn't care. She never gave him the chance to protest. He could only listen in silence, and Derek was also forced to listen to her report.
Delbone's death. This last line of defense had collapsed. The enemies had infiltrated the city and were heading for the palace. Felli's voice was faint but it contained unusual energy.
(And what are you two doing in this situation? Layfon, is your purpose to fight this old man here? And you. Just what are you doing when your own city is in this situation?)
".................."
".................."
The strength pressing down on the two katana showed no signs of weakening, but both fighters couldn't suppress the bitterness showing on their faces.
(I can tell from the conversation between you two that you're the head of the orphanage that Layfon was raised in. )
"....................."
(But can you totally not consider your son's feelings just because you want to realize your daughter's wish?)
"....................."
Derek kept silent as Layfon maintained his pose, keeping up the pressure on the blade and waiting for his reply or Felli's next question.
(......... I understand. )
Layfon didn't expect her to retreat like that. He was still putting pressure on the blade and Derek's strength remained strong on the katana. Layfon wouldn't reduce the pressure due to his own sense of shock.
(Then please hurry and make your decision. Otherwise everything would be too late. Not only might everyone in Grendan die, but Zuellni might also be destroyed. )
The live-bullets the two stood on were hit by Kei and became pieces as Felli spoke. This naturally ended the dilemma of the fight and Layfon leapt away.
"Felli?"
He could tell she was trying to persuade Derek, but why did she suddenly back off? It would have been great had she been able to persuade him.
(Fonfon. )
But she had seen through him.
(That's not possible. )
She curtly refused him.
"Eh?"
(I already knew it isn't possible. I only talked to him to confirm it. )
"Eh? Eh?"
Felli didn't seem to plan to unravel his confusion.
(There isn't much time left. The longer time you use, the heavier burden it'll be for the captain. Please don't forget this. )
"Just what's going on?"
She was once again talking about something he didn't understand. But...... To make the captain's burden heavier? He didn't understand, but he knew from the current situation that he couldn't keep wasting time like this. He was only clear about this part.
(Next is a message from Lintence."Just how long does he plan to keep playing for". That was what he said. )
"Ha!"
Lintence's words gave him a bigger impact. It was impossible for him not to notice this fight. So did he understand everything?
(Get it? You're allowed the time for the next strike. Don't lose any more time than that......... and, the opponent seems to be preparing to end this in the next move. )
Layfon understood this. Derek was also leaping between live-bullets and keeping a distance from him, maintaining the same altitude as him. And he clearly sensed the huge whirl-like Kei concentrating around Derek. Perhaps Layfon already knew what he was planning.
Both sides wanted to win in the next move. They didn't have to think about their next move. They just needed to decide everything by clashing with all their might.
But.
But.........
(Fonfon. )
Psychokinesis was reading Layfon's expression. Felli's voice spread out like a drop of ink falling into clear water.
(That person wants to see. )
".................."
(He wants to see a son in you. )
Derek's Kei showed he was prepared. Layfon could feel the flow of that Kei in this battlefield was the existence of perfection. It was an art made for the elegant and intense final stroke of the pen.
(He wants to see how much you've grown and what your level of determination is. )
Derek's Kei painted the surrounding sky like wings grown with feathers. It was gathered to the Heaven's Blade in his hand, caused by the Kei vein that ran through his body and into the weapon. This was originally a very normal act for Military Artists, but it looked so very bright from Derek's strong determination. It was beautiful enough to shock one's heart.
(Your determination, the real you, that's what that person wants to see......)
Felli continued.
Layfon couldn't move his gaze away from Derek. He raised his own Kei as he listened.
Derek moved.
Psyharden technique - Water Mirror.
(Are you going to just show that person your dishonest side......?)
Derek appeared before his eyes.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"
Howling.
(I hate this you. )
Kei technique was released.
At the same time.
Psyharden technique - Flame Cut.
The techniques of the two clashed.
◇
Equipment geared for outside city use wrapped around her entire body as she stood.
Nina was on the outside, on the outside of Zuellni, on the outside of Grendan, and landed on top of the monster. She had planned to do this even without Felli's contact. This was reckless but she knew she had nothing else to do but this.
(I hope Captain can attack the monster from the outside. )
Nina was thankful for Felli's timely request, but she hadn't explained the strategy. It seemed the contact was limited. The flake had lost its strength after her contact and once more fell useless in Nina's hand. It seemed Felli wouldn't have a chance to talk to the Student President and Vance. And so Nina had prepared everything herself, sneaked into the equipment room and got ready for outside city fight. Nina accomplished this easier as all other Military Artists had to be on the ready for anything.
But she didn't want people to think she had lost it, resulting in Vance making a mistake for grasping hold of the wrong information and the Military Artists attacking the monster much earlier than needed. This wasn't what Nina wanted to see. That monster was concentrating on attacking Grendan and hadn't done anything to Zuellni, but it wouldn't ignore it long once it was attacked from this side.
So Nina had told what she planned to Sharnid and asked him to convey that message to Vance.
She didn't relay the message herself because she didn't want Vance to stop her. So she had only told Sharnid the necessary information and had then come here.
She knew what she was about to do was without a strategy.
All Heaven's Blade successors were fighting, but the situation was still in a dilemma. The addition of Nina probably wouldn't make any changes. But nothing would be solved if nothing was done.
(Please attack the monster with all of your strength, but please don't be reckless. If you were dead and Zuellni was damaged, either way, we will feel sad and regret. )
Felli had explained it clearly. She had been like that from the beginning, but her words were even colder than before. Perhaps she felt she really had to explain that point clearer.
Not one inch of space on the monster's stomach that was revealed in the flow of the air was smooth. The tips of Nina's shoes just barely fit into the monster's body as she stood. She held the iron whips. The weapon that only belonged to her, given to her by Zuellni. Perhaps there weren't any other weapons better suited to her than this pair of iron whips.
She would never let humiliation come to the iron whips in battle.
"Melnisc!"
(I will become your sharp sword, the intense flame to annihilate the enemy. )
The Haikizoku answered her call.
(No matter when and where, this has already become an unchangeable truth. )
Nina let Kei run through her body as she listened to Melnisc's answer. She locked her target on one of the ten heads on the stomach.
Combined Internal and External Kei variant - Raijin.
The catastrophic head that was lifted high watched Nina, but by then her world was already smothered in the smoke of high speed as she rushed for it.
The feeling of hitting the monster came to her hand as the monster's wailing pierced the sky. The crack caused by her attack should be smaller than the time when she first opened a hole in the monster's body. The monster's pain should also be less because Nina had used less power in this attack. Of course, the problem might not be on her attack. Perhaps the monster's head was harder than its body.
All the heads glared at her angrily because an important part of the body was hit. The other nine heads turned around to watch her. Nina felt pressure on her entire body.
Would the monster open its fangs to attack?
No.
"Um!"
Feeling a sense of distasteful prediction, Nina jumped and left her spot.
Lightning assaulted the space beneath her feet in the next moment. All the heads howled at the sky. At the same time, another lightning strike fell from the dark clouds. It didn't fall on Nina but the huge pillar of lightning hit the monster's body and began spreading out.
"Is the cloud also part of this guy!"
Numbness ran through her body even though she had dodged the attack. She gritted her teeth at the sensation, landed and prepared her next strike.
Raijin.
The monster's body was regenerating, but Nina's attack overcame its regeneration speed and made the wound wider. It didn't look that big of a wound. If one were to compare it to a wound on Nina, it'd be the equivalent of a small wound made by the tip of a foot.
But she was certain it hurt.
It wasn't a fatal wound though. Either way, this level of a wound was nothing to a monster with unbelievable regenerative power.
"Damn."
She jumped to avoid another lightning strike.
"This is endless."
Was it not working to simply attack the monster's head? Nina pondered again.
Perhaps Felli wanted her to confuse the enemy. The monster had turned all of its attention to her. Perhaps this was what Felli had wanted.
A huge body mass.
A great regenerative power.
Even Heaven's Blade successors could only defend in front of this thing. Nina herself was also experiencing this point with her body.
Then she must find a way to kill this monster. This monster's weak point......... If this existed on this monster's body then she had to find it. This was what she had to do now.
The monster would counter-attack with lightning when one of its heads was hit. This really was a powerful counter-attack. She would die if she got hit, but it was very simple to read its attack. The counter-attack wasn't always aimed at her. Sometimes it didn't even land close to her. The lightning would spread across the monster's whole body. The attack wasn't anything to it.
"Next."
Nina changed her target and ran up the monster's long neck. She almost got thrown off the neck a number of times before she reached its head, but she finally made it to her destination. She swung the iron whips down at the eye that was larger than her own body. As expected, the scale in this place wasn't as hard. Nina released her Kei, using all of her strength. No matter how many heads the monster had, this attack would give it quite some damage as long as it was a living thing.
But the end result was unexpected. The monster's reaction was very intense. Nina was thrown off the head because of it. But when she adjusted her pose in the air, the monster was already regenerating.
Not here.
Was it not the head then?
"Ok, next."
Nina's aim wasn't to defeat the monster. If she had insisted on defeating it, the battle would never end.
She landed, dodged the lightning strike and ran for the next head.
Someone saw it happen.
"She's doing something interesting."
The person who had retreated to Zuellni earlier than anyone else, Dixerio, was happily watching Nina's every movement.
"Ara, do you want to help her?" Nelphilia looked at him with a surprised expression."You were wanting to defeat her yourself not so long ago."
"Weren't you the one who made me abandon that idea?"
"Is that so?" she was joking, passing off his complaint with a smile.
Fascinated attraction still lived in Nelphilia's eyes even though they were mere slits when she was smiling. Dixerio moved his gaze away and watched the monster and Nina's battle again.
"Seems to be chasing away a bee. The size is about right."
"Ala, the poison from the bee is incredible though."
"Exactly."
Dixerio held the huge metal whip on his shoulder.
"Are you really going? Aren't you thinking of heading there yourself?"
"It's not like my style to wait for the timing to come. Besides, I'm already here."
"Then go. I'll head there alone even if you are defeated."
Nelphilia took back her smile. The more she spent her time here, the weaker she became. The place that Saya told Leerin was a place that could realize all dreams. It was on the other side of this world, the place where the moon adorned the sky. It was hard to clearly see the hole in the sky because of the thick cloud cover. No, the hole was closed, that was why both Dixerio and her were still here.
"I'll leave you here and go if the hole opens up."
"Never mind. I think I'll head there on my own."
A mask appeared in Dixerio's hand. The mask of the Haikizoku, Velzenheim, had turned from blue to red after taking away the power of the fire god from Shante. It had greedily absorbed the power of the Wolf Faces and the existence of the fire god that was superior to them. Velzenheim now had the color that matched the title "The flame of the hungry wolf."
Dixerio put on the mask.
Power ran through him in a flash. The whirlwind created by the two negative powers of curse and revenge filled his body and spilled out of him.
Becoming a hideous flame.
Feeling the negative emotion writhing up his neck, Dixerio leapt. The pollutants could not invade his body as the intense flame was absorbing the pollutants and turning them into its own source of fuel. The flame became bigger once Dixerio left Zuellni's air shield.
"............ It can burn this well in air so thin, then it must burn even brighter on the other side, " Nelphilia smiled with a finger on her lips as she watched him."Ignasis. Perhaps you'll be burnt to ashes by the flame you created."
She lifted her head. On the other side of her gaze was the moon that was blocked by the heavy cloud cover. A smile that one would find tragic appeared on her face as she pondered the appearance of the moon.
Nina found out that something had happened. It happened after she attacked the third head. Her moves failed to defeat the monster, but she knew the monster was in pain from her blows. The more effective her attack was the closer she hit to the head. Of course, the eye was one of the attack points. It was easy to destroy the eye, but the regenerative speed of the eye was also faster than anywhere else. She doubted whether this eye held the same function as a human's eye. Compared to this, the monster felt more pain from a blow that caused internal injuries. It seemed this monster's weak point was in a deeper area inside its body where Nina's attack couldn't reach. And so the monster hated injuries to its insides more than to its surface.
Then......... It happened while Nina was pondering.
A ball of gigantic flame appeared in the sky.
The flame that suddenly appeared from Zuellni gave one of the monster's heads a powerful assault. The monster's skin was peeled away. The scales bounced back. Even Nina could hear the noise from the attack from far away. The noise that sounded like lightning pierced the monster's head. The head fell back and toppled listlessly on the monster's abdomen.
"What was that?"
Nina's surprised voice filled her own helmet. If what she was feeling was the remnants of Kei, then this Kei was too savage. Its quality felt different from the wild Kei of the Heaven's Blade successors. Both types of Kei seemed similar but they were different.
The flame continued to expand as if it was to swallow its surroundings. Nina could only describe it as horror.
And this was especially true when she saw the wave riding the flame, or the person that was rampaging inside the flame. Nina shivered.
Dixerio.
But was this really him? She didn't feel that this was the Dixerio Maskane that she knew. He was more like the carefree Sharnid when she first met him. She found out he loved talking to himself when she met him the second time a few days ago.
And now.
The man wielding a huge metal whip, bringing with him the constantly changing flame stood before her, and she found it hard to link him with the Dixerio she knew. The Heaven's Blade successors turned around the definition of a normal Military Artist, but Dixerio was turning around the knowledge of what constituted a living being.
What was this ball of flame?
Nina didn't know. The City Police knew of Shante's special body. Some Alchemists knew too, but Nina had no idea.
No one in Zuellni knew that Shante was the fire god and that her body was made to be a weapon by the Wolf Faces. Zuellni herself was filled with secrets. No one knew that Zuellni was involved with the fate of this world.
The other being before her had taken Nina's attention. She stood spaced out, rooted on the spot.
The remnants of lightning attacked her. The lightning running across the monster's body captured her feet and she was thrown back to fall onto the monster's round abdomen. Nina continued to slide down as there was no handhold for her.
"Uh!"
She pierced the monster's body with her iron whips and used that point to jump up and stood again. The lightning shock coursing through her body had cleared her head.
".........How could I be looked after like that!"
Whatever kind of person Dixerio was, it was clear that he was helping her interfere with the monster. Then what she had to do now was the same as before. It wasn't possible to want everything as she wanted. If she wanted to continue to investigate the mystery of this world, then she would have to leave Zuellni once more.
"Right now, what I have to do is what I can do."
This was all that Nina wanted for now.
She gripped the iron whips and ran off again.
◇
The surroundings of the palace had become a battlefield.
The sound of fighting and the footsteps of the monsters could be heard from the tallest tower in Grendan. Leerin's body kept shivering. She placed her hand on her chest and looked down out the window. Alsheyra and Saya were like statues, frozen on the spot. The queen's eyes were tightly closed but the girl of moonlight had her eyes wide opened.
Alsheyra was concentrating on the decisive timing that could arrive at any moment. As for Saya, Leerin didn't know what she was doing. Perhaps she was protecting Grendan.
With the monster that was covering the entire city, Durindana, perhaps Saya's power explained why this huge mass had yet to crush the city itself. It must be Saya's power to appoint an area that prevented anyone from entering. But Durindana was very strong. Even Saya could only prevent the huge body from entering. She could not stop the numerous live-bullets from invading the city.
The sound of chaotic but orderly footsteps was closing in on the palace, and the sound of the footsteps had slowed down somewhere. The Military Artists in the city were good at fighting, but they still couldn't completely stop the monsters from moving forward. They could only delay them.
Ahah......
Leerin hugged her body, sighing. She understood a little now. The atmosphere of despair was invading her bit by bit. The instinctive desire to live was stirring in her heart, about to explode at any moment.
The meaning behind the number of twelve Heaven's Blade successors. The function of the right eye. The existence of the Queen.
Everything was linked, but Leerin didn't know the answer that lay behind that linkage. She could probably guess the answer, but there was nothing but the feeling of sadness.
The rib. Heaven's Blades were the rib of Airen. The Airen that was the moon and guardian of this world. The Airen that Saya loved. A part of the strong bones that made up a man's shell, the sharp and dangerous bone that revealed danger to humanity.
The Queen, the power Airen possessed. Dispersed across the world because of Rigzario. The Queen was the final form of that power, gathered once more.
And this was the right eye that Airen desired. This power was born from his will so to protect this world, to allow the princess to sleep eternally, the magical eye that could weave the wall of thorns. Airen's flesh that excluded his will. His everything was here. Then everything was gathered here because of the owner's will.
It was natural to gather here to protect Saya.
The Queen's birth on this earth, the gathering of the Heaven's Blade successors, Leerin standing here at this moment, everything was because of Airen's will.
But......
She shook her head and chased away the thought surfacing in her mind. There was no fate here. He was only caught in this play. The stirrings left from her thoughts pained her. She boldly looked out the window of the tower and chased away those stirrings.
She looked at the sky through the window. She couldn't see that figure when Barmelin was in a rampage. But next time and the next time. Perhaps she could see that figure. That figure may appear before her after the monster's abdomen was pierced and the clouds were chased away.
She understood everything already.
And that was the time when she was to exercise her power.
The skeletons were closing in on the palace and in comparison, Grendan's Military Artists bravely fought on. They possessed above average fighting strength as individuals, but they could also fight together as a group. Tens of Military Artists released external Kei at the same time. They timed their moves so that the storm created by the Kei turned upward to create chaos in the enemies, destroying them. Still, this level of damage was very tiny for the whole of the skeletal enemies.
"No matter what, don't let them enter the palace!"
The commanding Military Artist howled at the skeletal soldiers climbing up the palace's wall and the rooftops of normal residential houses and heading straight for the palace.
But the skeletons did not stop moving. They ignored the wounds the Military Artists inflicted upon them and kept moving forward. Meanwhile, more live-bullets had landed as they slipped through the Heaven's Blades and so the skeleton's reinforcements were increasing constantly, and the number of reinforcements far surpassed the number being destroyed. All Military Artists spread out in Grendan had come to the palace after judging that the skeletons' aim was not the city's underground shelters.
But they still couldn't block them off.
Worry filled everyone.
And his voice rang out crisp and loud amidst them.
"......... Really, to leave this scene for me at such a playful time. My job isn't to wipe your ass. Really."
The sigh came from the front entrance of the palace. His long hair was bounded. His arms were filled with muscles because of his training. Silver plates shone.
The man's fist moved in an instant and hit the sky.
External Kei variant - Full power. Stab.
The released Kei bullet pierced through the skeletal group and ran in a straight line, forcefully splitting the enemies into two rows. The Military Artists cheered at the figure of the man who stepped into the enemy area in a relaxed manner.
"Savaris-sama!"
Savaris kept moving, ignoring the cheers. The skeletal army continued to move forward despite his attack. Savaris only headed forward and left the leftovers to the other Military Artists.
Blood seeped into the bandages wrapping his neck.
Lintence had sewn up the injury on his neck that Layfon made. Savaris had then received treatment in the hospital and his wound had been filled, but the vein that was cut hadn't been fully healed. One Full Power Stab was enough to open the wound again.
"This is the price of experiencing fun, " he said to himself as he touched his wound.
"It seems I must act more wildly like Lintence-san, " he said, shook away the blood on his hand and released a Kei move again.
External Kei variant - Absolute. Full Power. Stab.
Blood gushed like water from a fountain from his neck.
But the attack from the Kei was spreading from one skeleton to another. The skeletons fell like dominos.
"Well, let's do as much as I can."
Relaxed, he walked deeply into the army of skeletons, his upper body tainted with his own blood.
The sound of howling caused the sky to rumble.
The remnants from the clash of Kei rode the howls of the two and continued to spread, piercing the sky and shaking the monster's skin.
Psyharden technique - Flame Cut.
The result wasn't as simple as before, now released from two Heaven's Blades. Both persons' Kei bore fangs that attempted to swallow the other. The light of Kei blocked their vision. Layfon couldn't even see Derek who was in front of him.
All he felt was the pressure coming from the Heaven's Blade.
The feeling carried to his hands meant everything. Picked up by his foster father, raised up by him, his own traitorous act, the reconciliation, and the current fight. This may be a destined fate for both fighters. To survive by the blade. To fight on this world gone mad because of pollutants, and make oneself stronger. Perhaps this was written in one's fate.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
With force, Layfon shattered the thought "this can't be helped" that flashed through his mind. Even if this was a destined fight between strong fighters, there must be an end. Lintence's words that Felli conveyed "Stop playing around" pressed down on him.
Not that he hadn't used his full power.
But he didn't want to kill his opponent. But right now, his adopted father also held the same amount of Kei and the Heaven's Blade. The result of victory was his opponent's death. This was the only road that Layfon foresaw. He was afraid that this would become reality, and this would mean he had really cut off his past. He would never forgive himself for that.
If he thought that the reason of this fight was Leerin's will, then he felt he might have got something wrong. He had already decided to see her and ask her about her true feelings. He had already made this mental preparation before he fought his adopted father. Even so, fear and uncertainty filled his heart. Determination was the preparation he made to tolerate the coming pain. It would not lessen the pain. He had already known this deeply when his siblings looked at him with hatred. Then wouldn't it have been better if he chose to run away? Somewhere inside his heart was mocking him. But he couldn't do it. He wanted to confirm for himself Leerin's decision. His heart felt like this for some reason. At the same time, a premonition flashed through him. Not only Leerin and Derek, but also his link with Toby and the other siblings would disappear if he accepted Derek's words. This was what he felt.
The feeling of flowing water in his hand made him afraid.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"
Howling.
Kei continued to rise.
He continued to increase his Kei and poured it into the Heaven's Blade, ignoring the term "limit". The two Kei exploded in the middle point of the two Heaven's Blades. The two Kei were glued together like a solid ball flying in a narrow space. Each leap would cause one to lose his balance. The pressure of Kei assaulted him, but tolerating the pain, he raised his Kei to press down on that pressure.
He could bear the intense pain on his flesh, but the pain in his heart was frightening. These feelings must be contradictory. He didn't understand. All he felt was fear. He would rather cut clean than be tied in these feelings, just like the time when he arrived at Zuellni. Why. Why didn't he want to lose what he had taken back with much effort?
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"
Howling.
His eyes were white hot, but even if the tears were to flow, it would only be shattered instantly by his Kei. He had no other way to express his feelings than his howls.
To Derek.
To his foster father.
To his own father.
To his own family.
Why did it turn out like this? He couldn't ask that question.
"Don't cry, stupid son."
He seemed to hear that from Derek.
One instant. Just one instant. He felt he saw Derek's smile in that gaze blocked by the flashes of light.
Perhaps this was just a hallucination. An indescribable feeling filled his mind. His eyes hurt because of the light. Perhaps everything was just his own imagination and wishful thinking.
Red dispersed in the world of white smoke. The color recovered in the next instant. Derek's body, standing on the other side of the Heaven's Blade, gushed red.
Gushing out from his Kei.
Layfon understood in an instant. The nervous system and the veins covering Derek's entire body could not sustain the sudden surge of Kei. The network ripped and from the rupture gushed the power that pained Derek.
Time seemed to slow. The Heaven's Blade in Derek's hands slowly lost power.
Wait. Stop!
Layfon ordered his own body. It was enough. The victor had been decided. His action wasn't necessary anymore. Stop. Stop. Stop!
But apparently he couldn't control his own body anymore. What controlled the movement of the blade in this situation was neither his body nor muscles, but the Kei embodied in the blade, exploding, controlling the blade at its own will and totally disregarding Layfon's wish.
The blade pressed down on Derek's Heaven's Blade and was about to enter father's body according to the path depicted in Layfon's mind. The tip of the blade would enter the flesh and travel from the left of the abdomen up to the right shoulder. It would soundlessly draw across Derek's body. Layfon seemed to be able to foresee the future of a few seconds later in his mind.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"
Despair filled him.
But a miracle happened before it all became reality.
The two Heaven's Blades, weaved together, lost their shape. They became one and the blade in Layfon's hands became one Heaven's Blade. Only ripples were left of the Kei technique that had lost its blade.
Blood gushed from Derek's body as Layfon's father fell.
"Father!"
Live-bullets headed for the unconscious Derek. Layfon used the recoil of his Kei to descend speedily. He caught Derek and passed through Barmelin's river of bullets and landed on the roof of a nearby building.
"Father!" he called, but there was no reaction.
(He must have fainted because of blood loss. He isn't in immediate danger. The ambulance will arrive in 3 minutes. )
Layfon was at a loss as he listened to Felli's words. He watched his foster father. He couldn't have failed to see the wound on the left hand side of Derek's abdomen. He caused that injury, or one could say he caused it when he was thinking of killing his foster father.
(Layfon. Though this isn't the time to say it, there's something I have to ask you to do. )
".................."
(All Heaven's Blade successors are on the defense. The captain is fighting on the outside so you're the only person available. )
"......... What do you want me to do?"
(Open up a hole in the monster's body and keep it open for some time. )
"I see."
He lay Derek down and jumped out.
Did he have to do that? Did he have to do that in order to see Leerin and confirm her thoughts? To defeat Derek with his katana. Did he have to do that?
What had happened to Leerin?
He had to confirm it.
The pain in his heart felt like his skin was being peeled off. Blood was gushing from him without ceasing. Did he have to do that for the present step he was taking? Did he have to tolerate that pain so that he could stand before her?
Did Leerin have the same level of preparation? Was what was happening now require her to have this level of preparation?
The monster covering the entire city. Was it because of it? Whether it was about that event or this.
"All because of you!"
Layfon passed through the river of bullets again and restored the Heaven's Blade. The appearance of Wolfstein was the same as he had remembered. Layfon felt nothing but hatred for the feeling of it in his hands. The result of the battle became like this because of Wolfstein.
He held it backhandedly with a pose ready to throw something. Fury turned into Kei and was poured into the Heaven's Blade. Disappear together with this monster!
"Hooooooooooooooooooooooo!!"
The color of Kei enveloped his entire body and became a circle of light. Fury changed the color of Kei into scalding red.
External Kei variant - Rumbling Sword.
Fury was thrown out along with Kei. The Heaven's Blade became a light bullet of red that stabbed into the monster's skin. The entirety of Grendan shook from the shaking of the explosion. The remnants of the Kei technique destroyed all surrounding live-bullets.
The hole made by force was revealed after the smoke cleared.
The gigantic moon gazed down at Layfon on the other side of the hole.
The colossal abdomen covering Grendan was shaking, and even faster than the shaking, the monster was regenerating.
Layfon took out the Adamantium Dite from his weapon harness as he fell. He inserted the special Dite into the slot in the Adamantium Dite, and the changes he expected took place.
Steel threads.
Thousands of Steel Threads appeared from the handle he was holding, and they began to shred down the cells regenerating from the wound. Kei flowed to the ground and started to burn up the monster's flesh. Layfon wasn't thinking of controlling the amount of Kei anymore. The insane Kei was cutting apart the monster, burning it and swallowing it. Layfon wasn't thinking of control because of his fury. The Steel Threads had turned red and hot even though the Adamantium Dite had a greater capacity than the Sapphire Dite. The Steel Threads released by the Layfon in the sky had turned bright red.
He felt the sense of danger immediately. Layfon poured forth the last spurt of Kei and tossed away the weapon.
The last explosion burnt away the flesh that was sealing off the hole. He speedily took out the Sapphire Dite, restored it and released the Steel Threads again.
But the kei he poured into the Dite was a lot less than before. Felli didn't say how long he had to keep the hole open. No, it was better that he hadn't asked. If she had said one minute, he might have relaxed in the last ten seconds. Besides, he felt that he couldn't calm his fury if he didn't let it out now.
But the capacity of the Sapphire Dite that allowed it to counter the regenerative power of the monster was much lower. Layfon was causing injuries in the monster's body rather than keeping the hole open. The hole was not big enough for the regenerative power to wane. The effort of the Sapphire Dite was useless.
In that case............
Only one Dite was left in the weapon harness, the Shim Adamantium Dite. He reached for it and passed through the hole with the steel threads to attack the monster from the other side of the air shield. There was no other way. He wasn't scared of the pollutants burning his body. The only feeling filling him now was fury.
But a change happened faster than his determination.
Leerin saw the moon.
The moon saw Leerin.
It's coming.
The moon appeared in her gaze again as she thought. She looked at it with her head lifted. On it was Nina and the figure of the mysterious man, weaved with fire, and the ten heads that were fighting them.
Through the Haikizoku, Nina was fighting the monster with the mysterious man. They were able to distract their enemy, but their combined attacks did nothing to unearth the monster's weakness. Nano Celluloid. The extremely tiny existence was hiding somewhere. It wasn't because Nina and the mysterious man did not possess enough power. It was because the scale of the enemy was too large.
This was the time for Leerin to do what she had to do.
She watched the moon, what the moon could see - the entire body of the monster.
Her gaze was fast narrowing.
The monster was trying to block off Leerin's gaze to the moon, and that effort wasn't slow. It wanted to close off the hole in an instant. And Leerin saw the figure of Layfon near the hole, as if the steel threads were pulling him around. He was keeping that hole open.
He had opened it and was keeping it open.
Her chest hurt. She didn't want to see him here at all, but he had created this last chance. Leerin must not waste the chance he had created.
She watched the moon, the thing that the moon saw.
The monster was reflected. Leerin concentrated on her right eye and used the power in it. She used the thorns to create the flower garden protecting the princess' slumber, and marked every interference with the mark of the grave.
The power existed for this purpose.
Felli also looked at the monster's figure again. The power of Psychokinesis had spread out because of the hole Layfon opened. Delbone's flakes were once connected and activated.
This was the last big job. There might not be a chance to turn this situation around if they failed. Felli quickly confirmed the situation as she bore the pain in her stomach.
Nina was fighting along with the mysterious man in flame. Felli gave up trying to confirm the monster's body but instead concentrated on its cells that reacted to the two's assault. It felt a waste of time to try to calculate the number of things moving underneath the monster's skin. The movement of each unit was difficult to explain like that of a messy current. Just thinking of separating each unit and finding out the source of each of them was difficult enough.
(Um.........)
(It seems this will take quite some time to finish. )
Elsmau said in despair.
But they didn't have that much time. Felli bite her lips as she processed the vast amount of information in high speed. Thinking heated her brain. Her consciousness seemed to have flown away. She could only sustain her own consciousness through the pain in her lips. Her lips split and traces of blood appeared.
The hole continued to shrink. Layfon was nearing his limit.
She must hurry. Hurry. Hurry. Hurry.
But the huge thing kept flowing and changing as if to mock her effort. Only the sense of exhaustion kept increasing. Anxiety filled her chest and made breathing difficult. It was hard enough to just remain standing.
(Are there...... Are there any huge changes happening?)
Elsmau said painfully as if she was drowning.
If there was another way. Perhaps they didn't have to attack their opponent's weak point. It'd have been great if there was another way to defeat it......... All Felli could think of was the combined attack of the Heaven's Blade successors. That couldn't be done right now. It would be a huge gamble to bet on that move.
Was there another way? Though it didn't happen as Felli and Elsmau expected, their anticipation had been met.
The air suddenly shook.
The changes happened as if the air had suddenly lost its weight. Inside the changes embodied a certain will and a painful scream. It forcefully assaulted Felli, Elsmau and the ones fighting the monster, Nina, Dixerio and Layfon.
(What is it?)
Felli's question remained a question to everyone else except Layfon.
"............ Leerin?"
Only Layfon felt her taste in the scream in the air. Her painful scream at the sky cut through him.
The changes took place in the hole that Layfon opened.
Bubbles rapidly appeared like the surface of boiling water on the skin of the monster, in the hole that Layfon had opened. Compared to the black skin of the monster, the bubbles were white with something dark inside. Like an eyeball.
It didn't feel substantial. The balls were covering the walls of the hole and preventing the monster from regenerating. Creepy was the word to describe it. And then the number of eyeballs continued to increase.
The monster's cells became eyeballs.
The eyeballs grew to the outside of the hole. Layfon could no longer tell from his bare eyes where the eyeballs would stretch to. But numerous eyeballs were watching him as if they belonged to Leerin. He didn't doubt this intuition for some reason.
Nina saw the changes too. She saw it after hitting one of the monster's heads.
"What...... is that?"
The things spreading out from the monster's abdomen. They were getting closer to her after she landed on the monster's neck, and that was the time when she confirmed the things were eyeballs.
The eyeballs spread up to the head that Nina had hit.
Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!
A sudden howl and her mad dash. Nina almost got thrown off the monster's back because of the sudden violent movement of the head. She backed away. The monster had never reacted so strongly no matter how much Nina hammered at it and how long Dixerio's flame heated it. Right now, it was thrashing around like it was trying to sweep away the school of flesh-eating fish on its back. Lighting fell on it in torrents.
But the eyeballs cared naught and kept growing in number.
"Wu."
She barely withstood the pain, using Kongokei to defend. The monster's rampaging had gone beyond what was normal. There was nothing more Nina could do. The words "retreat temporarily" floated in her mind then she began to plan her escape to Zuellni.
Ugruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!
All ten heads howled at the sky. The cloud cover dispersed because of the voices and so one could now see the moon behind it. The sun should have been out according to the time. In reality, sunlight filtered into the city after the cloud was chased away, but the moon ignored it all and was still hanging in the sky.
A hole suddenly appeared on the moon. It pierced the formless sky. A hole in black was exuding seven colors. The ten heads' howling increased in volume as if they were praying for something. The remaining dark cloud dispersed in the midst of lightning that were adorning the monster's body.
What did the monster want to trigger? Something that was different from all its past actions. It must be wanting to summon something ominous from the hole that had once appeared in Zuellni's sky.
Nina knew she had to do something. She readied her pose but she couldn't think of anything she could do.
At this time.
"I've been waiting for this moment!"
The voice came from Dixerio.
The flame writhing up the monster's body changed direction because of his voice. It headed straight for the sky and flew into the hole like a beast dashing out after confirming its target.
Something was wanting to come through from the other side of the hole, but Dixerio's flame had already covered it up before Nina could see its face.
Dixerio leapt over her as if he was running on flame. His masked face truly looked like a beast's. And darkness followed closely behind him. The white face floating in the dark smiled at her.
"Nelphilia..............."
The girl of night whom Nina had seen in Zuellni followed Dixerio to the hole as if she was riding the beast of flame. The two of them entered the flame-enveloped hole, and what Nina saw in the last moment was the flash of light destroying both flame and darkness, Dixerio's metal whips, the fangs of lightning.
There was not a sound. Only a formless attack hit her and then hammered the head as if it was searching for it. The head toppled and fell onto the monster's abdomen.
And then Dixerio and Nelphilia disappeared into the hole together.
The eyeballs continued to grow in number until they covered the monster's entire body.
The lightning raining down constantly was destroying the flakes. The impact that was fatal on Delbone's aged body made Felli kneel.
But she saw it.
(You saw it. )
(Saw it. )
Elsmau was in pain too.
The continuous growth of eyeballs, this unusual phenomenon, had released the mechanism controlling the internal organs of the monster. The units flowing inside the body dropped in number. What were left flowed to the central area and was then vomited out. Everything was very obvious now.
This was the place.
Elsmau reported the information to the Queen.
Felli then told Layfon and Nina to leave the monster as quickly as possible.
Alsheyra knew the monster's weak point.
"Saya, protect Leerin."
"I understood."
No one knew if she had heard Saya's reply. Alsheyra immediately opened her tightly closed eyelids, and this action alone was enough to make the air shake, and the wall collapsed because of it.
On the corner of her gaze was the screen projected by Delbone's flake. It depicted the monster's weak point in detail. The movements of the dot of light inside this colossal body were complicated, but the dot seemed to be having difficulty moving around, as if it was somehow restricted.
Alsheyra's gaze swept across the screen and then she took one step forward. The floor and the entire palace shook from just one step.
The shaking didn't stop at the boundary of the palace. It had spread throughout the entire Grendan.
Just one step.
She had only taken one step.
Not only Savaris, fighting at the mouth of the palace, felt it. Barmelin defending the city's sky; the Heaven's Blade successors protecting the outer-edge; Layfon who had given up keeping the hole open; and Nina, retreating back to Zuellni on the other side of the air shield. They all felt it.
Everyone believed what was about to come. Everyone believed this attack would turn the situation around.
"Grendan!"
The wall of the tower collapsed because of Alsheyra's voice. The roof was blown off. Alsheyra's figure appeared in the city, in the battlefield. The city damaged in the battle was spread out before her, but she couldn't see it. She had lifted her head with determination and was watching the sky, watching the culprit that had caused this.
(I obey!)
Grendan replied. A beast with four legs and one strand of long fur emerged behind her. The Haikizoku that was moving this entire city in place of Saya, guiding it to an endless fight with filth monster was standing behind her.
She reached out for Grendan. Nothing needed to be said. Grendan knew what she wanted just from her simple movement.
(My sharp teeth will become yours until they shatter. )
Flashes of light enveloped her hand and then gathered into a ball. An explosion without sound and impact turned the light into a piece of gold metal. The Haikizoku's power gathered in her hand and materialized.
It was a lance with two sharp heads.
"Of course."
She replied shortly. Her breathing had heated up. The energy flowing in her had been honing itself and waiting for this moment to be released. The energy in her would flow out for the purpose of destruction with every moment of her body. Her hand, her head, her foot. The air around her twisted because of the heat. The walls and the floor were painted red by it and the palace kept shaking. That heat would have burnt Leerin's entire body, the wind pushing her out of the building and her meeting her death in the fall, if she wasn't protected by Saya.
Alsheyra gripped the lance. The Kei inside her reacted to her action and poured itself into the weapon. The weapon, formed by the body of an Electronic Fairy, surpassed a Heaven's Blade...... It was a weapon that could contain an immense amount of Kei. Nina's iron whips were an example.
The Queen held the lance and leaned back, ready to throw.
The Kei in the lance with two heads made it shine.
Alsheyra threw it.
The lance traced a path of white in Grendan's sky and it made a sudden change of angle when it reached a certain point. It headed straight up. At the movement, cracks spidered out from where Alsheyra was standing and the floor started to collapse. The cracks spread across the tiles and even Leerin and Saya were swept away. Alsheyra's figure also disappeared in the falling debris.
During this time, the lance arced over the sky of the embattled city in unusual silence. It sailed through the air shield and easily pierced the monster's skin. It cut through one of the ten heads and headed straight for its destination.
The silence was shattered in the next moment.
It looked like water was draining into a trench to those looking from inside Grendan. The small hole opened by the lance suddenly became a whirlpool, sucking up the entire body of the monster as the whirlpool became bigger and bigger. The monster was swallowed in a split second and subsequently, the green sky returned. The ten heads had disappeared along with the dark clouds. The moon that had been insisting on its own existence had also slowly disappeared into the azure sky like a hallucination, melting into the firmament.
Neither explosion nor loud noise happened. Everything collapsed and was annihilated in a flash, disappearing into who knew where.
Everything ended in this moment.
Everything had ended. Everyone was at a loss as it all happened too suddenly. Out of all of them, only Layfon paid no attention to it.
The End.
(Note to Readers: Wait! There's still the Epilogue. Click Next ↓)
| ← Ch. 108 | Ch. 110 → |