novelThe Abandoned City and the Lost Childs Labyrinth (2)
| ← Ch.133 | Ch.135 → |
The female who was currently appearing as if climbing out of a lake wore clothes simpler than the protective clothing that Layfon and Felli wore. She was an attractive girl whose thoughts couldn't be seen through.
She was a girl that he had once seen.
Layfon hadn't seen her dressed up in this manner, but she had seen someone who looked exactly the same.
The feeling as if he had seen the girl before him in a picture before made Layfon's memories hurt.
The answer had already appeared.
However, the person that Layfon thought he knew had never existed.
"Vati?"
Yes, this girl looked extremely similar to Vati. She made Layfon unable to keep from feeling that Vati would become like that in a few years.
"If you come from the Academy City Zuellni, then that person called Vati is my original body."
The girl in front of them spoke smoothly.
The shock made his body tremble.
However, he couldn't stay surprised in this current situation.
Because Layfon and the others were still falling.
"Ugh!"
Layfon got a hold of himself, beginning to manipulate the steel threads. Layfon held Felli with one hand, holding the sphere with the other, and had his shoulders grasped by the female who looked like Vati, so his current self could do nothing other than using the steel threads.
Layfon and Felli's freefall had already ended. They stopped moving, beginning to ascend. Layfon used the steel threads that were strung everywhere, first moving them to the city's legs.
Actually, Layfon should have sent an attack towards the 'thing' in front of him that looked very much like Vati.
However, he couldn't. Though this was also because that 'thing' hadn't meant any harm to them yet, the more important reason was because it was too similar to Vati and sent Layfon's mind into disarray, making him hesitate.
However, he also couldn't stay in a stupor forever.
Judging from its current appearance, it couldn't be a normal person. It could be just a coincidence that it looked similar to Vati, and perhaps the words it had just spoken were lies constructed from what Layfon himself had said.
First, he had to separate himself from it.
Layfon thought this. In order to accomplish this, he moved the steel threads.
"............"
The contact with his shoulders disappeared. The 'thing' in front of him left Layfon.
Vati's appearance flew into the sky even higher than Layfon. Her movement as if being carried by the wind almost fascinated Layfon, but he quickly reclaimed his focus.
His movements had been seen through, that was what had just happened.
After landing on the city legs, Layfon quickly set down Felli, putting her and the sphere behind his back. The 'thing' had appeared from the sphere, and frankly Layfon also wanted to first maintain his distance from the sphere, but that object was their goal after all, so he couldn't do that.
That was because Layfon was feeling a danger that made his head throb, but was this created because of the 'thing' in front of him, or because of the sphere behind him?
"What...... are you?"
The battle between Harpe and the tall tower still continued, and similarly, the flashes and explosions had not stopped. Layfon's voice was drowned out by this noise.
However, the 'thing' had heard his voice.
"I am the copy of Nano-Celluloid Interface 1 L?vateinn that was sent to this world to carry out reconnaissance, and my serial number is X C one zero seven eight five three four five six seven......"
She spoke a long string of digits. The 'thing' could say this long string of digits with such a fast speed, so it clearly wasn't a human. No, the answer was already very clear, but Layfon just didn't want to believe it.
Was it because it was very similar to Vati?
Was it because it looked very similar to a neighbor of his apartment building?
"Just now, my original body gave me the temporary name of 'Vati B'."
"'Vati B'......"
"Layfon......"
"......Nn."
"If it's the same as the monsters here, then doubting Vati just because she looks the same is far too weak as evidence."
"......That's true."
Even Felli who said this was the same, though she thought her words were very reasonable, she also showed an expression saying that she couldn't completely believe her conclusion.
Why had the monster purposefully showed Vati's appearance? More importantly, why wasn't it exactly the same as Vati, but rather slightly different from her? These doubts formed unnatural feelings, sticking tightly to the hearts of the two.
Layfon looked at 'Vati B'. It seemed just like Vati after growing up, and if someone said she was Vati's sister, perhaps he could understand.
However, that couldn't be the case.
The blood relationship that Layfon thought about couldn't exist.
He only had to think about how 'Vati B' had appeared from before, and what it had just said, and the answer was very obvious.
"......Why have you come here?"
The one who said this was Felli.
She stood behind Layfon who couldn't move at all, asking a question of 'Vati B'.
"You said 'this world' just now, that means that you were born in a different place from the one we know and exist in a different space. What have you come to this place for?"
"......For liberation."
"Liberation?"
"Our master is currently in an incarcerated state, and destroying this world is a requirement to liberate him."
"What does that mean?"
Destroying this world was a requirement for liberation?
It was obviously impossible to understand if the other party suddenly said something like this.
"This is...... Kah, kschah......"
'Vati B' suddenly made abnormal movements.
"What?"
"Get back!"
As if her machinery had faulted, 'Vati B' made abnormal motions, and Layfon guarded Felli while pulling back the distance.
"Kshhh...... L?vateinn............"
'Vati B' murmured several words, then suddenly cracked apart.
"Wha!"
It was truly sudden. 'Vati B' disintegrated like a mountain of sand, the residue being carried away by the wind, disappearing without even a trace.
"Damn!"
Though Layfon didn't understand, that kind of thing had just happened. He didn't know what it was that made him feel remorse.
"Never mind that for now, right now we have to analyze that thing."
"Then when will we leave?"
"I'll finish analyzing during the period of time when we're getting the motorcycle back."
"......Alright."
Flashes and explosions continued. Layfon looked at the battle being carried out on the top of the tower.
Those monsters should be related to Leerin and Nina.
"Can I only run away again?"
This made Layfon feel regretful, and he tightly clenched his teeth.
◇
There was no reason to disclose superfluous information. Vati decided to stop 'Vati B's function.
She gathered Nano-Celluloids in the surroundings of the abandoned city, letting them specialize in a function sufficient to achieve the goal.
During this process, she hadn't slackened in her information gathering.
"How should I tidy this up?"
Vati mumbled to herself in her room.
It was Harpe.
Once the same kind of Nano-Celluloid, but who had raised the flag of rebellion towards their master Ignasis, it was a being who was Vati - L?vateinn's sibling, or perhaps child. That was Harpe.
Perhaps, it currently was an enemy who had improved itself from a Nano-Celluloid Interface into a Cloud-Cell Separation Interface.
"Or, is Harpe the true child of Soho?"
The father who had created L?vateinn and the Nano-Celluloids, and at the same time the sacrifice of Ignasis, he was called Soho.
Vati felt that she seemed to already be able to understand what humans called 'irony'. However, the probability of her correctly using that kind of technique was very low. The current her could only speak the solemn truth. Soho had created L?vateinn for his own reasons, but his reasons didn't become reality. L?vateinn had lived in order to realize his goals, even as a test, and had used the death of the one who brought about Soho's desire.
By now, L?vateinn still carried out her plans for that conclusion that no one expected anymore. Though she was well aware, she didn't stop.
If the solemn truth wasn't irony, then 'humans who weren't able to follow an established schedule', or perhaps 'an existence whose life was predetermined from birth to death' was irony.
Then, what were humans after all?
"There's no meaning at all."
Noticing that her thoughts had begun turning towards philosophy, Vati stopped thinking.
There were currently two things to resolve. She had to punish the copy 'Vati B' who couldn't stop from losing control, along with Harpe who had begun taking action again.
Since she had given up on reclaiming the knowledge that 'Vati B' possessed, then there was a method that could resolve both problems.
Destruction.
However, to destroy them wasn't simple.
The two were the same as L?vateinn, made up of Nano-Celluloids, so to annihilate them wasn't easy. It was only because of this that a victor still hadn't been decided between L?vateinn and Harpe up through now.
If she did, then she would have to carry out large-scale destruction.
Vati prepared for this. Fortunately, Harpe and 'Vati B' were fighting each other, and it seemed that they hadn't noticed the concealed movements that she was taking.
If this went on, her battle plans should succeed.
However......
"With this, those two will also......"
Vati thought. To her, those two...... Layfon had already lost his use. The object of Vati's observations was Meishen, and Meishen's goal was Layfon, that was the whole of it. If that had already become the past, then whether he lived or died was a trivial insignificance. It didn't need to be said that Felli who was with him was obviously the same.
But...... Vati couldn't make a decision towards the two of them. The obscure elements that always made Vati hesitate in her decision still existed inside her.
"This isn't reasonable."
The unknown elements that had occurred in her own body didn't allow Vati to make a decision, and she tilted her head.
Had all students become designated as a second-class protected object while she was hiding in the Academy City, creating this obstacle to her judgment?
Vati wanted to express her companionship even though she was a machine, but if those settings would become an obstacle like the current one, she had to get rid of them.
However, it was necessary to get rid of them step-by-step.
Those were the settings that allowed the Nano-Celluloid Interface 1 L?vateinn to live under the identity of the student Vati Len. The experiences she had obtained with these settings were quite precious information to L?vateinn who pursued the answer to the question 'what are humans'.
The settings of companionship and the designation of protected objects were among these, and in the process of accumulating her experiences and modifying her principles, some people had been deleted from the protected objects, and some people had been elevated to a higher ranking.
In these people, the highest was Meishen, and then was Layfon and Meishen's good friends. As long as they didn't reveal her secrets, even Nina and Claribel who knew Vati's secrets had been designated as protected.
Removing Layfon who had a high ranking from the list of protected objects would create severe changes in her settings, so Vati couldn't immediately make that judgment.
Perhaps she should simply give up the settings of the student Vati Len?
If she did this, she could immediately take action.
But, that would mean that the experimentation Vati was carrying out in this Academy City would end, and represented that she would again start her final battle plans under the identity L?vateinn.
"............"
Vati didn't know what to say.
Knock knock......
A bit later, doorknocks sounded in the room.
"Vati? Are you here?"
"Yes."
The muffled voice that came from behind the door was Meishen's voice.
"What's the matter?"
Before opening the door, Vati already knew what Meishen had in her hands. However, she still asked while pretending not to know.
Meishen carried a big bowl, and the top was covered with a gray cloth.
"I made a little too much, so I brought some to share with you."
"Thank you, is this alright?"
Vati had long since known that Meishen was lying, but she still continued observing.
Meishen thought that the reason Vati didn't look too well was because her body was uncomfortable, so she had prepared dinner to bring here.
"It's no problem."
Meishen only said this, and Vati who had no way to refuse her took the bowl.
"Then I'll be going."
"Okay, good night."
After watching her go with a smile, Vati closed the door. From that day, her smile had changed. Though it was a small change in the way her muscles moved, it was enough of a change to be sure that something had happened on that day.
Seeing that smile, Vati stopped thinking.
The situation in the abandoned city still continued, and right now it wasn't the time to postpone a decision.
Even so, Vati still stopped.
"Time...... can really fly...... I have to limit the time set."
It wasn't easy for her to mumble these words.
If she didn't remove or change the settings of the student Vati Len, but moreover had to resolve the current situation, then she could only do this.
After seeing Meishen's smile, Vati made her decision.
◇
Flashes and explosions still interlaced with each other. From Layfon and Felli's point of view, they could only use such a manner to describe the battle, as the two weapons carried out this sort of battle without tiring.
The two of them repeated destruction and being destroyed, and then repaired themselves at the same time. The Aurora particles that formed the filth monsters were the common factor of the two worlds, and the Celluloids that formed these weapons used that substance as an energy source for proliferation. Because of this, they could proliferate almost limitlessly.
Of course, the functions that controlled the Celluloids has some limits, so they couldn't multiply recklessly. But in the current situation, they didn't hold back their production.
Thinking for themselves with unlimited energy, taking action by themselves, producing by themselves, improving themselves, repairing themselves......
If the two weapons that possessed the same functions faced each other, it would play out as this kind of long war of attrition.
Judging from the battle experience of Harpe, there was no way to single out a winner.
Still, both sides didn't plan on stopping the situation.
This was a battle after a very long rest, and Harpe wasn't confused. The meaning for its existence was to fight with the enemies of humans, and to Harpe, the enemy of humans was Ignasis and the Nano-Celluloids that he had created.
When he fought with them, Harpe didn't have the option of retreating. Also, it wasn't as if he hadn't used any tactics.
Even so, it still hadn't resolved the problem of the battle entering a long stalemate. Perhaps, regardless of whether it was Harpe or a Nano-Celluloid, it wouldn't matter much to them. Because they only recognized the existence of life on a literal level, and they could live very long.
So the battle had returned to a meaningless destruction and rebirth, as if endlessly sinking into quicksand.
If there weren't any other variables to disrupt it......
◇
Layfon soon found the motorcycle that they had lost sight of.
Felli was analyzing the sphere they had obtained. Because the incident involving 'Vati B' had just happened, Layfon was very alert towards that sphere, afraid that it might be a trap of the enemy, but it seemed that things weren't that way.
"............"
Layfon minded Felli who was focusing her mind while using the steel threads to move the motorcycle outside the city. In order to be careful, he put a defensive formation around the motorcycle, and made preparations for escaping.
Felli still didn't have any responses.
Felli had said that she would completely analyze the sphere before Layfon finished his preparations, but it seemed the situation was unexpectedly troublesome.
Layfon didn't want to blame her, nor did he want to remind her. Ensuring her safety was Layfon's current priority. After deciding this, Layfon once again deployed the steel threads.
The Sougenkyouku that Layfon had learned from Lintence, or perhaps stolen from him, wove the strongest defensive formation possible in these conditions.
Layfon wove while looking at the tall tower.
Flashes and explosions continued on. Felli was focused on analysis, so the scene on the screen seemed to have slightly changed. The image lost its sharpness slightly, and seemed a bit bright.
The battle was going on over there.
Could he only run away?
Could he only do this?
Layfon endlessly asked himself.
In the current scenario, picking a fight definitely wasn't the correct decision. They had already obtained their goal. Right now the most important thing was to return to Zuellni. With the information in the sphere, Layfon could advance to the next step.
Things should be that way.
However, at this stage, would he be in time by doing that?
Before his eyes such an intense battle was developing.
Hadn't this kind of battle happened before? Or perhaps this was the first time?
This kind of battle would lead to...... bigger things?
Thinking of this, Layfon unconsciously became restless.
"......Layfon?"
"Felli? What is it?"
"Nn, I obtained the information from the data. But......"
Layfon hadn't missed such a hesitating tone from Felli's voice.
Layfon deliberately didn't ask what information it was, because the hesitating tone mixed in her voice was definitely disappointment.
"Rather than calling it Delbone's memories, calling it the battle scenes that she gathered using Psychokinesis is more accurate."
Even so, Felli still began explaining:
"The weapon in female form just now was inside. There were also pictures of the giant monsters that attacked Zuellni before. Inside was also someone who might be Delbone, and judging by the changes in her appearance, it should probably be a picture from sixty or seventy years ago."
"............"
"It's a very valuable image. I'm also very concerned about the true identity of the female just now...... and the relations between them."
The relationship between her and Vati. Though the monster just now had taken the form of Vati, the picture could confirm that it wasn't to create confusion in Layfon and Felli.
This made suspicion fall on Vati, and Layfon began worrying about Meishen who so depended on her.
The two of them also noticed the dangerous shadow stretching towards Zuellni's fate.
Their gains were truly great.
They had to return to Zuellni immediately.
They needed to return, and confirm with their own eyes her agenda.
But...... was that it?
Would that be enough? This was a very important clue...... An important clue that would let Layfon and Felli follow to the next level.
That was true...... however.
It was because she understood this that Felli's voice was very low.
This would clearly be enough, but the two felt inexplicably unsatisfied.
The two both had this kind of feeling, and only this much couldn't satisfy Layfon and Felli.
"......If we return now, we can relieve Zuellni's crisis."
"I know."
But, if Zuellni was truly in a crisis, then the situation should have happened a long time ago. She must have some sort of goal, so she hadn't destroyed Zuellni.
"......So Captain and the others are standing their ground?"
Actually, perhaps that was it.
"She hasn't done anything at all up to now, so perhaps there's no reason to hurry back.......But this is a big assumption."
Every sentence being an assumption made Felli feel disgust at herself.
It wasn't like that.
There was no such thing.
Layfon wanted those possibilities. The possibility of moving forwards, the possibility of seeing the future. With that, he would be able to continue moving. Even if he had to be reckless, Layfon still wanted to know where he was going.
He wanted to have the guarantee in his hands that no matter what happened, he would be fine.
"But, there's no such thing in the world."
Humans couldn't succeed every time. If he could have done that, Layfon wouldn't have come to Zuellni.
He would have continued being a Heaven's Blade successor in Grendan, living a happy life with Leerin and the others, and wouldn't have met Felli and Nina.
However, Layfon had actually been forced to Zuellni, and was struggling in this place to search for something.
There was only one thing, the fact that Layfon was an excellent Military Artist should be the only thing Layfon could take pride in, but even that had been caught up to by Nina and others, and even Leerin had refused to rely on him. In front of all of this, Layfon began feeling that his Military Arts abilities didn't have much meaning.
"But......"
"You and I can only do this."
"Nn."
As a Military Artist, as a Psychokinesist...... how could they help others. To the two of them, these were the only abilities they could offer.
But, they could get nowhere relying only on these two abilities, that was reality.
There was a battle in front of them.
An incredible battle was happening that made one doubt whether it was real or not.
Moreover, this battle would definitely happen again on the road that Layfon and Felli were following. Just like the incredible battle that Delbone had experienced here and then crossed hands with again in Grendan where she had died. The battle that happened here would definitely play out again in Grendan.
And the next time, Nina and Leerin would definitely fight.
If they hadn't seen this battle, but had only obtained Delbone's records, perhaps they could still have returned.
"But, only having obtained this much, we can't go back. We can't return."
The two of them watched the extraordinary battle.
They already knew that these things were the enemies.
Therefore, there couldn't only be the option of retreat.
"If we run away and don't fight, won't everything be meaningless?"
"............"
"If we run away here, will we be able to fight next time?"
"............"
"Perhaps we can fight. But, maybe it's just my mood. But, but...... what we need isn't a fighting mood............"
"It's the reality of being able to fight."
Felli continued speaking.
"The reality of being able to fight, regardless of how strong the opponent or what kind of monster it is. We already have the determination. But, against an enemy that we can't simply rely on determination for, we need to confirm that we can fight until the end."
"That's what we need."
"Go then."
Felli pushed Layfon's back.
She had given him a push with her words.
"You think that there's a reason to do this. Then, there's a reason to do it. Regardless of what other people say, even if you realize it's a mistake afterwards, as long as you feel that there's a reason, your thought is the only truth at the time."
"Yes."
"Go prove that we're the strongest."
"Okay!"
Felli's words heated up his heart.
Layfon leaped without confusion.
He leaped towards the monster, leaped towards the tall tower.
In order to prove his strength, to prove his and Felli's strength.
Layfon leaped high, high up.
◇
An unexpected situation had occurred.
"This will be annoying."
She tried to mix confusion in with her voice, but she didn't do very well.
However, that was enough. The problem was Layfon and Felli who were fighting in the abandoned city.
"I never would have thought that they wouldn't escape......"
She hadn't thought that they would make this kind of choice. According to her judgments, Layfon Alseif was an extremely careful person in battle.
Perhaps others knew him as someone who would throw himself into danger without blinking an eye, but he wouldn't overestimate his fighting ability, and would calmly deal with things.
Therefore, they should have withdrawn from that sort of place.
In the end, they had already achieved their goal.
"Why is this?"
She obviously had heard what they had said.
For the determination they had made, their feelings, and the reality of being able to fight.
Proof of being the strongest.
"Meaning that they have to carry out real battle tests in order to fight with me...... Is that what it means?"
She should assume that 'Vati B' had come in contact with them, and that they had learned of Vati's true colors. Therefore, she had to plan things out before taking action.
Vati believed that she had to take action, but she had still decided to help them escape.
She had even fixed the malfunctioning areas of the motorcycle without being noticed, providing them with a perfectly safe method of escape.
But, they had made the choice to not escape, but rather fight.
That was troublesome.
"No......"
Was this troublesome? If they died in battle, then Vati wouldn't have to save them, and the people who knew the truth about her wouldn't continue to increase. To her, wasn't that a situation she wished for?
No......
Things weren't like that.
"That's not right. There's already nothing here to see anymore, and I already know what I should know. I can only leave this place."
Correct, she no longer had a reason to protect them. Even so, Vati still had made the decision to save them.
Why was that?
It was for her.
For Meishen Trinden.
She who had once been a target for observation had once loved Layfon Alseif, so Vati had made the decision to save him.
But...... However............
Doing this was meaningless in the end.
The results that could be obtained from Meishen Trinden were essentially already in her hands.
She could even just make a conclusion, as she had already obtained the answer.
Meishen already held no value, and Vati had no reason to continue staying in this place.
Therefore, she didn't have any reason at all to destroy 'Vati B'. It should be enough as long as she returned to the original mission with it - to kill Grendan along with the creator and maintainer of this world, Saya, and to expel or defeat Airen who had imprisoned Ignasis in the moon.
That was Vati - Nano-Celluloid Interface 1 L?vateinn's fate.
So there was no reason to be worried. If Layfon and Felli wanted to fight, then let them fight.
"Like this, everything will end."
Yes, everything would end.
"............"
However, the answer still hadn't appeared.
Why?
"Why can't I decide?"
Vati endlessly ran her self-diagnosis function, but there were no abnormalities anywhere.
Then, was this condition of not being able to make a decision normal?
No......
"The human mimicry program is outside of the self-diagnosis program. Is the problem really there?"
Her current highest priority task was to let the human mimicry program learn. According to her past judgment, perhaps the human mimicry program would be diagnosed as an abnormal condition. However, that kind of abnormality might become the possibility of becoming human, so Vati had excluded the program from her self-diagnostics.
In other words, the 'human' Vati Len that L?vateinn had cultivated till now, refused to watch Layfon die...... No, it refused to allow the possibility of Meishen Trinden feeling grief.
"............"
Because of that, she wasn't able to ignore them?
"Does the human mimicry program plan to take its own actions?"
Looking at it this way, if it was an action taken by the human mimicry program that even her main self-diagnostic functions couldn't affect, that was definitely possible.
The will of the host was obviously the Nano-Celluloid Interface L?vateinn, however the human mimicry program was a material collection device she had created to understand humankind. Right before it had been assimilated by the host L?vateinn, it had been a will of its own. In other words, it was the same kind of being as the currently out-of-control 'Vati B'.
If it was the current the human mimicry program - the 'human' Vati Len - that was impeding her and made L?vateinn have difficulty making a decision, that meant that Vati was interfering with the host L?vateinn's operations, trying to protect Layfon and the others...... that was a way to think about it.
"......Then, what do you plan by doing this?"
Was the person speaking Vati or L?vateinn? Even she was almost unclear about the boundaries. More importantly, until now she had not even looked at Vati and L?vateinn as separate existences.
However, her hesitation had already disappeared. If she had a reason, she would create a copy like 'Vati B' - that was what a Nano-Celluloid would do.
If she judged that other autonomous functions had appeared inside her, the next thing to do was resolve this.
"What I have to do has not changed. Other than that, we already have no more choices."
She understood this.
Even so...... the human mimicry program still advocated that she should help Layfon and Felli. In order to reach its goal, its has postponed the decision of the host L?vateinn.
"Even so, you still want to help them?"
She deliberately treated the human mimicry program as a body copy, asking it a question:
"Why? You have already reached your goal. That is something I have not achieved through now."
Correct.
"I haven't been able to reach my goal. But, I can reach my goal by absorbing your, and you can also achieve your goal through this."
That should be the ideal situation.
Even so, the human mimicry program still didn't have a response.
"You don't want to accomplish your goal?"
What did this mean? L?vateinn groped for more possibilities. Why would the human mimicry program 'Vati' refuse the command of the host L?vateinn?
"......Because you don't want to die?"
She murmured this.
After the mission completed, it would lose its body after being absorbed by L?vateinn. Was it that the human mimicry program believed that this was the same as the 'death' of organisms, so it defied the order?
However, the human mimicry program still didn't have a response.
"Because you don't want to lose your companions?"
There was a small response.
Her machinery couldn't tell a lie in this situation. It could only keep their silence or make a correct response.
The human mimicry program was the same in this regard. After all, the host L?vateinn had not given it the right to lie.
"You don't want to lose your companions... so the reason is something like that."
Just by receiving that response, she could instantly narrow down the list of things she had to cover.
"You don't want the situation to change? ......No, the point in time to hope that she would change has already passed."
She wanted to push forward. In a keyword-limited search, she managed to naturally find a word-processed story.
Machines weren't able to tell stories, but they could analyze stories. They could systematically run through other situations and compare similar parts.
"You don't want to leave this story. You want to stay in the Academy City with the identity of a student, and stay by Meishen Trinden's side."
Her chest relayed pain.
Actually, no abnormal situation had occurred.
It was only the human mimicry program showing an intense response, interfering with the nerve network crisscrossing through her entire body.
"............Is that why?"
L?vateinn lightly placed her hand on her chest, and spoke to the human mimicry program inside her:
"That proposal is not bad."
L?vateinn murmured this.
She was the same, she wouldn't lie without a reason, and she judged that currently there was no reason to lie.
"But it's an impossible thing."
Even so, she still asserted it.
"The problem is, the situation is no longer something where I can decide everything on my own. There are enemies here. They exist only to defeat me whether I exist as a human or as a machine. Ignoring those people and staying in this world is an impossible thing. They have already grasped my position. If I don't move, the opponents will attack sooner or later."
L?vateinn didn't have a concept of longevity. Though she had spoken of it, she and humans were still worlds apart. Humans would give in before the time became an obstacle and take action.
"Other than acting, we have no other choice. Maintaining the safety of the city is the same."
She continued speaking.
In L?vateinn's heart, what she had to do had long since been predetermined. She would rely on talking to create weak points in the human mimicry program's defense, and attack from there.
The weakness only happened for a moment. The human mimicry program wavered slightly, showing a weak point, and was brought under L?vateinn's control. It no longer had special privileges, and its ability to resist L?vateinn had also all been sealed.
In this moment, although her exterior had not changed, Vati Len became L?vateinn.
"......But, I also want to confirm something."
The monologuing that she had become used to was directed towards the human mimicry program 'Vati' that had already lost the ability to reply.
"So, I will slightly postpone the time of removing 'Vati B'. If they still haven't withdrawn before then, then they will be to blame."
After finishing the monologue that was at the same time words spoken for 'Vati' to hear, L?vateinn stood up.
"Then, of the answer you let me see, I also have questions I wish to ask."
This was the final experience she would have in this place.
◇
Layfon leaped high.
His destination was the top of the tall tower. The monster that had mimicked this abandoned city was fighting with the monster called Harpe there.
(Your target?)
"The tower!"
Layfon instantly responded to Felli's question.
(I understand. )
"I'll spread a defensive formation around Felli with the steel threads. Against normal enemies there should be no problems, but......"
(Don't worry about me, I also have a move I want to try out. Don't concern yourself over me, and put your focus somewhere else. )
"Okay!"
(Also, since you set the tower as your target, it's not so much the original body as it is a specialized weapon portion. )
"Huhh?"
(Who asked you to charge out without listening to me. )
"Then...... Even if you say that......"
(Haah, whatever. Just fight over there then. Perhaps you'll get the element of surprise. )
"Huh? Uh......"
(I'll find the original body. )
"C......Can you do it?"
(From my analysis to now, I already understand that it's the same system as the giant monster that we fought in Grendan. )
"In that case......"
(Yes. If it's the same as that monster, it also controls that fine particle substance. I will find it. )
"Understood!"
The tactics were decided. Layfon added speed to the sprint that he had almost stopped, continuously leaping using the steel threads as footholds.
The storm of energy raged around the tower looming before him. Heat that seemed like it would scorch him if he so much as touched it lightly produced strong winds, trying to blow Layfon's body far away.
Layfon pushed back the wind pressure, arriving at a position where he could see the top of the tower.
"Then...... I'll go up!"
He used Kei, flowing it into the Adamantium Dite.
Destroy the tower.
Felli wanted him to act as bait, and Layfon who planned to do this took up the restored black blade of the Adamantium Dite, assuming a stance, and attacking with a technique.
External Kei variant - Sendan.
Dense Kei to which Composite Blast had been added swirled around the exterior of the tower and then clashed. It tore through the storm of raging energy, cutting a deep line in the outer wall, and reaching the interior.
The feeling inside the tower was the same as when he had sneaked in before.
"Next is the target!"
This time Layfon didn't want to sneak into the tower, but to commence destruction, so he had no reason to care about the situation inside. Layfon used his Kei to his heart's content, raising his concentration and focusing his energy into a technique.
Perhaps noticing Layfon's presence, the tower moved.
Even though he had Felli's assistance, the raging heat and energy still distorted his vision. In the midst of his distorted vision, Layfon felt some sort of strange movement.
"!"
Layfon leaped high, spreading steel threads everywhere in order to create footholds.
A beam of light passed through the place where Layfon had just been standing.
This was an attack from the tower meant for him.
Changes had already appeared on the outside portion of the tower, and many objects like glass spheres had grown out of it. A troublesome feeling prickled his back, and Layfon once again leaped.
The countless thin beams of light fired from the spheres chased him from behind.
After the beams of light shot into the distance, the responses of the steel threads that had just been there disappeared.
They had been cut - no, they had definitely been melted by the high heat.
(Those are incredibly high temperature heat rays, please treat it as if you'll die upon contact. )
"I won't be hit!"
But, just now it had actually been very dangerous. If the opponent was a Military Artist, Layfon could faintly perceive what the enemy would do next based on small things like the atmosphere or their gaze, but this didn't work for the enemy before him. It didn't even seem to be an organism like filth monsters, so he could sense no omens of attacks at all before they happened.
If he waited to move until after he saw it then he would be too late. Layfon realized that he had to move continuously. He not only treaded on the steel threads, but also used the threads to wrap up rubble from the ground, using them to move.
He also continuously used his Kei at the suitable time, raising its density.
The dancing beams of heat scorched his protective clothing.
While feeling as if he himself would also soon be scorched, Layfon released the Kei infused in his blade.
Heaven's Blade Art - Silent Flash.
He released the heaviest and slowest technique. Though he had sacrificed a Dite in the battle with Nina and Claribel, after that Layfon had improved his skill at Composite Blast, so only using it once wouldn't break the Dite.
However, the heat released from the Dite wasn't less than the heat of the air around him burning his protective gear.
No, he had once heard this voice before.
"Harpe."
Before the other party replied, changes occurred.
An explosion. But unfortunately this was not produced by Layfon's technique. It was a self-destruction. The top of the tower that had begun to tilt didn't catch ablaze, but simply exploded, becoming rubble of various sizes flying out to the surroundings.
Layfon once again continued leaping upwards while destroying the rubble that assaulted him.
"That's not ordinary rubble, those are things used to eliminate you."
"What did you say?"
The voice that rang out inside his helmet was muffled, but he could hear it clearly.
"Concentrate on self-defense. Widen the distance again, I am now destroying the tower."
Harpe's words immediately became reality. The rubble that scattered in all directions burst without a sound, quickly changing shape.
Becoming countless spheres.
The countless spheres that were formed released slender links to connect to each other, pulling at each other, while following a complex track to move to face Layfon.
The spheres that had been produced were limitless in number, and did not only attack Layfon.
"Felli!"
The voice that had told him to concentrate on defense was still by his ears, and Layfon once again retreated while calling out.
(I'm currently confirming. )
Felli's voice was very calm, even if the defensive formation of steel threads that Layfon had woven himself was over there.
(I have tactics of my own. You don't need to concern yourself over me, right now please focus your mind on battle. )
Felli said this, but Layfon couldn't change his mood so easily.
But to be honest, Layfon had entered a condition of being unable to quickly take action, as the links produced by the numerous spheres collided with each other and bounced off. Such a game-like movement was occurring between the many spheres, drawing closer to Layfon.
Their movements were far too complex, and even if he tried to avoid it he wouldn't be able to completely judge their paths. Layfon could only use the Shim Adamantium Dite's blade to hack at the things before him, perhaps making them rebound.
The spheres were far too numerous, and Layfon's surroundings were filled with sparks. The spheres dragged each other, moving while bouncing off each other. Layfon had involuntarily been caught in the movement of the group of spheres while he acted to defend himself and deflect the spheres, and had been incorporated into the entire offensive like a small gear.
If he stopped deflecting the spheres, then he would be drowned in the pummeling of the group of spheres, but even if he continued deflecting them, he would still be pulled into the range of the tower.
Layfon was in a helpless state, and could only watch himself being engulfed by the torrent of spheres.
"Damn!"
Layfon had been completely trapped. If the enemy still planned some other attack, perhaps he would be unable to deal with it.
(Leave it to me. )
Just as the impatient feeling was about to take over his body, Felli's voice sounded in the helmet.
"Huh?"
(Please stand your ground, don't make any weird movements. )
"Eh, even if you tell me that......"
Felli planned to do something. Layfon had received that message, but there were things he couldn't do.
(I didn't ask you to stay completely still. )
Felli almost mercilessly returned his words, and just at that moment......
Light surrounded Layfon.
Purple light came from below, springing up from around Felli's location, and then formed many beams crossing around Layfon's surroundings.
Layfon who was surrounded by the spheres also saw this scene.
Because the beams wiped out the group of spheres that was trying to squash Layfon.
"This is......"
After being released from the group of spheres, Layfon stepped on the wreckage of the spheres that had lost their power and were falling to the ground, leaping into the sky and landing on the steel threads. The other spheres that had appeared in the surroundings were still being pierced by the purple light that continuously shot out from below, being swept away, destroyed, and falling down.
(This is an application of Psychokinesis mines. )
Felli said only these simple words.
(Although, it doesn't have much power, nor can it be used continuously. Please alleviate the enemy's attacks over here. )
"Okay!"
After responding, Layfon leaped.
Afterwards, the light being shot out from below also stopped.
A group of spheres was still left over here. Other than saving Layfon, Felli had prioritized destroying the objects that were trying to get closer to her.
Layfon couldn't bear to leave everything to Felli like this.
"Huah!"
External Kei variant - Roar Kei.
Though he didn't understand what kind of substance it was, it seemed very difficult to destroy these spheres with slashes and strikes, and he had understood the reason from how Felli's beams of light easily wiped out the group of spheres.
Therefore, spreading something in all directions that didn't rely on physical impacts to destroy would be enough.
The Luckens' secret vibration waves responded to Layfon's expectations, smashing the spheres one by one.
Layfon jumped across the wreckage, advancing forwards.
"Didn't I ask you to widen the distance?"
Harpe's voice sounded in his helmet again.
"Why do I have to trust you?"
The first time they encountered each other, Harpe had seemed to control many filth monsters.
Layfon felt that it wasn't an enemy. But, perhaps he would only learn the truth now. It wasn't something he could drop his guard around.
"I will forever monitor the Aurora Field, in order to guard the humans of this world from the hands of the Nano-Celluloids, and for that path I have always lived and improved myself."
"......Do you control the filth monsters?"
"The records of our talk before still remain. I said this. 'I am the Cloud-Cell Separation Interface IV Harpe. The goal of my existence is to oversee the end of the Aurora Field in this world, and to protect it as well as I can. '"
"............"
"If you still have more to say, then realize that I did not say the things I protect were humans."
"But......"
"Right now there is no time to explain my relation with filth monsters. Because of the connections and conflicts between the humans of this world and the Nano-Celluloids, I must begin speaking from the creation of this world."
(Layfon. )
"Felli......"
(The best method for now is not to increase our enemies. )
"I understand that, but......"
It was indeed like that. Layfon let out a breath and calmed down, widening the distance between him and the tall tower.
(Moreover we have already completed this trip's goal. If it plans on doing something, it's a very effective screen for us. )
"!"
Felli almost unconcernedly said this, making Layfon hurriedly swallow the words in his mouth.
He thought that Harpe would hear.
(I have already seen through the way it delivers sound. It uses a solid portion fixed to the helmet as an amplifier, relying on it to transmit sound. )
"Ah, uh......"
(I already removed that portion. Even if it set a listening device somewhere, I have set up counter-measures. )
"I feel like Felli is especially powerful this time."
(You're not the only one who has to prepare for what has to be done. )
"I know that......"
(Then, go do what you need to do. Prove that we have strength. )
"Prove that we are strong."
(Starting from now is the time for you to develop your ability. )
"Yes!"
An arrow appeared in the vision that was shown through Felli's Psychokinesis. Layfon followed the arrow's guidance and began moving.
Layfon twisted his body in the air and fell towards the ground head-first.
New sound from the sky above became giant waves and was released, passing through Layfon and vibrating his entire body as if to change his falling path.
Harpe prepared to do something.
(The temperature above is increasing at an extraordinary rate. )
Because the upper portion of the tower had already crumbled, the attacks of the abandoned city had already stopped. This was a great opportunity for Harpe to attack.
Moreover the abandoned city had to take time to defend, and it definitely had no time to notice Layfon.
Layfon fell towards the direction shown by Felli's arrow.
The arrow slightly changed direction, and the target object seemed not to be fixed in the same place.
Layfon fell while raising the blade of the Shim Adamantium Dite and taking up a stance. His target could move, meaning that it was possible that it could escape the moment it noticed what this side was doing. Thinking of the regenerative capabilities of the opponent, Layfon didn't think that opportunities would appear often. He had to strike the winning blow before it noticed.
"Haa!"
Layfon let out a breath to ease his tension, and used his Kei with his entire might.
His target was the giant reinforcements running vertically and horizontally that supported the upper portion of the tower. Maintaining the land that humans lived on, it could be called a spine of the city's back, and though its volume was not as large as the tall tower, it was still enormous.
Layfon didn't slow down. The possibility and fear of failing and colliding with the steel was pushed away bit by bit by the rhythm of his Kei flow.
Layfon flowed his Kei into the blade. Through Layfon's reliable senses, the Dite replied to his great Kei flow.
This wasn't because of the improvement of Composite Blast. The fruits of Harley and Kirik's relentless hard work was this - even if he used the Dites for Heaven's Blade Arts, the Dites still wouldn't be damaged quickly.
It wasn't only the Adamantium Dite with these results, the Shim Adamantium Dite had also been provided with these improvements.
"I'll use every bit of strength, and let you see it well."
The Dite's ability.
Composite Blast's true worth.
Allow Layfon and Felli, Kirik and Harley's hard work up through now build up and come to fruition, this was what Layfon needed to do right now.
He wanted to show these results to Nina and the others.
From the vision in his helmet, the indicator arrow changed its position at short intervals. Was this because the opponent had noticed his attempt? But, the speed of its movement wasn't high.
He could do it.
He would do it for her to see.
The arrow moved, and Layfon predicted its movement, cutting down with his raised blade.
Psyharden Technique - Flame Cut.
Flame danced along the cut path, chasing the track of the blade.
When the flame caught up, the blade had already produced results.
The feeling of hitting his target was in his hands.
The power of the Kei technique that he released even slowed the speed of Layfon's fall. The flame swelling around the cut path wrapped around Layfon's body, and Layfon relied on changing his posture to extend his feet to the reinforcement.
Layfon stood upright on the reinforcement, staring hard with his eyes, and leaped into the sky the moment before he slipped off the reinforcement.
This power gave the cut carved along the reinforcement a final blow.
Kyiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii......
This wasn't the sharp metallic sound that the steel would give off.
Rather, it was the screech of something.
While Layfon's back was to the sound as he repeatedly jumped towards Felli, a different image entered his vision. It was Felli's consideration.
Over there, something like a female figure had grown out of the sliding reinforcement.
It was the girl who was looked exactly the same as Vati. Hadn't she claimed to be 'L?vateinn'?
She let out a cry that humans would never be able to make, while struggling intensely at that place.
Her fingertips, hair, protective clothing, and even skin all flew out as powder, scattering everywhere.
She gradually crumbled.
Gradually disappeared into nothing.
"Did we defeat it?"
(Probably. )
Felli responded to the words that he quietly muttered.
(The response has disappeared. )
"We won......"
Compared to the feelings that swarmed his heart, the words coming out of his mouth were powerless.
(We can't be careless. The heat that Harpe is releasing from above is still continuing to increase, we should leave this place quickly. )
"Okay."
Indeed, in the sky, Harpe's surroundings were beginning to distort. If not for Felli's aid, it would be blinding enough to be impossible to see.
Had Harpe not grasped the actions of Layfon and Felli? Was that a fake? Or perhaps did he simply want to give the enemy a completely deadly blow?
Layfon didn't know what to think. However, regardless of the answer, it didn't give him a reason to continue staying in this place.
Felli's figure entered his eyes. Layfon released the defensive formation around her, grabbing her without stopping his feet, and running towards the position of the motorcycle parked outside the city.
"How is the situation?"
"Nothing has changed. Compared to that, I'm rather concerned about the situation above. If we get pulled into it we won't be able to handle it."
Their helmets touched each other, and the untreated voice relied on vibrations to travel to each other. So that was how it was, this slightly muffled sound indeed sounded like the voice that Harpe had sent.
The muffled voice that Felli hadn't transmitted through the Psychokinesis flake made Layfon feel a hard-to-describe feeling of safety.
"We've done what we can, let's quickly get out of here."
After making the reply, Layfon reached the outskirts of the city carrying Felli, and descended to the ground.
The motorcycle was untouched. Layfon put Felli into the vehicle, and then sat on it himself.
Just as he was preparing to do so, his body was suddenly sent flying.
Who was it?
"Wha?"
Layfon who had just been sent flying didn't have any way to understand what had happened in that moment.
It wasn't Felli's strength, because it was far too strong. Layfon flew away from the motorcycle and slid on the ground. As this happened to him, the thing that had just happened greeted his eyes.
'Vati B's figure had suddenly appeared by the motorcycle, grabbing Felli.
Even the motorcycle outside of the city had long since been within the range of 'Vati B's invisible grasp. His carelessness made him clench his teeth.
"This thing!"
"Don't move."
'Vati B' made a strange sound, tightening the arm wrapped around Felli's neck.
"Ugh!"
Layfon couldn't move. The opponent didn't possess the weak strength of a female that its exterior resembled. If she had a reason, 'Vati B' could break Felli's neck whenever it wanted.
"......What do you want?"
The one who asked this was Felli who was grabbed.
"If you only want to kill me, then you wouldn't have done something like this. What goal do you have for doing this?"
"............"
'Vati B' stopped moving because of Felli's words. In order to not let an opportunity to save Felli slip, Layfon quietly watched the situation.
'Vati B' showed her face and stood still outside of the city where pollutants raged. If he looked closely, he could see that it was crumbling all over its body. Every part of its protective clothing, as well as the part of its face that was exposed flaked off like sand, scattered by the wind.
This proved that the strike just now was definitely not a wasted effort.
"I have a question...... to ask."
Felli hadn't guessed wrong. 'Vati B' asked a question in a ruined mechanical voice:
"What kind of a person is the female that you recognize who looks very much like me?"
"......Huh?"
This was a an unexpected question. Layfon had never dreamed that 'Vati B' would ask him about the female that looked like it...... about Vati.
"What kind of a person......?"
"What do you think about it, I want to know your feelings."
As to what 'Vati B's goal was for asking this question, Layfon really had no idea.
"Though we don't run across her much, I feel that she's a very weird girl."
"Felli!"
The excessively straightforward opinion made Layfon break into a cold sweat.
"She's obviously a normal person, but is expressionless like a Psychokinesist, moreover she does things too perfectly, making people feel that she's too meticulous."
"But, it feels like she's pretty hardworking."
Layfon hadn't said this to alleviate Felli's merciless criticism. Even though she had spoken like that, 'Vati B' still didn't show any signs of moving.
It truly wanted to hear about Vati.
Because of that kind of feeling, Layfon had decided to express his opinions. Its body was obviously crumbling, but 'Vati B' completely ignored its condition, even wanting to know what everyone thought about Vati, so Layfon was very intrigued as to what significance this kind of small thing had to it.
"Vati helps out in Meishen's store. I feel that it's because of her that Meishen was able to open the store. Naruki and Mifi also said something similar, and Meishen also recognizes that."
Meishen relied on Vati.
Layfon had seen the appearance of Meishen and Vati making cakes together, and the delivery in the morning seemed to also be managed by Vati. To the shy Meishen, this was definitely a great help.
When Meishen made new cakes or sweets and asked people to try them, she would not only look very happy, but in those times she would certainly mention Vati, saying that she was incredible.
There would be a day when she would make a cake that would make Vati say 'it's delicious'.
Meishen had said this.
Afterwards, Layfon had also thought:
"I feel that Vati admires Meishen."
Seeing her appearance gazing at Meishen made Layfon have that kind of feeling.
So he was very angry.
He felt anger at everything being a lie.
He felt anger, at there unexpectedly being such a being next to Meishen, at himself who had somehow not noticed this, at Meishen who trusted Vati and who had been betrayed.
'Vati B' still suppressed Felli, and Layfon looked sharply into its gaze.
"......How wretched we are."
His anger endlessly spilled forth.
Judging by 'Vati B's crumbling appearance, it definitely needed time to be able to kill Felli. Could he make it in that time in the situation where he had to ensure Felli's safety? Layfon used his anger as a driving force, coldly calculating.
"How about this."
'Vati B' murmured.
However, Layfon didn't listen to the words, but rather made these words into a opening, making it into an opportunity.
Psyharden Technique - Reflecting Water Ferry.
Layfon cut down the distance in an instant, cutting off the arm holding Felli. He pulled back the blade that he had swung with one arm while pulling Felli with the other empty hand.
The pulling movement and the cutting motion were simultaneous, and the cut path sliced through 'Vati B' who pursued from behind.
No blood sprayed out.
Instead, 'Vati B's body spread out a sand-like substance. Like a sand dune exploding, the sand-like substance covered Layfon's vision in an instant, but in this situation it quickly disappeared.
"Are you alright?"
Layfon quickly rushed over to help Felli up.
"Nn......"
Felli blankly nodded her head.
"What is it?"
"No...... did you hear it?"
"Huh?"
"That 'Vati B'...... what it said in the end."
"......What did it say?"
"It said, 'has it become close to humankind at all?'."
"............"
"What do you think that means?"
"I don't know, but more importantly......"
Layfon raised his head to look up.
Harpe was still there, and it was still increasing the energy density. It planned to destroy the city and turn it into dust without leaving anything, this was already an indubitable fact.
"We had better escape quickly."
He had no idea at all how much destruction would be created.
Perhaps it was waiting for Layfon and Felli to leave, so it was taking action this late.
"I know."
After putting Felli into the sidecar, Layfon truly began driving the motorcycle.
From behind he felt a beam of light pushing his back. What had happened after all? What he could confirm was that it hadn't been something trivial.
"Please grab on tightly."
After saying this to Felli, Layfon sped the motorcycle up as fast as possible.
◇
An unexpected fighting force had made its debut. It was an external factor that threw the battle between the Cloud-Cell Separation Interface and the Nano-Celluloid Interface into disarray.
The reason was these two humans.
"Leave quickly!"
Harpe roared. The other party seemed to have removed the tool that it used to communicate, but even so, Harpe still roared. Even if he understood that this roar would be blocked out by the sound of the increasing energy, it still roared.
Harpe's voice couldn't reach them, but it believed that the two humans were very used to battle. If his judgment was correct, when the two humans noticed the situation here, they would begin retreating after achieving their goal.
Moreover their goal was to destroy the core of 'Vati B'. This would be a very uplifting thing for humans.
The Nano-Celluloids had obviously noticed the change in their master, but it hadn't mattered to them. They had even deviated from their original goal, which was to protect the lives of humankind, even switching to the opposite path. Harpe had betrayed them. At the time he had reformed himself, becoming the Cloud-Cell Interface.
After battle, battle, and endless battle, it had finally succeeded in banishing Ignasis and the Nano-Celluloids from this world.
Time had passed, and arrived at the present.
Harpe also felt the abnormalities in the moon, and also knew that Durindana had attacked Grendan.
Even L?vateinn's copy that had stayed silent for ages had begun moving.
The end would soon be upon them.
Not the end of the world, but something linked to it. Ignasis was linked to this world. Only destroying this world could free Ignasis, and fighting those who had become the protectors of humankind was the relevance of the end.
That was what the end entailed, and the conclusion could possibly become the world's collapse.
However, Harpe's existence was to keep that from happening, so the descendants of the moon had gathered in Grendan.
"Only this will tilt the balance in the end."
Perhaps because it was immortal and continuously learned, but the machine Harpe would mix poetic expressions while it was speaking.
There were no so-called emotions in this, only that in its endless studying on how to correctly express information to humans, it had learned this manner of expression.
Harpe didn't suffer the effects or changes of time, but existed continuously in the form of a machine.
To prepare for the upcoming war.
At this time, the Cloud-Cell Interface that was both a machine and a weapon emitted light from its entire body.
All of the nanomachines that composed Harpe's exterior had become energy generators. The energy after it was released would become extraordinarily high heat rays, and it planned to burn down 'Vati B's core that had been struck down and had stopped moving.
If it had time, it could possibly start up the backup core that existed somewhere. In order to avoid that situation from happening, in order to burn it down without leaving half a trace, it had to release its attack as soon as possible.
"Leave quickly!"
Even though it knew its voice couldn't reach, it still roared. It had to give the warning; it couldn't endanger the humans.
Stopped in front of it, 'Vati B' hadn't changed. If it changed, he would have to fire the attack even if it would endanger the humans.
It couldn't give up the great chance to strike the final blow on it because of two humans.
The situation wouldn't develop into that. The motorcycle that the two humans were riding securely neared the safety range.
Fire.
Harpe had long since locked on to its target, and next was only to fire the strike.
The trigger was pulled. The Cloud-Cell Interface's body was melted by the gargantuan energy as it directed the beam towards the abandoned city below.
The light rushed forwards, and an explosion erupted.
Harpe surveyed the scene while quickly carrying out confirmation checks. Eighty percent of the substance composing its body had been lost because of the heat, and its current body was ragged and dangling in the wind like a giant bundle of rags.
When the beam shot out, the giant bundle of rags in the sky became even more torn.
"............!"
Though the shock had torn some of its thinking loops, Harpe still found the place where the beam had been fired from.
"It's come."
The opponent had special invisibility functions, so it hadn't noticed.
A huge fort had been positioned nearby as if to surround the city. Perhaps that positioning was in order to burn down the preparations that the abandoned city was carrying out.
"L?vateinn!"
Harpe roared. This wasn't a roar aimed at the Interface 1. It was a machine, and even if it could distinguish enemies and companions on its own, it didn't possess feelings like hatred towards its enemies. This wasn't a meaningless roar.
This was to warn the retreating humans who were driving the motorcycle.
But, that warning also wouldn't reach their ears. However, it still roared.
Even if no one heard, issuing a warning was still the job of the machine.
◇
The wind of the explosion shook the motorcycle.
The aftermath just barely reached the location of Layfon and Felli, and judging by the scale of the destruction, that was very surprising.
Layfon who drove the motorcycle could see Felli out of the corner of his vision that she provided.
The beam of light that had dropped from the sky had penetrated the abandoned city, and the giant round structure had cracked in an instant, emitting smoke and flame as it crumbled. The violently raging heat and flame hadn't let the pieces become rubble, burning them in an instant.
The heatwave had chased after the motorcycle, seeming to almost push them into the air. Layfon released Kei, deflecting the heatwave.
"Are you alright?"
"Nn."
Felli sat in the sidecar, and Layfon listened to her voice, his eyes not halting his confirmation of the scene.
Harpe was also shown in the scene.
Though it was buried in the middle of the light, Harpe's presence was still huge enough to overwhelm someone, even if by now it had become ragged and swinging in the wind.
It could only be the heat ray that it had released that could have burned him like this. He could see how to use Kei techniques like this, but wasn't skilled enough to handle his power to produce this destruction.
"Is that the end?"
"Things should be alright now."
Yes, this was the end.
Satisfaction and discomfort alternated in his chest. The two of them had done what they had decided to do, except this wasn't the same as the feeling he had when the threat attacked head-on. It was a feeling of exhaustion like when he was finally able to relax, but with a tiny feeling of disappointment because he knew this wasn't the end. There was also the final numbness towards battle, which might have been because his attitude towards Military Arts was now different from the feeling of the progress and chasing his limits.
Could he truly do it? This doubt assaulted his heart.
Could he reach his goal like this? That sort of doubt.
He had arrived here with the desire to advance his future, and this had succeeded, giving him a sense of accomplishment, and this reality was a crucial element that made him unable to confirm whether the doubt that assaulted his heart was because he hadn't completely achieved his goal.
He had the uncomfortable mindset that if he didn't succeed this time, there wouldn't be a next time.
"In the end, we should quickly return to Zuellni. We need to confirm with our own eyes what that thing regarding Vati is about."
"......That's true."
Was Vati truly like that? Was she truly a monster like a Nano-Celluloid? They had to confirm this.
"If she truly is, it'll be a big situation."
It wasn't Meishen alone whose life was in danger, but rather a crisis for the entirety of Zuellni.
Particularly if Vati herself knew that Layfon and Felli had noticed Vati's true goal, the situation would become even more so.
The two of them didn't have time to savor the feelings inside them. In order to proceed to Zuellni, Layfon prepared to adjust the direction of the motorcycle.
Just as he was about to do this.
The light became even brighter.
"......What!"
Layfon couldn't keep up with the speed of the light. After the beam of light shot out, Layfon shouted out, sliding the tires of the motorcycle against the ground and relying on this to reduce his speed.
He looked backwards.
The heavy sound of an explosion shook the sky. The place where Harpe had just been was surrounded by flame. The aftermath of the explosion rang out for a long time, and Layfon extended his hand to touch his weapon belt during the noise.
"An attack?"
Layfon didn't have time to worry, and he drew out the Shim Adamantium Dite from his weapon belt.
"There's no response.......No, this is......"
In order to catch up to Zuellni, Felli hadn't called back her Psychokinesis flakes, so she used those flakes to quickly analyze the situation, scanning the surroundings to check for suspicious objects.
"There's a response. The enemy has mimicked a rock, but I noticed its heat response. The enemy is a giant cannon."
"A cannon?"
Why would that kind of thing be here?
No, that wasn't it. Hadn't he just seen? The opponent could change form at will.
In other words, this situation was also like that.
Harpe's roar came from behind.
"Harpe?"
Harpe who had been torn by the explosion appeared. Its ragged body had become even smaller, with holes opened everywhere, and fire burning inside. Harpe rushed dangerously into the air in that condition.
The roar continued. Though it was only a roar to their ears, it carried a strange cadence, perhaps because the sound devices had broken.
"Don't you think this is very weird?"
"I know."
Felli's actions were very fast. The things that Layfon felt doubts about, she had already begun to investigate.
"What it's yelling, the meaning is 'L?vateinn'."
"L?vateinn?"
Then, the giant cannon that had shot Harpe was the original body of L?vateinn?
Not 'Vati B', but the original.
"She's here?"
Vati was here?
"There's a heat response from the mouth of the cannon, she plans to shoot again."
After he heard Felli say this, Layfon instantly took action.
"Please stay here and don't move!"
After leaving these words, Layfon dismounted from the motorcycle, and began running.
"Can I catch up......?"
He murmured as he ran.
No, he had to catch up. In this battle, Layfon didn't have any good intent for Harpe, but it could be said that the enemy of an enemy was a friend. Regardless of whether it was the Layfon from the past or the current Layfon, he thought this way.
One could also say...... that the meaning was that there were other ways to explain this.
'We're comrades who fought together!'
If it were Nina, she definitely would have charged out yelling something like this.
Layfon had also thought about this.
So Layfon ran. The conclusion was still the same - rescuing Harpe - the problem was the heart that made his feet move. The words that he had shelved in his heart were far too many, not at all unified.
He had never hated his methods of fighting calmly.
But he also greatly admired Nina, hoping that he could also become like her some day.
His thoughts were in disarray. Though they were in disarray, the answer still hadn't changed.
So he ran.
Who was Layfon Alseif? Even if the answer was complex, he still ran.
Dashing forward continuously.
(The heat in the barrel of the cannon has begun to increase rapidly, you may be too late......)
"I'll catch up!"
Layfon ran while compressing his Kei.
Psyharden Technique - Reflecting Water Ferry.
Layfon used almost all of the Kei that he had compressed, releasing all of the technique that he could in that moment of movement.
The giant cannon greeted his eye.
Layfon cut through the air as he moved, and the heat wrapped his body. Was this the excess heat created from the last shot, or the heat produced for the next attack? The protective gear had its limits, so Layfon had to stop his feet here.
(This place is already dangerous, if you're hit......)
"Don't worry!"
He replied to Felli's warning. That phrase was half spoken for his self to hear, but he was also confident in it. The confidence he had acquired in the abandoned city helped solidify those words.
Layfon once again increased the speed of his Kei flow, taking a stance.
And attacked.
Heaven's Blade Art - Hazy Garret.
The Shim Adamantium Dite swung out, and the blade disappeared without a trace. The slash jumped without stopping, drawing towards the giant cannon.
(Run, quickly!)
Felli's voice almost became a scream.
Layfon retreated, and the feeling of striking the target was conveyed to the Dite grasped tightly in his palm.
The slash cut the outside of the cannon, and then sunk inside.
The rest was simple. Hazy Garret destroyed the shackles binding the energy compressed inside.
It took the form of an explosion.
"Ugh!"
The pressure of the explosion hit Layfon. Even so, he still pulled back in time.
(Layfon, are you alright?)
"Nn......"
(We've made it this far, can you not do stupid things?)
"I guess that's true."
Layfon regulated his thoroughly disordered breathing. After getting rid of the situation that had suddenly appeared, even he had the mood of wanting to sit down right where he was.
Just then.
Layfon didn't want disappointment to obliterate the feeling of success at a difficult task.
Layfon desperately held back the feeling of wanting to sit down. Just then, the words that coincidentally passed through his mind deeply provoked him.
He had achieved his goal in the abandoned city. He had stood and fought, and he had been able to fight.
"It's a pretty good feeling."
(Don't do stupid things just to feel good. )
"Hahaha."
Felli spoke strictly, and Layfon could only laugh as a response.
(Anyway, I'll go over there, please wait there. )
"I know."
Layfon accepted Felli's kindness, sitting down on the ground. This wasn't because Layfon was tired, it could even be said that he was still in an excited state.
His mood was far too excited, and his body was occupied with feelings that his mind hadn't linked together yet.
"What is it? It's like I've experienced these feelings before."
In the motorcycle workshop, Layfon had seen Felli's driving skills. She still needed some time to get to this place. Layfon started thinking as he sat.
"Was it the first time I fought? The feeling's not really the same, so what is it......"
The scene was in his mind, but it was far too blurry, so he didn't really understand.
"What is it......? If there was something to refresh my memories......"
Layfon tried to look for a stimulus, but there wouldn't be such an object in the wilderness. What about the thing in his hand? Even if he looked at all the equipment of his protective gear, Layfon still couldn't think of that memory.
"Um......? Ah......"
Seeing himself playing with the weapon belt, Layfon thought of it.
"Right, it was Leerin."
(......What about her?)
"Ah, it's not......"
The Psychokinetic flake brought Felli's voice, but the voice that also came from the distance made Layfon reflexively turn to look in that direction.
He thought that he would see the motorcycle. The time in which Felli had arrived was faster than he had thought, but that only meant that Felli had made progress in her driving skill.
He thought that as he turned his head.
"!"
There was a giant face there.
(What about her?)
Felli's voice asked again.
The face - wasn't something human. It was hard and rough, and covered with a substance like bone. Its jaw was very long, its teeth neatly lined up inside.
It was Harpe's face.
"I thank you two."
Harpe said this with a majestic voice.
"In order to prove my thanks, I will send you two to the place you want to go."
"Th......Thanks."
Layfon unconsciously thanked him, and then suddenly realized.
"Huh? Then Felli also......"
"She's already inside."
(I'm already inside. )
"Huh?"
Layfon was surprised.
The second voice made him jump, and Harpe took one last look, opening its giant mouth wide.
This was also related to the fact that Layfon was exhausted.
"Huh?"
The mouth swallowed.
Layfon wasn't fast enough to respond, and was swallowed by Harpe.
◇
Before he realized it, Layfon noticed that he and Felli were in an unknown space.
"Huh?"
"It seems like this is inside Harpe's body."
Layfon felt that it was hard to form words, but Felli who had arrived here first was unexpectedly able to speak calmly.
"This is......?"
Layfon didn't need to look around him to be able to quickly confirm what was in the surroundings. In other words, there was nothing here at all. This place only had had a space for Layfon and Felli to sit on their knees, nothing more.
"This place, it......"
Seeing the walls surrounding them, Layfon felt that this scene was quite familiar.
Correct. In the city of Nina's great-grandfather Gildred, Layfon had once been enclosed inside a cramped space like this.
In the stifling space without any exits, that was obviously inorganic but was filled with an organic atmosphere.
"Though it's very oppressive, I can't feel any hostility."
(Well, this kind of condition really puts a great burden on the mind. Then, how is this?)
Harpe's voice sounded in all directions.
Afterwards, the scenery quickly changed. The space that had only the boring walls disappeared, and a cozy space where they could see the scenery outside appeared, as if a glass stage had been set up.
(If your destination is the Academy City Zuellni, there will still be two hours to get there. Is that correct?)
Harpe asked this of Layfon and Felli who were too surprised to utter a sound.
"......Uh, aah......"
When he recovered from his surprise, Layfon almost wanted to nod, but restrained himself from making that movement at the last moment.
"I want to ask something, Vati is named something L?vateinn...... uh......"
"Nano-Celluloid. She is the Nano-Celluloid Interface 1 L?vateinn. I am the Cloud-Cell Separation Interface IV Harpe. I was born as a Nano-Celluloid, but have become enemies with them due to acting on different principles. Interface 1 is the mother of the initial series of Nano-Celluloids that were created, I cannot mistake it."
"............"
"Did you know that Vati Len was a Nano-Celluloid from the start?"
Felli asked instead of Layfon who was silent.
(I knew when she invaded. But she spread many fake bodies, so I had to spend time to locate the original body. I noticed thirty seconds before. Academy City Zuellni, where Interface 1 was, with the identity Vati Len. )
The voice with which Harpe spoke was very oppressive, full of a mechanical feeling.
"Is Vati...... Is L?vateinn still in Zuellni?"
(The main body has not yet moved, but the nanomachines that she controls have already moved. She plans to gather her fighting power. Interface 1 seems to plan to carry out her final plan. )
"Plan?"
(She wants to release the master of the Nano-Celluloids, Ignasis. In order to accomplish that goal, she needs to destroy the world. )
"How could that......"
(The person who is the master key is sleeping deeply in Grendan in the form of a girl, and her death is the death of the world. This world is her creation, and it can only be maintained because of her. )
Layfon couldn't help but want to hold his head.
"Suddenly wanting me to trust this kind of thing, I......"
But, but......
"But, Captain and Leerin are already fighting in this battleground."
"Nn."
"Then, the place we need to go is already decided."
"Nn."
Felli nodded, having no objections.
Was this because she had the same feelings? Or did she give all the decision-making authority to Layfon?
Regardless of the truth, Layfon couldn't betray the eyes with which Felli looked at him.
"Then let's go, to Grendan."
| ← Ch. 133 | Ch. 135 → |