Baka-Tsuki - User contributions [en]

Chrome Shelled Regios:Volume1 Prologue

2012-06-23T04:12:01Z

Pritesh:

==Prologue==

===Part 1===

Everyone held their breath, to seal the flood of terror rising in their throats.

"......"

Nina did the same.

Sitting at the back of the bus, she looked out the window, peering past the short, fat businessman sitting before her with his head tucked beneath a pair of trembling arms. On the other side of the dirt-smeared window was a vast wilderness. Cracks crept across the parched ground. Jagged shards of earth rose towards the sky. A tall, dark mountain loomed before Nina.

But everyone on the bus knew it wasn't a mountain.

"That's......Blitzen," murmured a man sitting in the middle of the bus. He observed the dark shape through a pair of binoculars. Nina could see big drops of sweat on his face, his large Adam's apple bobbing as he gulped nervously.

Nina squinted at the dark shape. It wasn't a mountain. It was a city. What looked like a mountain peak was in fact the top of a tower. Atop that tower was a tattered flag, fluttering in the wind. Nina couldn't make out the crest on the flag that carried the city's name. She couldn't confirm if the city's name was indeed what the man had uttered.

A strong gust of wind struck the bus, rocking it.

"Hey!"

Startled and surprised, the passengers bent over in their seats and held their heads down. They curled up, instinctively trying to hide. Instead of covering her head like everyone else, Nina held her breath and continued to stare at the city, trying to see any kind of reaction from it.

The city was already dead.

The bus squatted on its legs, immobile.

The buildings in the city were also dead. Terrible wounds were carved into most of the buildings near the city's edge. Nina could see that a part of the city's rim had been gouged away, creating a mountain of debris. Columns of smoke rose everywhere. The attack must have happened recently.

It would be impossible to find any survivors just by looking at it from the bus. Nor could Nina get to the city to see if anyone was still alive. The bus was weak and insignificant outside the city. Nina knew that there probably weren't any survivors; humans couldn't breathe without the air shield around the city, and this city had lost its shield.

Next to her, Harley said in an anxious voice, "Nina..."

"Don't worry. We haven't been discovered."

Nina realized her voice was trembling. She felt compelled to lick her lips, but she suppressed that desire and gazed resolutely at the attackers hovering in the sky above the city. Even though her mouth was dry, cold sweat broke out on her skin.

"This is the world we live in, Harley," she said to her childhood friend, but she did not get a response from him.

The effortless movements of the cruel attackers above the city made them look regal. The attackers...they were called Kings of Nature — filth monsters. They flew lower, flying slowly between buildings.

"Now!" someone roared shrilly.

The driver started the engine. The legs of the bus rose, raising the body upward.

Nina's line of sight rose with it. The bus began to hop, moving away from the stricken city. It was better to leave this place. The bus continued to run. Nina looked back at the shrinking city.

After they had put some distance between the bus and the city, Harley sighed. "It's safe now."

As the tension in the bus eased, Nina clenched her fists tightly and said "...We're so weak."

===Part 2===

The sound of huge feet trampling the ground at the edge of the city rang in the peoples' ears. The footsteps of the city drowned out all other sounds — even the furious roar of the wind.

"Are you still not giving up?"

It came from a voice loud enough to be heard over this din.

A girl spoke to a boy in the city's roaming bus station. Strong winds shook her golden hair. Her clear blue pupils looked directly at the boy. Her youthful face, which made her look younger than she really was, was full of disapproval and unease. She gazed at the boy standing at the bus stop.

Looking troubled, the boy kept glancing back and forth between the girl and the bus waiting to depart. A chain held up the long multi-legs of the bus that were folded and bent. The body of the bus swayed along with the movement of the city, bumping against a cushion pad. Since it was dangerous when the city moved, the driver and all the passengers were staying in the small waiting area. This kind of bus was built to withstand up and down shaking, but it couldn't stop from swaying sideways.

"Layfon!"

The only passenger not yet in the waiting area – Layfon, looked away from the bus. He had tea-colored hair and blue eyes. His face showed an expression that came from the loss of adolescence. This look was now coupled with a powerless smile.

"Even so, I can't stay here anymore, Leerin."

Layfon didn't raise his voice, so Leerin stepped closer. Even with her expressive eyes right in front of him, Layfon didn't feel attracted to his childhood friend.

"But-! You didn't have to pick a school that was so far away!"

"Even here......" Again, the sound of the city's movement drowned him out. A strong gust of wind blew past them. Layfon reached out and placed a hand on Leerin's shoulder to steady her.

"It can't be helped. The only place that gave me a scholarship was Zuellni. The orphanage's money can't be spent on me, right?"

"You must have forced yourself to choose such a distant place. There are closer places you could have gone to. If you took the scholarship qualification exam next year, you could find a school that's closer, right? Then you could stay here with me..."

It didn't matter what words came next; nothing could change Layfon's mind. To emphasize that point, he shook his head slowly.

"I can't give up on leaving."

Leerin held her breath. He couldn't bear looking at the pain in her clear eyes, so he looked at his hand on her shoulder. His hand was like that of an old man, hard and rough.

"I've made my decision and I won't change my mind. Nobody wanted it to be like this, not even me. But Her Majesty wants me to experience the outside world. Besides, she doesn't wish for my presence here."

"I wish for it!"

This time, Leerin's powerful and persuasive words caused Layfon to hold his breath.

"Is it not enough that this is my wish?"

To Layfon, Leerin's crying gaze and words were too cunning. He tried to find some words to pass this over, but couldn't find any. He felt pain, pressuring him to convey his feelings.

Layfon's lips trembled, as did Leerin's.

They were each trying to find the right words to say.

In the end, they realized that the right words to say didn't exist. No matter who wanted Layfon to stay, nothing could change the fact that he was leaving. Layfon himself didn't intend to stay, and there was nothing that would change that. And if he tried to make Leerin agree with him, there was no doubt she would be hurt.

A shrill whistle sounded behind him.

As if it was trying to tear the two apart, the simple sound of the whistle squeezed between the noise of the city's footsteps and the furious howl of the wind, echoing through the bus station. It was a warning that the bus was about to depart. The driver, having blown the whistle, entered the bus. He started the engine. A vibration different from the city's radiated out from the battered body of the bus. The passengers in the waiting area took their luggage and headed for the vehicle.

Layfon's lips stopped trembling. He took away his hand from Leerin to pick up the suitcase beside his feet. That was all he had with him now. His other belongings would be given to the kids at the orphanage or tossed away.

"I have to go," he said to the teary-eyed Leerin. As if feeling this was a truth she couldn't change, Leerin's trembling also stopped.

She gazed at him with reddened eyes.

"Since the decision's been made, I want to start anew. I can't return to the orphanage or to Her Majesty's side. It's the price I must pay for my actions. I'll make up for them any way I can. But nobody wants that; they just want me to disappear. Even so, things can't be resolved with just my going away......"

He couldn't keep talking. He didn't want to lie. But even if he were to tell the truth it'd only sound like an excuse. He hated himself for acting like that.

"Even so, I haven't really made up my mind."

He added weakly, "Though I really want to start over in many areas......"

"Enough!" Leerin cut him off coldly. Layfon held his luggage tightly, not daring to look at her.

The driver blew his whistle again. The bus would be leaving soon.

"I'm going now."

Dejected, he turned his back to Leerin.

"Wait!"

The small voice stopped him.

What happened next was a single, brief moment.

Leerin grabbed ahold of Layfon's shoulder and forced him to turn around. Her face was so very close to his.

It was only for a moment that they overlapped.

The rough but soft pressure overwhelmed Layfon. In that swift moment while he was numb and spaced out, Leerin jumped away. Her smile was stiff but that meaningful look of having played a prank was familiar to him.

"You have to send letters though. I don't think everyone wants you gone," she said before running away. Looking at her figure flying past in a flurry of skirts, Layfon realized why he felt so strange.

''Ah, I see...... because she's wearing a skirt......''

The lively Leerin didn't like to wear skirts, but she was wearing one today. And there was also the sweet and soft feeling that swift moment left on his lips. As if to feel the warmth left on them, he touched a finger to his lips.

''So naive...''

While mocking himself, he hurried to the bus.

''I'll write when I get there.''

Yes. He had decided.

The bus started moving. Wishing to take one last look at the scene, Layfon sat in the last row, gazing at the city he had spent his entire life in till now.

===Part 3===

Regios could be seen in every corner of the world. The existence of these cities was as natural as breathing air. Numerous buildings were built on a flat circular surface, growing shorter as they ranged out from the center of the city where the tallest buildings were located. Located beneath the table were legs — huge metallic legs clustered together. With precise movements those legs walked together, as if to take the city far away from the roaming bus.

Layfon gazed at the center of the city, where the city's tallest tower stood.

The huge flag atop that building billowed. On its field was a dragon with the body of a lion that seemed to be breaking a sword with its teeth, but the sword was unyielding. The flag with that crest weaved into it danced a wild dance in the wind.

Layfon stared at that huge flag, wondering what the first line of his letter to Leerin would be about.

<noinclude>
{{Regios Nav|prev=Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume1_Illustrations|next=Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume1_Chapter1}}
</noinclude>

Chrome Shelled Regios:Volume1 Prologue

2012-06-23T04:08:55Z

Pritesh:

==Prologue==

===Part 1===

Everyone held their breath, to seal the flood of terror rising in their throats.

"......"

Nina did the same.

Sitting at the back of the bus, she looked out the window, peering past the short, fat businessman sitting before her with his head tucked beneath a pair of trembling arms. On the other side of the dirt-smeared window was a vast wilderness. Cracks crept across the parched ground. Jagged shards of earth rose towards the sky. A tall, dark mountain loomed before Nina.

But everyone on the bus knew it wasn't a mountain.

"That's......Blitzen," murmured a man sitting in the middle of the bus. He observed the dark shape through a pair of binoculars. Nina could see big drops of sweat on his face, his large Adam's apple bobbing as he gulped nervously.

Nina squinted at the dark shape. It wasn't a mountain. It was a city. What looked like a mountain peak was in fact the top of a tower. Atop that tower was a tattered flag, fluttering in the wind. Nina couldn't make out the crest on the flag that carried the city's name. She couldn't confirm if the city's name was indeed what the man had uttered.

A strong gust of wind struck the bus, rocking it.

"Hey!"

Startled and surprised, the passengers bent over in their seats and held their heads down. They curled up, instinctively trying to hide. Instead of covering her head like everyone else, Nina held her breath and continued to stare at the city, trying to see any kind of reaction from it.

The city was already dead.

The bus squatted on its legs, immobile.

The buildings in the city were also dead. Terrible wounds were carved into most of the buildings near the city's edge. Nina could see that a part of the city's rim had been gouged away, creating a mountain of debris. Columns of smoke rose everywhere. The attack must have happened recently.

It would be impossible to find any survivors just by looking at it from the bus. Nor could Nina get to the city to see if anyone was still alive. The bus was weak and insignificant outside the city. Nina knew that there probably weren't any survivors; humans couldn't breathe without the air shield around the city, and this city had lost its shield.

Next to her, Harley said in an anxious voice, "Nina..."

"Don't worry. We haven't been discovered."

Nina realized her voice was trembling. She felt compelled to lick her lips, but she suppressed that desire and gazed resolutely at the attackers hovering in the sky above the city. Even though her mouth was dry, cold sweat broke out on her skin.

"This is the world we live in, Harley," she said to her childhood friend, but she did not get a response from him.

The effortless movements of the cruel attackers above the city made them look regal. The attackers...they were called Kings of Nature — filth monsters. They flew lower, flying slowly between buildings.

"Now!" someone roared shrilly.

The driver started the engine. The legs of the bus rose, raising the body upward.

Nina's line of sight rose with it. The bus began to hop, moving away from the stricken city. It was better to leave this place. The bus continued to run. Nina looked back at the shrinking city.

After they had put some distance between the bus and the city, Harley sighed. "It's safe now."

As the tension in the bus eased, Nina clenched her fists tightly and said "...We're so weak."

===Part 2===

The sound of huge feet trampling the ground at the edge of the city rang in the peoples' ears. The footsteps of the city drowned out all other sounds — even the furious roar of the wind.

"Are you still not giving up?"

It came from a voice loud enough to be heard over this din.

A girl spoke to a boy in the city's roaming bus station. Strong winds shook her golden hair. Her clear blue pupils looked directly at the boy. Her youthful face, which made her look younger than she really was, was full of disapproval and unease. She gazed at the boy standing at the bus stop.

Looking troubled, the boy kept glancing back and forth between the girl and the bus waiting to depart. A chain held up the long multi-legs of the bus that were folded and bent. The body of the bus swayed along with the movement of the city, bumping against a cushion pad. Since it was dangerous when the city moved, the driver and all the passengers were staying in the small waiting area. This kind of bus was built to withstand up and down shaking, but it couldn't stop from swaying sideways.

"Layfon!"

The only passenger not yet in the waiting area – Layfon, looked away from the bus. He had tea-colored hair and blue eyes. His face showed an expression that came from the loss of adolescence. This look was now coupled with a powerless smile.

"Even so, I can't stay here anymore, Leerin."

Layfon didn't raise his voice, so Leerin stepped closer. Even with her expressive eyes right in front of him, Layfon didn't feel attracted to his childhood friend.

"But-! You didn't have to pick a school that was so far away!"

"Even here......" Again, the sound of the city's movement drowned him out. A strong gust of wind blew past them. Layfon reached out and placed a hand on Leerin's shoulder to steady her.

"It can't be helped. The only place that gave me a scholarship was Zuellni. The orphanage's money can't be spent on me, right?"

"You must have forced yourself to choose such a distant place. There are closer places you could have gone to. If you took the scholarship qualification exam next year, you could find a school that's closer, right? Then you could stay here with me..."

It didn't matter what words came next; nothing could change Layfon's mind. To emphasize that point, he shook his head slowly.

"I can't give up on leaving."

Leerin held her breath. He couldn't bear looking at the pain in her clear eyes, so he looked at his hand on her shoulder. His hand was like that of an old man, hard and rough.

"I've made my decision and I won't change my mind. Nobody wanted it to be like this, not even me. But Her Majesty wants me to experience the outside world. Besides, she doesn't wish for my presence here."

"I wish for it!"

This time, Leerin's powerful and persuasive words caused Layfon to hold his breath.

"Is it not enough that this is my wish?"

To Layfon, Leerin's crying gaze and words were too cunning. He tried to find some words to pass this over, but couldn't find any. He felt pain, pressuring him to convey his feelings.

Layfon's lips trembled, as did Leerin's.

They were each trying to find the right words to say.

In the end, they realized that the right words to say didn't exist. No matter who wanted Layfon to stay, nothing could change the fact that he was leaving. Layfon himself didn't intend to stay, and there was nothing that would change that. And if he tried to make Leerin agree with him, there was no doubt she would be hurt.

A shrill whistle sounded behind him.

As if it was trying to tear the two apart, the simple sound of the whistle squeezed between the noise of the city's footsteps and the furious howl of the wind, echoing through the bus station. It was a warning that the bus was about to depart. The driver, having blown the whistle, entered the bus. He started the engine. A vibration different from the city's radiated out from the battered body of the bus. The passengers in the waiting area took their luggage and headed for the vehicle.

Layfon's lips stopped trembling. He took away his hand from Leerin to pick up the suitcase beside his feet. That was all he had with him now. His other belongings would be given to the kids at the orphanage or tossed away.

"I have to go," he said to the teary-eyed Leerin. As if feeling this was a truth she couldn't change, Leerin's trembling also stopped.

She gazed at him with reddened eyes.

"Since the decision's been made, I want to start anew. I can't return to the orphanage or to Her Majesty's side. It's the price I must pay for my actions. I'll make up for them any way I can. But nobody wants that; they just want me to disappear. Even so, things can't be resolved with just my going away......"

He couldn't keep talking. He didn't want to lie. But even if he were to tell the truth it'd only sound like an excuse. He hated himself for acting like that.

"Even so, I haven't really made up my mind."

He added weakly, "Though I really want to start over in many areas......"

"Enough!" Leerin cut him off coldly. Layfon held his luggage tightly, not daring to look at her.

The driver blew his whistle again. The bus would be leaving soon.

"I'm going now."

Dejected, he turned his back to Leerin.

"Wait!"

The small voice stopped him.

What happened next was a single, brief moment.

Leerin grabbed ahold of Layfon's shoulder and forced him to turn around. Her face was so very close to his.

It was only for a moment that they overlapped.

The rough but soft pressure overwhelmed Layfon. In that swift moment while he was numb and spaced out, Leerin jumped away. Her smile was stiff but that meaningful look of having played a prank was familiar to him.

"You have to send letters though. I don't think everyone wants you gone," she said before running away. Looking at her figure flying past in a flurry of skirts, Layfon realized why he felt so strange.

''Ah, I see...... because she's wearing a skirt......''

The lively Leerin didn't like to wear skirts, but she was wearing one today. And there was also the sweet and soft feeling that swift moment left on his lips. As if to feel the warmth left on them, he touched a finger to his lips.

''So naive...''

While mocking himself, he hurried to the bus.

''I'll write when I get there.''

Yes. He had decided.

The bus started moving. Wishing to take one last look at the scene, Layfon sat in the last row, gazing at the city he had spent his entire life in till now.

<center>◇</center>

Regios could be seen in every corner of the world. The existence of these cities was as natural as breathing air. Numerous buildings were built on a flat circular surface, growing shorter as they ranged out from the center of the city where the tallest buildings were located. Located beneath the table were legs — huge metallic legs clustered together. With precise movements those legs walked together, as if to take the city far away from the roaming bus.

Layfon gazed at the center of the city, where the city's tallest tower stood.

The huge flag atop that building billowed. On its field was a dragon with the body of a lion that seemed to be breaking a sword with its teeth, but the sword was unyielding. The flag with that crest weaved into it danced a wild dance in the wind.

Layfon stared at that huge flag, wondering what the first line of his letter to Leerin would be about.

<noinclude>
{{Regios Nav|prev=Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume1_Illustrations|next=Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume1_Chapter1}}
</noinclude>

Chrome Shelled Regios

2012-06-23T03:56:30Z

Pritesh: /* Editors */

[[Image:CSR.jpg|300px|thumb|Cover for Vol 1]]

The ''Chrome Shelled Regios'' series is also available in the following languages:
*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios_%7EVersi%C3%B3n_Espa%C3%B1ola%7E|Español (Spanish)]]
*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios_PL|Polski (Polish)]]
*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios_(Russian)|Русский (Russian)]]
*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios_French|(French)]]

Chrome Shelled Regios project page

==Story Synopsis==

Regios are moving cities, sheltering humanity on the barren and polluted Earth that is populated by Filth Monsters. Tired of fighting monsters and for a reason not yet revealed, Layfon left his home city to arrive at Zuellni, a city which specializes in academics and was inhabited only by students. Full of the expectation of living a normal life, he was tested on the first day of his arrival. Caught up in a fight that was rapidly getting out of hand, Layfon settled the commotion without anyone's help. Spotted by the Student President for his martial prowess, Layfon was forced to enter the 17th platoon.

Once again, Layfon was forced back into the world of Filth Monsters and defending the city he lived in. But the secrets of this world had yet to surface...

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrome_Shelled_Regios Chrome Shelled Regios @ wikipedia]

== Translation ==

=== [[Chrome Shelled Regios:Registration Page|Registration]] ===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand via the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/index.php forum].

'''Translators please [[Chrome Shelled Regios:Registration Page|register]] for chapters they want to work on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every Chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]
*[[Chrome Shelled Regios:Names and Terminology Guideline|Project specific Guidelines: Names and Terminology]]

===Chronological Order===
There is a [[Chrome Shelled Regios:Story Timeline|story timeline]] for those who are interested to read the short stories of the short story collections of the series in the correct chronological order.

==Notice==

Please pm [[User:Blewin|Blewin]] in the forums if you make any word related changes, such as names. This way, I can use the preferred version in later translation for the sake of consistency.

Also, if anyone's interested in translating, please pm me first. I tend to work ahead so I might have a few translated pages ready but haven't put them on wiki yet.

Thanks!

==Updates==
*10 June, 2012 - Volume 15 Chapter 5 and Epilogue Completed
*22 May, 2012 - Volume 10 A Day For You 3 (45%)
*13 April, 2012 - Volume 15 Chapter 4 Completed
*28 March, 2012 - Volume 15 Chapter 3 Completed
*1 January, 2012 - Volume 10 Sweet Day - Sweet Before III Completed
*4 December, 2011 - Volume 10 A Day For You 02 (45%)
*29 November, 2011 - Volume 15 Chapter 2 (20%)
*21 October, 2011 - Volume 15 Chapter 1 Completed
*02 August, 2011 - Volume 14 Chapter 5 and Epilogue Completed
*01 July, 2011 - Volume 15 Prologue Completed
*08 May, 2011 - Volume 14 Chapter 4 Completed
*08 March, 2011 - Volume 14 Chapter 3 Completed
*03 March, 2011 - Volume 10 A Day For You 02 (30%)
*28 February, 2011 - Volume 14 Chapter 3 Completed (98%)
*24 February, 2011 - Volume 08 Post Epilogue Part 2 Completed

Older updates can be found on the [[Chrome Shelled Regios:_Updates|Chrome Shelled Regios Updates page]].

==''Chrome Shelled Regios'' series by Shūsuke Amagi==

=== Volume 1 - Chrome Shelled Regios ([[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume1|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/?g1l18bz0sap7jdp PDF])===
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume1 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume1 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume1 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - School Begins]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume1 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Life as a Student]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume1 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Training]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume1 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Platoon Match]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume1 Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Point of Difference]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume1 Chapter6|Chapter 6 - On the Polluted Earth]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*Author's Notes

=== Volume 2 - Silent Talk ([[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume2|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/?yoxay2z2jgy2ld2 PDF])===
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume2 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume2 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume2 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Confusion]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume2 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - What Can Be Done]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume2 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Cry For What?]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume2 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Run the Entire Lap]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume2 Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Things in Life]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*Author's Notes

=== Volume 3 - Sentimental Voice ([[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume3|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/?f47dngcncb3nsu1 PDF])===
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume3 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume3 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume3 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Proposal]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume3 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - After a Day of Rest]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume3 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - The Time of a Destroyed City]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume3 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - The Darkness of Gushing Water]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume3 Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Dance in Midnight]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume3 Chapter6|Chapter 6 - Scarlet Pride]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume3 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*Author's Notes

=== Volume 4 - Confidential Call ([[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume4|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/?1d20q5f1b556h5a PDF])===
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume4 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume4 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume4 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Her Idea]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume4 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Different Nights]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume4 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Envisioning and Reality]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume4 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Outside the Wheel]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume4 Chapter5|Chapter 5 - The Vow on That Day]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume4 Chapter6|Chapter 6 - The Insane Guardian]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume4 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*Author's Notes

=== Volume 5 - Emotional Howl ([[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume5|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/?wpjwdjpd88q2w30 PDF])===
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume5 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume5 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume5 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - The Path of Thinking]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume5 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - The Event of That Day]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume5 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - By Darkness. And Then……]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume5 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Hold Hands While Blindfolded]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume5 Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Two Fights]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume5 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*Author's Notes

=== Volume 6 - Red Nocturne ([[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume6|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/?121uvu6bau3cr8b PDF]) ===
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume6 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume6 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume6 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - In a Broken House]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume6 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - The Appearance of a Butterfly]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume6 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Birds in a Cage]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume6 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - The Katana Without an Owner]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume6 Chapter5|Chapter 5 - The Center of the World]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume6 Chapter6|Chapter 6 - The Owner of the Blade]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume6 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*Author's Notes

=== Volume 7 - White Opera ([[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume7|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/?ehfdgyadpdsc3tr PDF])===
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume7 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume7 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume7 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Either Way, I Won’t Say It]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume7 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Haia's Resolve]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume7 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Two Paint Scrolls]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume7 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - The War Begins]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume7 Chapter5|Chapter 5 - A Fight of Katanas]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume7 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*Author's Notes

=== Volume 8 - Mixing Note ===
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume8 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume8 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume8 Interlude 01|Interlude 01]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume8 Cool in the Cafe|Cool in the Cafe]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume8 Interlude 02|Interlude 02]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume8 Diamond Passion|Diamond Passion]]
::*[[Chrome Shelled Regios:Volume8 Interlude 03|Interlude 03]]
::*[[Chrome Shelled Regios:Volume8 Innocence Wander|Innocence Wander]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume8 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*Post Epilogue - Ordinary Days
::**[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume8 Post Epilogue Part 1|Part 1]]
::**[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume8 Post Epilogue Part 2|Part 2]]
::**[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume8 Post Epilogue Part 3|Part 3 (Well, still a tiny part left - Ed. Lyg.)]][[User:Haze|Haze]] 13:37, 28 December 2010 (UTC)
::*Author's Notes

=== Volume 9 - Blue Mazurka [[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume9|(Full Text)]]===
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume9 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume9 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume9 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Summer]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume9 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - Enemy]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume9 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Wish]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume9 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - Confusion]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume9 Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Chaos]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume9 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*Author's Notes

=== Volume 10 - Complex Days ===
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume10 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume10 Sweet Day - Sweet Morning|Sweet Day - Sweet Morning]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume10 Sweet Day - Sweet Before I|Sweet Day - Sweet Before I]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume10 A Day For You 01|A Day For You 01]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume10 Sweet Day - Sweet Before II|Sweet Day - Sweet Before II]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume10 A Day For You 02|A Day For You 02]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume10 Sweet Day - Sweet Before III|Sweet Day - Sweet Before III]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume10 A Day For You 03|A Day For You 03]] '''(45% completed)'''
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume10 Sweet Day - Sweet Midnight|Sweet Day - Sweet Midnight]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume10 To Conquer a Line of Spears Held at the Ready|To Conquer a Line of Spears Held at the Ready]]
::*Author's Notes

=== Volume 11 - Impact Girls ===
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume11 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume11 Happy Hot Dash|Happy Hot Dash]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume11 Morning of You and Me|Morning of You and Me]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume11 Impact of Childhood 01|Impact of Childhood 01]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume11 Lunchtime of You and Me|Lunchtime of You and Me]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume11 Impact of Childhood 02|Impact of Childhood 02]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume11 Dinnertime of You and Me|Dinnertime of You and Me]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume11 Impact of Childhood 03|Impact of Childhood 03]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume11 Nighttime of You and Me|Nighttime of You and Me]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume11 Happy Birthday|Happy Birthday]]
::*Author's Notes

=== Volume 12 - Black Arabesque [[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume12|(Full Text)]]===
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume12 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume12 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume12 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - Chaotic City]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume12 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - The City of Descending Shadow]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume12 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - Lance Shelled City]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume12 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - The City of Spirits]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume12 Chapter5|Chapter 5 - The City That Eliminates Evil]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume12 Epilogue|Epilogue - The Hollow City]]
::*Author's Notes

=== Volume 13 - Grey Concerto [[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume13|(Full Text)]]===
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume13 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume13 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume13 Chapter1p1|Cadenza Road Itto: Part 1]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume13 Chapter1p2|Cadenza Road Itto: Part 2]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume13 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume13 Bottled Letter For You|Bottled Letter For You]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume13 Ghost in Ghost|Ghost in Ghost]]
::*Author's Notes

=== Volume 14 - Scarlet Oratorio [[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume14|(Full Text)]]===
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume14 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume14 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume14 Chapter 1|Chapter 1 - You still haven’t made any decision]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume14 Chapter 2|Chapter 2 - Beasts of the Moonlight Bare Their Fangs]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume14 Chapter 3|Chapter 3 - The Assault of a Storm]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume14 Chapter 4|Chapter 4 - To Block the Road Ahead]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume14 Chapter 5|Chapter 5 - To the indecisive person]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume14 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*Author's Notes

=== Volume 15 - Next Bloom [[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume15|(Full Text)]]===
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume15 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume15 Prologue|Prologue - The One Biding Time]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume15 Chapter1|Chapter 1 - The Resolute One, The Wavering One]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume15 Chapter2|Chapter 2 - The Impassioned One]] '''(20%)'''
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume15 Chapter3|Chapter 3 - The Dispatched One]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume15 Chapter4|Chapter 4 - The Puzzled One]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume15 Chapter5|Chapter 5 - Ones in Discord]]
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume15 Epilogue|Epilogue - And the One They Face]]
::*Author's Notes

=== Volume 16===
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume16 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

=== Volume 17===
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume17 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

=== Volume 18===
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume18 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

=== Volume 19===
::*[[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume19 Illustrations|Novel Illustrations]]

==''Legend of Regios'' series by Shūsuke Amagi==

===Volume 01 - Riggzario Baptism===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*[[Legend of Regios:Volume1 Prologue|Prologue - Rebirth]]
::*[[Legend of Regios:Volume1 Chapter1|5 Years After]] (0%)
::*Alchemist
::*Goodbye
::*Night of Memory
::*In the Hole
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Notes

=== Volume 02 - Ignasis' Awakening ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*The Awakening
::*Days and Nights of Thought
::*Man With No Instincts
::*The Story of the Alchemist
::*The Bloody Trail Across the Mountain of Death
::*Life and Fire
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Notes

=== Volume 03 - The Appearance of the Regios ===
::*Novel Illustrations
::*As If Entering the Boiler
::*Ascetic's Path
::*Appearing from the Filth
::*Two Snakes
::*Within the Chaos
::*Man Made Legend
::*Epilogue
::*Author's Notes

==Project Staff==

*Project Administrator:
*Project Supervisor: [[User:Blewin|Blewin]]

===Translators===
'''ACTIVE'''
:* [[User:Blewin|Blewin]]
:* [[User:Haze|Haze]]
:* [[User:xstar|xstar]] (Translator/Editor)
:* [[User:Decemdies|Decemdies]]

'''MIA'''
:* [[User:AnthoX|AnthoX]]

===Editors===
'''ACTIVE'''
:* [[User:Lygophile|Lygophile]]
:* [[User:Kokoru Asami|Kokoru Asami]]
:* [[User:Hiro Hayase|Hiro Hayase]]
:* [[User:pritesh|pritesh]]

==Series Overview==
* Volume I - Chrome Shelled Regios (March 25, 2006 ISBN 978-4-8291-1803-0)
* Volume II - Chrome Shelled Regios (May 25, 2006, ISBN 978-4-8291-1827-6)
* Volume III - Chrome Shelled Regios (July 25, 2006, ISBN 978-4-8291-1846-7)
* Volume IV - Chrome Shelled Regios (October 25, 2006, ISBN 978-4-8291-1871-9)
* Volume V - Chrome Shelled Regios (January 25, 2007, ISBN 978-4-8291-1892-4)
* Volume VI - Chrome Shelled Regios (May 25, 2007, ISBN 978-4-8291-1926-6)
* Volume VII - Chrome Shelled Regios (October 25, 2007, ISBN 978-4-8291-1967-9)
* Volume VIII - Chrome Shelled Regios (March 25, 2008, ISBN 978-4-8291-3269-2)
* Volume IX - Chrome Shelled Regios (June 25, 2008, ISBN 978-4-8291-3300-2)
* Volume X - Chrome Shelled Regios (September 25, 2008, ISBN 978-4-8291-3329-3)
* Volume XI - Chrome Shelled Regios (December 25, 2008, ISBN 978-4-8291-3359-0)
* Volume XII - Chrome Shelled Regios (March 25, 2009, ISBN 978-4-8291-3382-8)
* Volume XIII - Chrome Shelled Regios (May 25, 2009, ISBN 978-4-8291-3401-6)
* Volume XIV - Chrome Shelled Regios (September 20, 2009, ISBN 978-4-8291-3439-9)
* Volume XV - Chrome Shelled Regios (April 20, 2010, ISBN 978-4-8291-3510-5)
* Volume XVI - Chrome Shelled Regios (November 20, 2010, ISBN 978-4-8291-3591-4)
* Volume XVII - Chrome Shelled Regios (March 19, 2011, ISBN 978-4-8291-3618-8)
* Volume XVIII - Chrome Shelled Regios (August 20, 2011, ISBN 978-4-8291-3667-6)
* Volume XIX - Chrome Shelled Regios (December 20, 2011, ISBN 978-4-8291-3708-6)
* Legend of Regios Volume I - Riggzario Baptism (July 10, 2007, ISBN 978-4-8291-7647-4)
* Legend of Regios Volume II - Ignasis' Awakening (December 30, 2007, ISBN 978-4-8291-7668-9)
* Legend of Regios Volume III - The Appearance of the Regios (September 30, 2008, ISBN 978-4-8291-7673-3)

[[Category:Fujimi Fantasia Bunko]]

Chrome Shelled Regios:Volume12 Chapter5

2012-06-23T03:54:59Z

Pritesh:

===Chapter 5 - The City that eliminates evil===

Nelphilia's gaze moved away from the sky. Just this action alone pulled Nina in and made her stop breathing. Nelphilia's chin had only made an imperceptible movement, her gaze pulling away, and that was enough to capture Nina's heart.

This girl was dangerous.

This girl was dangerous. Just by looking at her, no, since her figure entered Nina's sight, she found herself unable to look at anything else. This girl's beauty and attraction was indescribable.

"As I thought, the Guardian Beasts aren't enough!" Nelphilia said. She wasn't looking at Nina, nor was she speaking to her.

"They're all destroyed!" she said and finally looked at Nina.

"All destroyed?"

This word sent a chill up Nina's spine. Did anyone die? Or.......

"The Guardian Beasts. You and the people with you, why did you come here?" Nelphilia smiled, looking at Karian and the Head of Alchemy who lay on the floor.

"I knew these two. The one with the terrible face has always wanted to wake me. The other views me as some kind of danger."

"......... Who are you?"

Nelphilia had her back on Nina, but her figure still attracted Nina's eyes. Just who was this girl?

"Are you really the Electronic Fairy that's split from Zuellni?"

"I hope you don't put me on the same scales as those fake imitations," the girl's serious eyes found Nina. ".......... But, thanks to that thing coming, I'm now awake. The gear of time has begun moving. Everything's moving now. That's why I woke. That's the result. That thing begins everything by coming here."

"What were you saying? Please explain it in a way that we understand," Nina said with dissatisfaction. If she didn't say this, that girl's attraction might take over her entire body.

"I'm not an Electronic Fairy but I like Zuellni! Out of all the Electronic Fairies, I only like that child. Is that not enough a reason?"

"Then what are you?"

"What would you do if you found out? This has got nothing to do with you, right? Whether you know who I am, what you can do has nothing to do with my real body. That I can tell you. No matter which path you choose, you won't have anything to do with my real body," she said with determination. Though her tone was nonchalant, her words were obviously refusing Nina.

"This is all you need to do now," she said. Something had appeared in her hand.

"This is...........?"

Her fingers held the thing lightly. A mask. A mask of a beast. Nina had seen this before. This belonged to the Wolf Faces. She readied her iron whips.

"You........ Are you a Wolf Face!?" she pointed her iron whip at her.

"Your train of thought is so simple!" the girl said, not at all frightened at the weapon pointed at her. Disapproval showed in her eyes and she was not afraid as she placed the mask on her own face.

"Have a good feel of it with your body. You should be able to do that, right? Your body is half Electronic Fairy!"

Nina didn't understand her words in a split second, but the memory of what happened when she was ten rushed up inside her. That tiny Electronic Fairy. She had wanted to save it, but in the end, it saved her. She thought she understood something as she recalled her memory, but the next moment, she lost it. The true meaning of the mask before her suddenly rose in her.

"Haikizoku!"

That mask in the girl's hand, the Haikizoku that had shown itself as a golden goat.

"Why?"

"Don't you remember? Who do you think you were talking to when you were defeated?"

She recalled the past event. Yes, it did happen. She remembered blacking out and losing consciousness. Sharnid had then saved her. So something had happened before that?

"That man, the Wolf Face you were talking about. And for the Haikizoku to turn into this, isn't it quite a convenient look? Its face reflects its master's appearance!"

She tossed the mask to Nina. Though both of Nina's hands were occupied with her iron whips, she reflexively caught the mask with her left wrist. As if melting, the mask sank into her chest.

It had returned. That was how Nina felt.

"Dixerio, the man who bets on the mask for his wish to revenge, is easy to understand? That thing is necessary to him, so he lets the Haikizoku keep its appearance in the mask. What about you?"

Nina didn't understand her question. She wasn't surprised that this girl knew of Dixerio. Since she knew the Wolf Faces, it wouldn't be strange for her to know Dixerio.

"You've the power that people are envious of. If you could obtain that power, what would you do with it?"

"Just what are you......"

"I anticipate it," the girl said, the shadows around her deepening into darkness as if to refuse Nina's hand. Gradually, darkness swallowed her pale face and arms.

When the darkness disappeared, it left behind the green light exuding from the tubes. The light was brighter than when the girl was present. It illuminated a bigger area than before.

Nina heard moaning in the room. Karian and the Head of Alchemy had regained consciousness.

<center>◇</center>

Layfon moved first. As if fishing up something, he aimed his attack at Savaris' upper body. It didn't hit. Savaris had deflected the attack. Savaris had released Kei from his body while retreating, using it to deflect Layfon's assault.

When Layfon swung his katana upward, Savaris had rushed him, left fist aiming for Layfon's cheek. Layfon attempted to grab the fist with his own left hand, only managing to grab hold of Savaris' wrist as the Heaven's Blade successor deflected Layfon's attack. Savaris added horrific pressure on his left wrist. Layfon about to lose his grip, added strength to his fingers. The Kei covering Savaris' fist resisted Layfon's hand. Layfon gathered even more Kei to his fingertips.

Layfon had only managed to control Savaris' arm. As such, the Heaven's Blade successor attacked Layfon's knee with his foot. Layfon released his hold. The two jumped apart.

Layfon's fingertips were very hot. The glove he was wearing was torn through, with traces of injuries left on his fingers. Some of his nails had fallen off but his fingers had sunk deep into Savaris' wrist. There should be five lines of injuries on the Heaven's Blade successor's wrist. Additionally, Layfon's katana had slashed open the chest area of Savaris' fighting suit. Savaris had deflected the blade with his Kei, but it wasn't enough to completely stop Layfon's attack.

Savaris laughed. He tore the fighting suit apart to reveal his upper body. Blood welled up from the injuries on his left wrist. He licked his wounds. Layfon's fingernails were still in them. Savaris bit down on the fingernails, pulled them out and spat them out of his mouth. His smile looked even more appalling with blood in it.

"As I thought. In the end, only a fight with a fellow human can satisfy me. It isn't a fight of power alone, but of skill and closer to death!"

"As if I care," Layfon said and readied his katana again. The spirit he had honed through training with the katana had chased away the pain in his left hand.

"The present you is just an existence that I have to surpass. The wall is high, and it's connected to other things too. I'm really envious of you. Perhaps it'd be more interesting if I stood on your side."

"These things aren't important," Layfon said and moved.

Three successive sudden strikes for the head, heart and head. Savaris failed to evade all three attacks and sustained shallow injuries on his shoulder and cheek. Two forces of Kei clashed and detonated, blowing the air into disarray. Savaris flew away in the air, as if bounding off something. He did a back-flip. Feeling something unpleasant on his chin, he quickly pulled back his body. Clamps seized his face. He felt fingers assaulting his face.

He was in the air.

External Burst type Kei – Sendan. (Lightning Cut)

Layfon's strike flew towards Savaris.

Savaris' slow vertical spin became horizontal as he kicked out with his foot.

External Burst type Karen kei – Kaze Retsu Kei. (Fierce Wind)

The mad running current of air was sucked into Savaris' Kei and then deflected. The condensed air pressure took Sendan head on and they canceled each other out. A new force of chaotic air was called forth and pushed back by the two combatants.

External Burst type Kei variation – Uzu Kei (external whirl Kei). Guiding the flow of the air current, Layfon hid numerous bullets of Kei inside it.

External Burst type Karen kei – Kishikubaku. (Compressed air)

Savaris' move compressed air into one point. He detonated it to cancel Layfon's bullets. The remnants of the explosion flew towards Layfon.

Internal and External Kei variation – Ryuusen Kei. (Spinning Dragon)

Layfon spun to deflect the remnants as his spin drew in more air currents, sucking in Savaris as well. For a split second, Savaris had lost control of his body, and Layfon did not let that opportunity go.

External Burst type Kei – Sendan. (Lightning Cut)

The condensed Kei that flew out of the typhoon was enough to split a person in half.

"Haha!"

External Burst type Kei, Luckens' move – Roar Kei.

Savaris' voice made the air vibrate, scattering the roiling dust that came from the battle. The vibration that couldn't possibly have come from a human's voice decomposed the dust into finer particles. The thin dust screen gathered by the exchange of Kei techniques, Layfon's Ryuusen Kei and the Savaris' Kishukubaku, now scattered in all directions.

Explosions surrounded Savaris. Sedan pierced through those explosions to draw a shallow ditch on the outer shell of the city.

Layfon didn't feel he had finished his opponent. Numerous explosions had drastically reduced visibility. And he didn't think the sparks caused by the dust were enough to create such large explosions. There must be a trap. But what was it?

"Tsk."

He stopped the Ryuusen Kei and retreated. The trap must be close to him. Using the rebounding force of the External Kei, he moved back a hundred meters or so from his spot before his foot touched ground. He felt he had the advantage when the two forces of Kei clashed, but that was exactly why he felt Savaris had laid a trap for him.

All the explosions had finished detonating when he landed. The turbulent air had yet to settle. Dense smoke rose to cloud his vision. He couldn't feel any Kei around him. Savaris must have used Sakkei to mask his presence. Where did Savaris plan to ambush him?

It wasn't strange to think Savaris would attack from anywhere, as he was a Heaven's Blade successor. He could even come from the ground beneath Layfon's feet. If Layfon lost his concentration, it would lead to his defeat.

He was ready no matter where Savaris came at him. He considered where Savaris could attack him. Though he knew this would obstruct the flexibility of his movement and expose him, though he could only greet the attack through the instincts honed in training, he could not stop thinking.

The previous explosion bothered him. The dust cloud caused by it did well to hide Savaris' figure. However, Sakkei itself was not enough to totally mask the flow of Kei unless the Kei vein itself was taken out. In that case, the best timing and location to close with Layfon was...........?

Above. Explosion. Take advantage. Jump.

Those terms flashed past his head, and he moved.

As he had thought. Savaris was above him. Their gazes met. The explosion had painted black Savaris' bloody smile, making it more horrific. He had stopped using Sakkei and concentrated the Kei around him to his left fist.

Layfon made an instant judgment that this move was to decide the outcome of the fight. His body naturally reacted and readied his stance to meet the attack.

Psyharden technique – Flame strike. Shoujin. (Flame strike. Flying Blade.)

Layfon jumped as he struck with the katana. Flame writhed on the blade. The strike of the katana brushed past Savaris as two forces of Kei ate into each other. The impact was just one swift moment, and next, both fighters had exchanged positions.

[[Image:CSR vol12 189.jpg|thumb]]

The fight hadn't ended. The impact of the opponent's move swam in Layfon's body. Pain. Red dots that weren't of his flame danced in his sight but he ignored them. He changed his stance. Savaris had also landed to ready his next attack.

But this time...........

Psyharden technique – Honoo Juu. Koufu. (Weight of Flame. Red Cloth)

External Burst Kei variation – Goushiyoudan. (Rising bullet)

External Kei in the form of flames poured out upon Savaris like a red roaring waterfall. Savaris received it with Goushiyoudan. Explosion. Impact. The impact sent Layfon tens of meters from his original position and forced him to land. Savaris had stopped his movement as he shouldered the descending impact of Layfon's move.

Psyharden technique – Water Mirror.

With a speed that was even faster than Uzu Kei (external Whirl Kei), Layfon rushed Savaris. Their gazes overlapped. Though Savaris had yet to ready his stance, he managed to react with his leg. Feeling the kick of a death god nearing his right side, Layfon swung the katana without hesitation. He aimed at Savaris' throat in an attempt to finish this battle with one move.

The flowing of time was extremely quiet. Death was closing in. Death was about to descend on him. Which side was faster? Or they might react simultaneously. Layfon did not defend against Savaris' kick. If Layfon was faster, then the threat against him would vanish. If he was slower, he'd die.

Death. He had wanted to kill Gahard at that time but he did not. That man was connected to the Luckens family. Was he now to kill off a Heaven's Blade born to that family? He could not stop his movement now. If he didn't kill his opponent, only death awaited him.

The katana stabbed at Savaris' throat without deviating an inch. Layfon felt it touch skin and breaking through muscles. But next, a painful impact assaulted his shoulder.

Time returned to the two fighters. Savaris' kick sent him flying. He slid on air as if something was pulling him out and then tossed him onto the ground. The katana flew from his grip to pierce the earth.

"Wu.............."

Pain ran through his entire body. His right shoulder was dislocated. Wounds broke over his body. He felt something wet beneath his tattered fighting suit. He pushed the right shoulder back in place. The stimulation made him moan. He picked up the Dite beside him.

Savaris had fallen. He wasn't moving. Blood welled from his neck wound to pool around him. Dead, or, he was about to die. The light in his opened eyes was lost. He probably was still alive as he was looking at Layfon's direction, his lips trembling but without voice. Probably because his throat's been cut open. Layfon originally planned to completely stab through that throat, but the kick had intercepted his move. If Savaris' knee had contacted with Layfon's shoulder rather than part of his foot, then Layfon's shoulder would have been shattered. The impact might have even damaged his lungs. What a close call. And if Savaris could use his right arm, things wouldn't have turned out this way.

"................"

Layfon left Savaris as he quietly ran internal Kei through his body. He still had many people to defeat.

I'll probably die.

That thought echoed in Savaris' head as he felt something flowing out with the blood. He didn't regret it. He didn't even think of another outcome if he could move his right arm. To have strong mental preparation was his all. It would have been shameful to consider that other possibility after the fight.

Layfon had left him, carrying his own wounds. He probably planned to keep fighting. Ruimei was his next opponent. The one after him was probably Troiatte. And then he would have to fight all the Heaven's Blade successors. Where would he end up? Or, where would he fall? Savaris was envious of him.

He had always wanted to challenge the Queen, and he did do it, but he lost. He had lost under the Queen who had held back in the fight. After that day, he had fought filth monsters in order to once again challenge her. He thought he'd surpass her one day. But it wasn't too bad to fight Layfon in this desperate situation. Yes, he had nothing except himself in a desperate situation. That was why he could use power above his real strength. Layfon was probably in that situation back then. Savaris also wanted to find that extra something in himself. But he probably wouldn't find it as he wasn't interested in anything outside battle. No matter. He was comfortable. As long as he lived, a day of satisfaction would never come. It might not be that bad to die here.

"Are you to die here?"

Though blood flowed out from him and his consciousness was gradually fading, his sense of hearing was still sharp. He heard footsteps. The ball of light from Troiatte made a long shadow on Savaris.

"You boring guy. Are you to die here because you went overboard playing?"

His vision was dimming, but he recalled that voice and realized it was Lintence. He opened his mouth and wanted to greet him with spirit, but all that came out was blood.

"I've a message from the Queen."

He felt sharp pain and heat on his body that was like fire. His body was still weak but the blood flow had stopped. Savaris coughed violently as blood continued to spill from his mouth. When he stopped coughing, the flow through his throat was better. He could now breathe.

"We're already short of one person. We can't let one more die. The Queen is the one to decide when you are to die."

Lintence had used his Steel Threads to sew up Savaris' injuries. The Kei generated heat to burn the wounds and seal them, completely stemming the flow of blood. Perhaps he had also perfectly sewn up the Kei vein.

"Th..... Thanks," he said. His voice was hoarse and weak.

"But speaking of which, what's with this commotion?"

"Hell's about to descend. Aren't you good? Having your name taken out of the comrade list?"

Savaris saw him leaving. Looking at his back that moved towards the centre of the city, Savaris was very envious of Layfon.

Having his life saved, his desire for battle had re-awakened. But even he was unable to do anything more with his body. This was disappointing.

<center>◇</center>

Leerin had done what she could. She had helped with cooking, setting up tables and eating utensils. No matter what task it was that anyone thought was short of people, Leerin was able to make them feel they had too many helpers. She wanted to do something for them. Only that could keep her calm.

Very quickly, she had finished everything and had nothing else to do.

"Could you take a look at Mei for me?" Naruki said as Leerin helped to deliver food to injured Military Artists. Though Naruki was also wounded, she could still move around. However, she could not return to the battlefield immediately. Right now, she was helping out the City Police. Mifi was somewhere here, but she was probably busy with people that she knew.

"Seems she's preparing for an activity to keep everyone's spirit up."

What a good idea. Ignore the possibility that the event might not be interesting, but it would be a good distraction.

Leerin headed for Meishen's room alone. She touched her face unconsciously. Her right eye was still closed, but no one had noticed. No....... One person had noticed.

Nina. Only she had noticed Leerin's eye was closed. Why her? Nina didn't feel anything strange and special about her closed right eye. But no one else had noticed. This meant Nina might also have something in her, something that could be similar to what was inside Leerin. Perhaps the event here was connected to the event in Myath. But what was it? The mysterious Wolf Faces organization had attempted to seize Myath's Electronic Fairy. That was all she understood. All the information she held now was just bits and pieces. Too broken to be put back together. If what the Wolf Faces did was just a process to reach their goal, then what were they aiming for? And what was the fruit of that aim? Was her right eye part of it? Who was she?

Thoughts continued to churn inside Leerin's head, unable to halt. She didn't know how to handle those questions. Something must have happened opposite the shelter. And this wasn't connected to the reality. It felt like something that Leerin had felt before. A feeling of dislike chased after her.

So who was Leerin? She kept asking herself. She had never thought of this before. At the orphanage, some children were taken in by other families, some were adopted, and others were taken to work. Particularly for those people who had a craft skill, they often visited the orphanage as they wanted apprentices who could learn a skill at a young age. But no one had requested for Leerin, and Leerin didn't regret it. All she was bothered was that she didn't have any parents. Derek never said anything about her origin. Different reasons explained the outcome of one becoming an orphan. And among those reasons, some could be said, some couldn't. If Derek had told some orphans of things that weren't important and consequential, others who weren't told of anything would feel despair. As such, he didn't say anything.

Leerin understood why her adopted father said nothing, so she never asked. But she did want to know. No, perhaps even Derek didn't know why she wanted to know. She wasn't sure whether she had been adopted once when she was born. But what existed must have undergone a process. Leerin's eye..... the eye that reflected what a normal eye couldn't perceive, this right eye – there must be a reason existing in Leerin. Nothing had happened in her when she was in Grendan, but an omen was given to her when she met Synola. In that case, "because I left Grendan" couldn't be a reason. Though it might be the reason to awaken that thing, it wasn't enough to explain the existence of her right eye.

Something was slowly putting pressure on her head. That feeling filled her as she walked. She had felt something changing. Something was happening above the ground. Were they connected? What should she do?

You can do nothing. That was what that girl had said. The black clothed girl looked the same as the girl in Leerin's memory, but she was a different person.

....... Though she recalled the girl in her memory, she only remembered her appearance. It wasn't strange for her to mistake this girl as the girl in the memory. She didn't know why, but she felt the girl was of a personality that would arouse pity and sympathy, looking at her appearance.

But why could Leerin not accept this thinking?

She remembered what the girl had said.

You can do nothing.

What was going on? She was challenging Leerin. Leerin felt the other person was simply narrating a truth. The existence in her right eye seemed to be related to this commotion. Then what did she mean that she could do nothing? What did she want to do? How did she plan to carry it out? These things that had already been decided were mysteries to Leerin. Was this what the girl wanted to express? How painful a thing it was. This seemed to be Leerin's will but in reality, it wasn't. Though she chose certain actions, she felt those things had already been decided.

Her inability to understand these things brought her unease. She didn't even know what she could do about it. Leerin came to the patient's room, perturbed. She clapped her face lightly to soften her expression.

Meishen was already up. This was a room housing many patients. Leerin saw her sitting up through the gap in the curtain separating the beds. Meishen looked eased at seeing Leerin.

"Are you all right?"

"Uh, the doctor said I can leave when I feel ready. I'm sorry."

"That can't be helped."

Leerin sat beside her. There weren't many chances for them to be alone. Naruki and Mifi were usually with Meishen. Meishen was like a kid, a kid who tended to suffer when she was alone. Leerin didn't think that was a good thing. She didn't feel refusal and alarm from Meishen for sitting so close. This was proof of how good their relationship was.

"Is it really bad outside?"

"I'm not sure. Have you seen Naruki and Mifi?"

"Mi's visited me already. Is Naruki injured?"

"Yeah, but she seems ok. She's working with the City Police."

Leerin told her of what she knew.

This was a very usual and relaxing hour, but Leerin felt a sense of tension coming from the outside of the ceiling and from something else she couldn't pinpoint. She then realized that the tension came from Meishen.

Meishen was used to looking at people from a low angle. It probably came from her shy personality. She always had her head down. It was difficult to look her in the eye. But it seemed she came to this city to change her personality. Since coming here, she had met Layfon and was now talking to Leerin.

Leerin found that part of her strong. The attempt to change her current self was a fight that was harder than any other fights. Layfon also wanted to change his lifestyle. Though his first intention was to abandon his life as a Military Artist, the intention was different now. Leerin was a bit worried that he was only being pulled around by fate.

Nina was the same. The people Leerin lived with in the dormitory were also the same. She felt they were fighting something against themselves. Perhaps everyone who came to an Academy City was the same. Otherwise, they wouldn't have taken the roaming bus and left their city on a life-threatening journey. But if that was the case, then this world had too many battlefields.

"Lay.... ton............. Layfon. Is he not back?"

For Meishen to say this with this expression, this must be a part of her fight. Perhaps it wasn't something big to others, but it must be an important battle for her.

"Yeah, he's not back."

Speaking of which, Leerin hadn't heard of any news about him even though Nina was back.

"....... Are you not worried?"

She didn't know how to answer. She didn't think Layfon would die and sustain heavy injuries. She had met Nina when she was preparing meals. If something terrible had happened to him, Nina wouldn't have hidden his condition and kept calm. That didn't match her personality. This meant Layfon was fine. That was Leerin's belief. She could only believe as she couldn't do anything else.

"Because I can't do anything, I can only believe in him."

She had journeyed to this city to give Derek's katana to Layfon. An incredible event had happened at that time and she had told him how she thought. He must be fighting a terrible fight right now. She felt he was in the most difficult fight out of all his battles. In Grendan, he could leave the fights to others, but not in Zuellni. That was why she wished for him to take up the katana. She wasn't against him continuing to be a Military Artist. She wanted him to take up the katana so that he wouldn't be crippled when he had to give his all. In the end, Layfon decided to pick up the katana once more. He had accepted her thinking and Derek's forgiveness. In his heart, he had not abandoned his past in Grendan. Though she felt his refusal to take up the katana was his stubbornness about the past, she had managed to persuade him. She was very happy that he understood her. That was why she firmly believed in him, believed that he would safely return just like the times in Grendan.

.......... Strange?

"You're strong," Meishen said with her head lowered.

Leerin ignored the light swaying in her heart and looked at her. From the start, Meishen was bent over her knees on the bed, looking at her own feet.

"I can't be as strong as you. I've........ I've always worried. I don't know what to do."

A dark spot stained her dress. The trace of something wet...... the trace of tear. Tears fell from her face.

[[Image:CSR vol12 205.jpg|thumb]]

Was she so worried that she had to cry? Leerin remembered that she also cried when she reunited with Layfon and saw the wounds on his body. That had never happened in Grendan as there were many Military Artists who were strong like Layfon. She always believed that Layfon would return.

"I'm worried about Naruki too, and everyone else. As long as it's someone I've seen, the Military Artists in the class. What would I do if they're not here tomorrow? Just that thought alone makes me feel so uncomfortable. I'm more worried about Layfon, Compared to worrying about Naruki, I think I'm more worried about him."

"Uh."

Leerin felt her own reply was weak. What meaning had she put in that reply? Agreement? Acceptance? Or did she only reply to allow the other person to keep talking?

"I...... I..... like Layfon. Perhaps, he's the first boy that I like."

"Uh."

Still weak.

After knowing that Meishen had read Layfon's letter, she immediately knew that Meishen liked Layfon. The other two girls that she noticed also were Nina and Felli. She wasn't sure at first as she thought they were with him because they were both Military Artists. After knowing them more, she was certain that Felli liked Layfon. Nina's feeling was delicate. If that was the case, she probably didn't notice her own feeling due to other distractions.

She could tell how proactive Meishen was by her action of reading the letter. Though she suspected Meishen's personality was shy through her action, she was in reality a shy person. Meishen wanted to change. Of course, her action might have come about through her childhood friends giving her a helping push from behind. If Meishen hadn't fallen for Layfon, perhaps she had already changed her personality. Layfon was too clumsy and slow in areas other than Military Arts. To make a girl like Meishen take such action, this man was too foolish. Leerin really wanted to scold him and call him a wooden person. Layfon was able to make another feel angry like that.

"Leerin's strong. I don't know what I should do."

Meishen sobbed with her hands covering her face. Leerin placed her hand on Meishen's back, patting her. The girl's entire body shook.

Leerin didn't know what to say. What should she do? What should she convey to her? What should she do for Meishen who worried about Layfon so much that she cried for him? She couldn't do anything if not for Mifi.

She handed Meishen to Mifi's care. So relieved. At the same time, she wondered whether she was over her head. She was relieved to escape from that scene. She had many things to ponder – about that girl, about her closed right eye that no one noticed, about more important questions. But these were just excuses. What she had noticed in the conversation with Meishen shook her more intensely. She had forgotten the questions about herself and her right eye when she sat beside Meishen.

Leerin left for the corridor.

This was not her home city. She had thought of it during the time in the roaming bus and the time of her earlier days in Zuellni. But now that she had spent three months in Zuellni, that thought had vanished.

She now told herself once more that this wasn't her home city. This wasn't Grendan. And this might not be the place that she should be in.

The person she hoped for, the thing she hoped for. All that had ended when she handed Derek's Dite to Layfon. She had nothing else to do here. Though she could learn many things in the Academy City, she wanted to return to Grendan. She wanted to go back.

She just needed to take glimpses of the orphanage from far away. She wanted to keep making meals for Derek. Unlike the atmosphere here, she wanted to once more feel the atmosphere of the small and narrow classroom. She wanted to see Synola Senpai's foolish acts. These thoughts shocked her brain. Though she didn't cry, she felt her brain heating up.

She walked and continued to walk, but no matter where she came to, she couldn't calm down. This was a shelter during a crisis. This was Zuellni. If it was a shelter in Grendan, at least she had something. Since when she was little, she had entered the shelter once a month like a routine. Having left the orphanage to enter the shelter, she had met other children and had argued with them. She had experienced the time of being provoked to anger and being called to stop arguing.

Since living on her own, she had been visiting a different shelter. The canteen area where she helped to make meals had calmed her down. The people she met there would greet her when they saw her. They'd even tell her where to buy cheap food. The foundation of her life was there. Right now, she wished and longed for it. She wanted something to rely on.

She knew she had become weaker, and she hated it. She had wondered with perplexity of whether she should have come here. In the end, she arrived in Zuellni because she wanted to see Layfon. What did she want to do after seeing him? She wasn't sure of that even before she met him. She didn't think she understood what she herself wanted and she didn't think she'd understand everything even if she took one more step.

She wanted to confirm everything – her feelings, Layfon's feelings, and the future.

These things had ended. She felt that had ended on the first night in the shelter.

Her right eye hurt. She wanted to tell someone about it.

Meishen's feeling was painful for her.

She wanted someone to listen to her so she could get some answer. She wished someone could clearly point out to her what she wished for. She was becoming weak.

When she came to, she was already standing there.

No one was here. The group of eye balls was gone. Had they truly disappeared or had they simply become invisible? She wanted to try opening her right eye, but the pain didn't allow her. Her right eye seemed to be refusing to open itself.

"Seems you can't open it for the time being."

This was a voice so light that it could pierce through air. This girl stood next to her and looked the same as the other girl. As expected, this girl was not the same person.

The beautiful girl wearing clothes the color of the night sky stood next to her. She stood there as if it was matter of fact.

Who, who are you?

That was what she wanted to ask, but she said something instead.

"What's happened to you?"

How come this girl could see through her heart?

"I've been sleeping. Always sleeping," the girl said faintly.

Leerin felt this wasn't the answer she wanted. But. No.

"If it's just sleeping, I can sleep anywhere, but I just want to sleep beside that person."

"Right?"

Leerin felt this was important.

"What's your name?"

"Saya."

Leerin was satisfied with the concise answer. Nelphilia and this girl were like the same person on different side of the mirror. Though Leerin wanted to ask about Nelphilia, she didn't say anything.

"It'll be painful," Saya said.

Saya's words seemed to point to the future after this moment, Leerin's closed right eye and all that were to happen to her. Painful. Leerin wanted to tell someone about it and rely on that someone. Only one person floated in her mind. He looked so unreliable, but he made people want to rely on him. The man that she had always wanted to believe in.

"Even so............"

The pain in her right eye slowly faded. She thought it was due to Saya. Right eye. The true owner of the right eye wished for Saya, and that wish had flowed through to Leerin. That owner should be in the place it wished for.

There was such a place for Leerin too. Her birthplace, the place she wanted to live in........

"If I can return."

She must return. She had done everything she needed here. And to resolve the questions that she had, she must return to Grendan. Only she could tidy her feelings for Layfon when she returned.

<center>◇</center>

What bad concentration in this area.

"Ah?"

Though he hadn't managed to count the number of giants from the very beginning, the fact that the number continued to be incredibly large was annoying. Ruimei shouldered the metal ball, his presence an aura of danger to his opponents.

The giants kept rushing him, but the distance between them wasn't all that close. If he destroyed them all with one move, he'd end up damaging the city. Hence, the temporary strategy was to draw the giants close and destroy them.

The number closing on him was reducing.

"What do you think? Old woman?"

(Here. Here.)

The image projected from Delbone's flake beside him was a map of Zuellni. Numerous dots of light adorned the map.

(The number's reduced drastically in this vicinity. That's brilliant, Ruimei.)

"Of course," he said and put out his chest.

"But this feels rather unreal. The enemy hasn't come. What's going on?"

He could clearly see the density of light in some areas. The area where he was in and the area that Troiatte had headed for did not have that many light dots. On the other hand, the light dots had gathered elsewhere. It appeared Ruimei and Troiatte hadn't attracted their attention. Something else had drawn them in.

"This seems unrelated to the two idiots playing on the outskirt."

(That's Savaris and Layfon.)

"He lost? That stupid brat."

Ruimei had felt the Kei of both of them. The fight had borne a clear outcome. Since both sides were alive, this meant Savaris must have lost.

(Savaris' right arm is injured.)

"This naive thinking isn't like you. An injury means nothing once one stands in the battlefield. What's wrong is for the injured person to head into battle with an injury."

He could feel from the flake that the old woman was smiling. He sucked in a breath and looked at the projected image again.

"Whatever. These guys aren't just making a ruckus. Is it all right for me to stand here and not move?"

(We've made preparation for Troiatte and Barmelin to move. Lintence is probably already over there.)

"What the, making everything so grand? What about me?"

(I thought you don't like doing small things?)

"Tsk!" he made his disapproval loud.

Delbone's laughter echoed in the battlefield.

A figure had come to visit.

"Aaa?"

Ruimei turned around.

<center>◇</center>

An emergency notice from a psychokinesist.

(A large number of filth monsters has gathered near the entrance of A10!)

Nina and the others were in the underground research lab. Karian and the Head of Alchemy had just woken up. Their stiff faces looked even worse at the news.

"Heaven's Blade...... What about Grendan's Military Artists?" Karian asked, supporting his head with his hand. His consciousness seemed confused.

(They're fighting in the middle of the city. Their speed is unbelievable. The filth monsters have suddenly changed their direction and headed this way.)

"What about Vance?"

(Captain Vance has already gathered the Military Artists that can still move and have assigned them. He's also ordered the students in area A to evacuate. The main door hasn't yet received an impact, but that's just a matter of time.)

"Once everyone's evacuated, seal off the entire area A. No need to think of us. Just pretend I'm not here and give all the commanding authority to Vance."

(Roger.)

The psychokinesist was silent.

"Looks like we can't return," Sharnid said.

"I'm worried about Gorneo and Shante. We've to let them know of this," Nina said.

Karian nodded. "If they can retreat to here, at least we can gain some time. I'm counting on you."

The Head of Alchemy was looking at the empty container, numbed. Karian nodded.

Nina and Sharnid rushed out. Nina's mood had changed. This wasn't the time to think about the disappearing girl.

They ran through the abandoned house to the outside. Trees burnt everywhere around them. This was Shante's Karenkei. Even the dried leaves that filled the courtyard were burning. A number of giants were in the middle of the flame where Gorneo and Shante were.

"Sharnid, head for the roof," Nina said and cut open a path through the flame with her iron whips to stand beside Gorneo.

"You all right?"

"Ok," he said but he wasn't in his best condition.

Small wounds covered his body. Blood had seeped through his clothes. Shante wasn't injured, but she looked weakened. Nina could tell her level of concentration had dropped as she was worried about Gorneo.

"No matter how many times we kill them, they keep reviving. What terrible regenerative power."

There were eight giants here. Some carried traces of the flame. Some had a big impression in their stomachs, left behind by Gorneo's fist. Some had missing muscles in their shoulders, probably done by Shante's spear, as if the injuries were formed after an explosion. However, bubbles formed around the wounds to fill them up. The giants didn't look tired at all. But Gorneo and Shante failed to hide their exhaustion. They had fought too long.

"The filth monsters have gathered around the shelter. We can't return."

"I see."

Gorneo was not shaken at the news.

"Grendan's Military Artists are fighting in the middle of the city. The filth monsters had changed their direction afterward."

"I don't think they've fled. They're looking for a new target. Either way, the number here probably won't increase."

The giants closed in on them. Shante jumped as Gorneo kept close to the ground. Nina moved for one of the giants as if that giant had pulled her over. She knew she couldn't enter Gorneo and Shante's fight.

Sudden attacks from both sides caused confusion for the giants. Gorneo seized the chance and hammered his fist into a giant's knee. Something in it broke. The giant lost its balance and fell. Shante then stabbed her spear into the giant's enormous mouth, filling its inside with flame Kei. Fire seeped out from between the giant's teeth.

During this time, Nina had come near a giant. The giant raised a weapon that looked like a sword but it had not the sword's sharpness. But if Nina got hit by that weapon, swung by the huge body of the giant, she would easily break into pieces.

The giant saw Nina closing in on a crouch.

The giant suddenly shook. Sharnid's bullet had opened a hole in the giant's head. Nina took the chance to rush close to the giant's chest and had also chosen to destroy the giant's knee. While the giant fell, she swung upward with her second iron whip, using all of her strength to send her opponent flying.

Eliminate it........ But other giants had started to move. She could only release External Kei as she returned to the original position. She had Sharnid's support. At first, he sniped from the roof, but after that, he had moved to other locations. He probably didn't want his location exposed and ended up drawing an enemy to him. He must have made that decision looking at how the giants had moved in an organized manner.

These weren't normal filth monsters. They not only looked different but Nina realized something after having fought them for some time. At first, they attacked in pairs, making it easy for her. But they might just be confirming the number of enemy reinforcement.

"This is difficult."

"Yes, though they aren't like us, they fight with precision."

Eight giants surrounded them. It didn't seem any more giants would join in the fight. If Nina's side couldn't break through this circle, they'd be destroyed.

Bubbles filled the wounded knee and the burnt mouth of the giant that Gorneo and Shante had defeated. It stood back up. Nina's giant did the same.

"This takes forever if we don't annihilate them."

"But if we do that, other giants will attack together. That happened already," Gorneo said. He was probably injured during that time.

"A long fight is disadvantageous for us."

"Military Artists only hold the advantage of speed. We can only do it that way then."

Gorneo quickly understood her. They were now four instead of two. Three of them were to attack while Sharnid's bullet served to stall the giants. They didn't have Felli's flake with them. The flake they had was used as communication between Karian and Vance. Since they had no flake, could Sharnid understand their plan? Though Gorneo felt uneasy, he could only trust him.

"Ha!"

Shante moved. She roared and jumped high. Gorneo also ran out and headed for the giant that was regenerating. Since this giant moved the slowest, they would use it to test the strategy.

Same as before, the giant ignored Shante and concentrated on Gorneo, sweeping in with its weapon. It must have hated the attack on its legs more than the attack from above. Gorneo jumped. The weapon struck the ground. Dust and soil scattered. Gorneo met Shante in the air. He reached out with his strong arms, his palms opened. Shante stood on his hands. The two wordlessly completed their form.

Gorneo tossed her. Shante held the spear before her and flame Kei shot out from it.

"Shoudansen!"

The tip of the spear pierced through the giant's back. The flame burnt and melt the muscles surrounding the spear. The spear appeared from the giant's chest. Shante let go of the weapon and jumped back. As if following close to her, Gorneo landed.

External Burst Kei variation - Gouriki | tooru ha << Teppa >>. Totsu. [Submerging power. Dash.]

His kick connected with the spear, causing it to fly out of the giant's chest. At the same time, the Kei was driven through the spear into the giant's body to destroy it from its inside. Cracks ran through the opponent's entire body.

"Nina!" he shouted as he jumped away.

Nina was ready. She had included the dust created by the giant's strike in her calculation. Moreover, Sharnid had seized the best timing to shoot randomly to attract the attention of other giants. If that hadn't happened, both Shante and Gorneo couldn't have attacked with full power as they had to be alert on the movements of other giants.

Their combination was completed before the dust fell. Besides, the rising current of air caused by the flame prevented the dust from falling too quickly. Nina's figure vanished for one swift moment in the dust screen. If one couldn't read Kei, one could not discover her location.

Release. Internal and External Kei variation - Raijin.

She ran.

The chest of the fallen giant had started regenerating. What horrible life force. Could she completely destroy it? The doubt instantly vanished. Nina ran like lightning.

Her iron whip struck the enemy's head. The head tore off the body and flew away like cannon. The remaining body also flew out, deflected by the Kei weaving around Nina's body. The body hit somewhere hundreds of meters away. Its impact was loud. Nina shook away the remnants of Kei on herself and kicked the spear back to Shante. Though her kicking the spear was rude, it was better not to let go of her weapon in a battle. Without a complaint, Shante spun in the air to receive the spear.

Nina didn't have the confidence that her last strike had completely destroyed the giant. She also had not the time to confirm. The giants that Sharnid had distracted had gathered to attack them, as if realizing that attacking them together was the best. Seven giants came at them, giving off the feeling of a wall moving.

This wall was just too huge. They had the advantage if they were to surround one person while swinging their weapons. Moreover, both their bodies and weapons were massive, whereas Nina's side was quite small. She ran and evaded two giants. At the same time, the giants had avoided Gorneo and Shante's combined attack.

Right now, she could only choose to run away. She ran as she checked whether the giant she fell had stood back up. Gorneo was also running. Shante, since her body was lighter, was jumping from one giant's head to another, attacking their heads while she leapt.

Nina must observe. These giants were huge and powerful, but their speed paled into insignificance compared to Military Artists. Their basic characteristics were not that different from filth monsters.

As expected, it was more worrying to see Shante jump and move overhead. She was attracting the giants' attention more. Gorneo had realized this too. He judged the timing and attacked the giants to divert their attention.

They couldn't use this strategy. But how could she convey that thought to Gorneo? She hadn't got any extra time for that. It was already difficult to carry out the combined attack without a psychokinesist. How reliable a psychokinesist was.

What could they do? They couldn't use the combination strategy anymore. And even if possible; they needed to first reduce the number of enemies by half. Half....... Was there a way to defeat three giants? If this kept going, Nina's side would lose.

"Any ways......." She thought as she evaded the giants.

There were two giants on her side, three on Gorneo's and three on Shante's. Sharnid's bullets flew in between the three people to keep the formation from getting any worse. The bullets did little harm to the giants, but sometimes they hit and the impact was considerable. Perhaps he had noticed the giants' weakness. If they had a flake, they could communicate with him....... A thought flashed past her mind. But.... Who knew whether it'd work until one tried it out?

"I can only try and find out."

Whether it was Gorneo and Shante, after having run away from the giants for a while, both would want to team up with Nina and attack.

Nina finally came to the location she wanted. The giant before her moved slower than others. Shante was behind this giant with three other giants around her. If possible, Nina wanted Gorneo to take this job instead, but there wasn't enough time.

The only way was to bet on it.

She retreated from the giant but suddenly shortened the distance between them. The giant's footsteps erred because of her unpredictable movement. As its body was much larger than her, even a light kick of the foot was enough to send her flying. Nina struck its leg with the left iron whip, making it fall backward with its face skyward. She then raised the right iron whip, ignoring another giant that was heading this way opposite her. She continued to gather Kei in the weapon.

Sharnid's bullet, though weak in appearance, hit the giant. As if it had its central nervous system hit, the giant stopped its steps and its entire body twisted. It placed its weaponless hand on its chest where a thing that looked like an eyeball was buried in its muscles.

Nina studied the ball.

"Ha!" and she struck it with the right iron whip with her full strength.

The giant wailed as the ball shattered. Bubbles immediately gushed out to envelop the ball, but the giant did not stand up again. Perhaps this thing was where all the sensory organs were? She thought so. Its regenerative power was too incredible. Besides, the giant's form was similar to a human's, mistaking them to think the head was its weak point.

Sharnid's sniping helped him search for the giant's weakest point, and he had quickly taken notice of the ball. Close and long distance combat had shown their difference.

Sharnid's fire had stopped the giant and Nina had dealt it a heavy blow, destroying the ball-like thing. However, that wasn't enough to kill it and stop its entire movements.

Was this it? As she thought of the worst case scenario, Shante descended from the sky. The spear stabbed into the giant's chest.

"Ahhhhhhh!" she roared as flame Kei exploded. The giant's limbs vibrated and finally stopped.

"That ball! The chest!" Nina shouted at Shante and Gorneo. But it wasn't that easy to obliterate the giant.

"Jump!" Nina shouted.

As Shante was trying to pull the spear out of the giant's chest, she had lost some time to escape. The giant behind was closing on her. Nina leapt to stand behind Shante. The giant's weapon was high above its head. Kongoukei. She hoped that was enough.

Shante turned around but Nina had no time to look at her. She crossed the iron whips and got ready to receive the swing. Unbelievable pressure pressed down on her wrists. She could bear this. Ten seconds. This digit surfaced in the calm that was her head. She knew she didn't have enough strength to bear this pressure for a long time. Pain flared in her chest, in the location where the mask tossed by Nelphilia had melted into. Are you here? Nina asked.

No reply.

"Gu.........!"

The bones made noises in her back. The pain from her wrists shot up to her head. She was running short on time. Shante finally retrieved the spear. Gorneo had also taken action, burying his fist in the giant's chest. The giant moaned and stepped back. Nina jumped away. Shante shouted in anger and stabbed her spear at the chest where Gorneo's fist had left a trace of injury.

"Retreat!" Gorneo shouted at her. True, one's body wouldn't hold if she didn't allow her internal Kei to recover.

Doh.........

The sound of the mask stirring came from Nina's chest.

"Where can I retreat to!" Nina shouted too and was surprised at the words.

"There's no place else to run! No other way but to cut open a path myself!"

These words gushed out from the depth of her heart. Her mood changed. Anxiety, sadness, hatred......... All negative feelings turned into fury. That was why she shouted out the words. But whose feeling was it? She didn't think it was her own. It was the Haikizoku's.

"This is the crisis. We've nowhere else to run to. We can only fight. In order to protect, we must fight."

The feeling in her heart turned into these words, and this wasn't her voice. She knew this was the voice of something inside her because she wasn't used to the feeling in the words. Haikizoku.

An image floated in her mind, an image that wasn't Zuellni but was a similar battlefield. People were chased, and the city ultimately became desolate. The Military Artists didn't wear Zuellni's fighting suits. There were adults, children, old people. A group of people that weren't united and organized. The Haikizoku had been protecting the people of this city. This was the Haikizoku's memory.

Fury filled those words, but who spoke them?

"There's no other way but to fight. No other place to retreat to. We've to keep fighting and hold out the last hope for everyone. That is what only Military Artists can do!"

The Military Artists in the city that was fated to be destroyed called to each other. And the Haikizoku saw everything. It couldn't forgive itself. It could do nothing but watch. This city was its real body. These people were its most beloved. At that hour, it could do nothing but curse itself.

And that gave birth to the Haikizoku.

"Dixerio, the man who bets on the mask for his wish to revenge, is easy to understand? That thing is necessary to him, so he lets the Haikizoku keep its appearance in the mask. What about you?"

Nelphilia's words surfaced in her head.

The Haikizoku was born in the heart of revenge. Did Dixerio begin his fight due to revenge too? Was that why he fought the Wolf Faces?

Right now, the Haikizoku wanted revenge.

What about Nina? What was inside her? She knew it wasn't possible by purely following the Haikizoku's desire for revenge, as that would take away the thing that was most important to her. To follow another's heart for revenge was the same as wiping away her personality.

She felt as if she was hit by lightning when she realized this fact.

Wasn't Layfon the same?

Karian had said before when she returned from Myath and reunited with Layfon. Layfon had followed her reason to fight. He didn't fight out of his own volition. Though she didn't know whether he was the same now, he was like that when he first arrived at Zuellni. He fought, following Nina's reason. Her evaluation of such action was that "Layfon, you're already dead". But now that she was experiencing the same situation, she finally understood him.

The same as Layfon.........

Her heart shook lightly. If this could save the city........... She swallowed the weakness in her heart. No. This wasn't enough. Her instinct reproached her. She was standing on the boundary. Once she crossed over it, she'd never return.

She recalled the event when she wore the mask of the Haikizoku. Her heart had been taken over. She was told that she was bound by promises. The promise between her and the Electronic Fairy, the promise to protect it. The promise to protect Zuellni and the nameless tiny Electronic Fairy. Her first defeat in failing to fulfill the promise in Sheniebel had made her lose her life. She had always lived by promises till now. When she met Zuellni, she promised to protect her. When she met Layfon, she realized how weak she was and she promised to protect Leerin so he could fight with everything. She had to protect. This was her principle as a Military Artist.

"I...... I am me," she said as if her throat was being torn apart. "I fight for the things I'm to protect. That is the real me!"

Gorneo and Shante reacted to the giants. They were keeping the giants from her, but they were close to their limit. The giant closed in one after another. Sharnid attempted to stop their movement but none of his shots were fatal.

"I'm me. That's why I fight!"

The giant swung its weapon. However, that movement was slow in Nina's eye. She blocked the attack with the left iron whip, yet no pain and no weight pressed down on her wrist. No need to use her right hand. She bore the attack and counterattacked. The giant's body flew out. Its upper body was completely destroyed. Nina's surrounding sank into silence. Something was happening.

"....... No, this is."

She realized a green Kei had enveloped her.

"This is the Haikizoku?"

Suddenly, she felt Nelphilia laughing somewhere. But she hadn't the time to think about that now.

Another giant appeared before her. She remembered there were numerous giants at the shelter where the students were, where Leerin was.

"Please lend me your strength!" she said. The stirring of the vein answered her. The Haikizoku's reply.

Nina jumped into the group of giants and swung with her iron whips, sending each giant flying. She felled them one by one and was shocked by that strength. She annihilated them in one swift moment. Speechless air and gazes gathered on her. The green Kei still enveloped her. This meant the battle wasn't over yet.

She must protect Leerin.

Nina jumped. Her destination was the group of giants – where Leerin was. She must fulfill her promise.

"........ What's that?" Gorneo said in the sudden silence.

A huge Kei had surrounded Nina and she destroyed the enemies in an instant. He could speculate one thing from this event.

[[Image:CSR vol12 237.jpg|thumb]]

"Is that the Haikizoku?"

When his grandfather still lived, while he was in Grendan, he had once told Gorneo about it. A Haikizoku was born from an Electronic Fairy whose city was destroyed by filth monsters. Its heart harbored intense hatred and a wish for revenge. It turned all the power used to operate a city into the heart of revenge, and that was the existence of an insane Electronic Fairy.

"Does that power really exist?"

He couldn't imagine it. One couldn't obtain that power even if one was to train till one vomited blood. It wasn't that easy to just talk about an Electronic Fairy that had undergone the destruction of a city and turned into madness. He had to take into account of its feeling of having lost thousands of people. Gorneo at least possessed that level of imagination.

However, the incredulous feeling remained in him. How big was the difference between Nina with the Haikizoku and Gorneo without the Haikizoku? All he could do was stand here and watch. He really wanted to say something.

"....... Anyway, we ought to confirm whether the Student President and the Head of Alchemy are safe. Sharnid, you here?" he said to Shante and began searching for Sharnid.

Though the Captain was gone. Though he didn't know whether she continued to fight, it was better to keep Sharnid with them.

No reply. Sharnid was also one of the best users in Sakkei in Zuellni. It wouldn't be easy for Gorneo to find him.

"He's left?"

Must have followed Nina. Sharnid was unexpectedly loyal.

"........ Shante?"

He felt something strange from her. She wasn't angry, and that was in itself an unimaginable expression on her. She looked like the spear was about to fall from her hands. She was looking at a certain place.

Gorneo tried to confirm the thing she was staring at, but he saw nothing suspicious in the area inside his vision. The rising smoke wasn't enough to attract one's eyeball. Smoke was everywhere.

"What is it?"

Shante didn't reply. A bad premonition rose in him. Had she overworked her Kei vein? This was the most reasonable explanation. She might just faint. He reached for her.

Shante jumped away faster than him. Her unexpected action prevented him from reacting quickly enough. She leapt through the forest and headed for somewhere further away.

"Shante!"

Still no reply. This wasn't the usual Shante. Gorneo didn't know what to do, and he hesitated. Karian and the Head of Alchemy were still inside the abandoned house. Zuellni couldn't lose its Heads, but Shante...

"Damn!" he shouted and followed her.

The huge shadow of Grendan was right in their path, but Gorneo pretended he didn't see it.

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Chrome Shelled Regios:Volume3 Chapter1

2012-06-23T03:37:42Z

Pritesh:

===Chapter 1: Proposal===

"Fu......"

Leerin sat on a stool, holding a juice packet she had bought from the vending machine. The lounge of this high-class, two-story school was comfortable and soothing. Many students came up to the second floor during the day. Only one floor was needed to accommodate those who decided to stay after school. Since this wasn't the only lounge available, the student athletes who came over to buy drinks from the vending machine tended to move to a place closer to the gymnasium.

This place was quiet and close to the library. The senpais of the Language Club gathered regularly on the first floor, but by the time their voices drifted over to Leerin, they had become mere background noise.

"Fu......" Leerin sighed again, gazing off in the distance under the dim light, the edge of the paper cup on her lips. Warm, sweet chocolate dispersed in her mouth. The warmth slid down her throat into her chest.

"Ah......Geez, what's with me......" She watched the floorboards, her hands cupping the cup for warmth.

"......Should I go back like this?"

She didn't feel like bringing the books over from the library. Her space in the library was already filled with numerous books and report papers. If she went back to the library, she wouldn't be able to leave them alone. That was Leerin.

"The importance of news updates between cities and their consequences on the economy."

The professor had suddenly given Leerin this assignment, to be handed in a week later. Although there was still time to do it, the question was close to impossible for Leerin, who had only recently entered this school. All of the reference books were professional. If she wanted to understand them, she would have to have a large repertoire of professional vocabulary. She had been pulling books off to read just to understand the reference books, and in turn, had been pulling more books to understand the books that explained those reference books.

"......Guh, my basic knowledge isn't good enough. Besides, these numbers mean nothing if I can't understand them. Really......what should I do?"

And so she had spent two hours after class piling up books. This wasn't a problem with tepid enthusiasm. To escape the problem dogging her, she reached inside her breast pocket.

She touched something hard and took out a small box for letters. She cautiously took out a letter and spread it out.

"His handwriting's still ugly......"

Leerin's face relaxed automatically. She started to read the letter that she had already read numerous times.

''How have you been lately? I'm still the same.

''Ah, not entirely the same as usual. What you were worrying about has happened over here. A filth monster came close to Zuellni again. Zuellni wasn't aware of it, as the filth monster was in its molting phase. Fortunately, the city's drones discovered it and we managed to avoid the worst-case scenario. But......just like what you were afraid of, I chose to fight alone.

''The fight was intense, just like the battles I had tired of in Grendan. As a Heaven's Blade Receiver, I had no time for anything besides fighting filth monsters outside the city. I was being extremely careful to avoid getting wounded, because if I did, I might have fallen to pollutants.

''I knew about that danger, but I've never chosen to fight with anyone before.

''No, even from the beginning I never considered it.

''I forgot I no longer had the Heaven's Blade, and I did something foolish. In truth, it was dangerous. No, extremely dangerous.

''I even knew my weapon wasn't reliable. Although I know what a Heaven's Blade is, when I was holding my weapon, I fought like before......Am I too arrogant? I couldn't help but be immersed in it, so your words cut straight to my core.

''But, about that fight, it won't happen again.

''I'll try not to fight alone again.

''I no longer believe I cannot give up Military Arts. It's tiring, but I'll try to overcome it.

''I haven't given up on finding a path besides Military Arts, except, right now, I can't lose Zuellni. This place is a new place, a fresh start for me, so I can't lose it. Perhaps this feeling can relieve some of my tiredness.

''Leerin, it's because of you that I can accept Military Arts like this. I think I haven't entirely given up Military Arts because you're part of my past in Grendan. Perhaps this is a very fortunate thing.

''You said that, in truth, I like Military Arts. I haven't yet had that feeling, but since you said so, it might be true. At least, the me now came from the me who spent ten years immersed in Military Arts, so that must be an important part of me. It's a blessing that I haven't lost it, and the Leerin who prevented me from losing it is also someone irreplaceable and important to me.

''I also feel that it'll be very hard to communicate for six years through letters.

''Why can't we break through this wall of distance?

''I believe we can.

''Hope everything works out for you!

''Layfon Alseif.''

She finished reading......Although she had read it many times, she still read it closely. Reading it and losing herself in thought. Reading it in joy...And anger.

She was happy that he said she was important to him, but he was so slow that he didn't understand her real feelings. She was lost in thought because of his slowness and clumsiness, and then she became angry. Just how many more pieces of paper did she have to sacrifice until he would understand......

"Aah, really......"

She knew that by reading the letter, she'd forget about the report she needed to write...But it still made her feel tired.

''(I'll just sleep here on the stool.)''

"Haha......"

"?"

Someone was laughing.

"Hm?" Leerin turned around and saw a young man sitting on a chair against the wall behind her.

"Ah, excuse me."

Seeing how he had watched her while she was reading the letter, Leerin's face grew hot. She studied the young man.

A long mane of silver hair hung neatly down his back. His sleeves were short despite the cold weather. A harmless laugh, and his laugh wasn't tasteless.

But if he was laughing at her, then she wouldn't feel well disposed towards him.

"......Excuse me, who are you? You don't look like a student here."

His arms were muscular. Not like a student at all. A Military Artist. It wasn't strange to see Military Artists walking around. Some of the students were Military Artists, but this young man didn't look like a student here.

"Yes, you're right. I'm not a student here."

"Do you need something? There's the office......"

"No, I'm not here for the school."

"Huh?"

"I'm looking for you, Leerin Marfes."

"Huh?"

"Ah, let me make this clear. I'm not chatting you up."

"......Why are you pointing that out?"

"Well, for some reason, the girls always try to chat me up, so I'm just making sure. Just in case."

"You're too self-conscious."

True. Perhaps it was a girl's dream to be chatted up by this guy in this way. But not in this situation......To be mocked after she had read Layfon's letter. She would have seriously refused this man.

But he had made it clear, and that made his face more displeasing to her. Especially the point that he didn't mean it at all.

"I really didn't mean it. I really didn't mean it!"

"I don't want to listen to this."

For some reason, she felt nothing evil and malicious from him. On the contrary, he felt like a kid.

"Well, what do you want me for? I'm busy."

The report became her excuse. In principle, Military Artists were noble in character, but there were some who were criminals. Even if this young man wasn't a Military Artist, Leerin didn't feel like talking to a stranger who suddenly started talking to her.

"Oh, is it Professor Randeon keeping you busy? If so, you don't have to do it."

"Huh?"

"The Professor said anything's fine if you'll stay in this school. 'Leerin Marfes is a bright student. She can solve simple problems very quickly. Let's give her a harder assignment to do.' That was what the Professor said. If you're busy because of that, then it's okay not to attempt it."

"......What do you mean?"

Unable to express her astonishment, Leerin felt tired. She didn't know why the Professor wanted her to stay, but knowing the reason behind the difficult report......Somehow, it didn't feel like it reflected well on her.

"Even so, you should have talked to the office and let them contact me......" she said weakly.

"If possible, I wanted to meet you in secret......It's about Layfon."

"......Huh?"

Time seemed to stop.

"Yes. How should I put it? Actually, it's not that bad, but when it comes to Layfon, some people may get sensitive. So I wanted to keep this meeting between us."

"You......you are?"

"It may not be a happy topic for you, but, uh, well......Fate? It probably is that. It'd be great if you can think that way."

"......Ha."

She understood the situation even if he didn't repeat himself. She had no idea what motive he had to get close to her, but now she knew who he was.

The Professor probably listened to this man's request.

If it was this man's request......Then only the Queen could have that much power.

Under this light of understanding, the name of the young man surfaced.

"Then what do you want me......"

That was all she managed to say.

"Ah!"

And was suddenly pulled away. Her vision blurred. She couldn't make sense of what was happening. The scene of the dim lounge became a series of lines.

Leerin was pulled over in a very exaggerated way.

"Aah!"

She could only make out the young man's shadow in her blurred vision. She was flying through the air. Being pulled out of the lounge and moving upwards. She was being pulled forcefully, but she wasn't hurt at all. It felt as if some unknown power had lifted her into the air.

"Hah."

Finally she was let down on the ground.

A guest had already arrived on the rooftop. A man with wild hair, a stubble of hair trying to be a beard, and wearing a dirty-looking coat. He was surveying the world around him from his high vantage point, his gaze sharp and clear.

"What did you do that for?" Leerin said crossly.

The young man walked leisurely along the roof, looking at the man in the coat reprovingly. But the man in the coat ignored him and continued to study the scenery.

"You took too long. It was irritating me. Just how long did I have to wait? Until I married this girl?"

"If you want it, it can be as long as you want. Since it's you, you can complete Her Majesty's orders anywhere and anytime."

"Stop joking. From the day I was born, I had never heard Her Majesty give me an order."

"That's what you think, right, Lintence-san?"

"Isn't it the Queen's order to kill billions of filth monsters?"

"Aren't the Queen's orders for us to protect this city?"

"It never ends when it comes to talking with you."

"That's true." The man in the coat looked disappointed. The young man shrugged.

"......Well."

Leerin studied them closely, unable to determine whether the two people before her had a strained relationship or not.

''(Just how did it turn out like this?)''

"So, you're Lintence-sama and Savaris-sama? What do you want with me?" she asked the two Heaven's Blade Receivers – the pride of Grendan.

<center>◇</center>

Fervent cheering dominated the battle arena.

Layfon felt those eyes looked similar to someone else's, someone he knew.

"There's another one behind you."

"I know."

Although Felli was slower than him, he wasn't frustrated about it......If it was Felli, she could have found the enemy even earlier, but that couldn't be helped. She hated her own ability.

The cheering from the audience drowned out Felli's voice.

Layfon could see a strong-looking man wearing the badge of the 5th platoon captain on his battle uniform. Meanwhile, the emcee's voice commented.

"Oh, oh! The audience is cheering Layfon on. He has already participated in a few matches; he's one of Zuellni's strongest attackers. In a match against the captain of the 5th platoon, Gorneo, how will he match up!?"

The opponent wore armor around his arms and legs. Judging by the color, the armor was made with red Dite alloy.

''(For melee combat......No, not just that.)''

With that thought, Layfon changed his green Dite into a sword.

"And now what, Gorneo? He can't protect the flag if he doesn't stop Layfon."

Layfon had charged straight in from the beginning of the match, ignoring the psychokinesist of the 5th platoon. His target was the flag in the other team's base. Sitting on the defensive side, the 5th platoon would have lost the match if they failed to protect their flag. On the contrary, if the captain, Nina, of the offensive team fell, the 17th platoon would lose.

"(Melee combat......Maybe......)''

What Layfon was concerned about was the red Dite. He stopped and studied the strong-looking man, Gorneo. Gorneo had short silvery hair. His face and body were hard and solid. There was nothing cute at all about his serious and harsh looking face, eyes and nose. Eyes that might look like the eyes of a good man if he smiled, that sharp gaze was staring at Layfon. A huge fist pounded towards him.

Kei was gathered in that fist, surrounding it with red light. The armor on his arm had become something totally different.

"Karen Kei......?"

Layfon jumped back.

The huge fist hit the ground. The dancing rubble from that strike didn't just disperse into the air. Mixed with Kei, sand and soil particles attacked Layfon. At the same time as he leaped back, Layfon released the Kei from his blade through Whirl Kei. Blasts of wind struck down Gorneo's pieces of earth, causing them to explode.
[[Image:CSR vol03 025.jpg|thumb]]

Within the sand-covered space, Layfon felt a stirring in his opponent's direction.

"Restoration!"

The key word revealed a red spear and a small body that closed in fast on Layfon's position.

"(This is a red Dite too.)''

He had already known about this other enemy from the beginning, waiting for her to attack. The problem was ...

"(What kind of attack?)''

Layfon was still in the air. It was impossible for him to change his posture, so he decided to settle this in one swift moment when he landed. Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald......The difference between them lay in the amount of black alloy in them. Black alloy made the Dite harder and sturdier, but it also decreased the conductive rate of Kei. Black alloy directly affected the function of the weapon.

Dispersed Kei......This required the highest level of skill in Kei manipulation. To a Military Artist of this type, no Dite could be better than a Ruby Dite.

Having analyzed what he was facing, Layfon couldn't face this move in an easy manner. He didn't have the leisure to wait for the enemy to strike first. Dispersed Kei was famous for its variety of offensive moves. Against this type of opponent, Layfon's correct response was to strike first and attempt to slow down the enemy's movements.

And in this one swift moment, he had decided on how to slow down his enemy.

Gorneo ''had'' to do something on the other side of the smoke screen.

It should be advantageous for Layfon to slide back further when he landed, aided by the remnants of the Kei he used for the Whirl Kei. This way, his opponent would miscalculate.

Layfon added a rotation to his basic sword move and swung the blade backwards against the existing flows of Kei to add momentum to his movement.

"Enkei Shoudansen!"

A loud, strong voice announced the name of the attack. Kei burst out from the spearhead in the form of bullets of fire. Heat pressed down on Layfon's head, and he gathered Internal Kei into his wrists as he brought the sword back to him. A huge amount of Kei spread around him. Layfon spun in the air like a top.

Combined Internal and External Kei Variant, Ryuusenkei (spinning dragon).

All around Layfon, Kei spun up into the clouds like a tornado.

"Aaah!"

That tornado dispersed the heat and the voice of his opponent. The enemy with the spear was blown away, but that small body turned in the air and landed on Gorneo's shoulders.

"Damn. I thought I'd be able to get him."

It was a small girl with red hair, carrying a red Dite on her back. She had an intimidating look about her.

"Looks like using a variety of Kei techniques won't work against that guy."

"I said so already! Speaking of which, how could you attack in that situation? You're too reckless."

"Anyway......About that guy......"

They looked for Layfon as the tornado gradually lost strength.

And they were astounded.

"What!"

"No way......"

They found a number of Layfon before them.

"An afterimage attack? And so many!?"

Behind them, on the tree branches, in the sky, in front, to their sides......The two members of the 5th platoon were entirely surrounded by Layfon's many images.

"A thousand......" Gorneo watched the Layfons around him, biting his lips and feeling a bit dizzy. This was a variation of Combined Internal and External Kei – The Thousand Killers.

In reality, there weren't a thousand, probably just about twenty or so.

With nowhere to escape to, Gorneo and his subordinate received Layfons' attacks, but the attacks all missed by a few inches. Even though the Dite had a safety lock on it, it would have been fatal to receive that many attacks at once. After receiving the merciful attacks, the two Military Artists fell on the ground.

At about the same time, the siren signaling the destruction of the flag rang out, but the cheers of the audience almost drowned it out. Layfon swung his blade to disperse the remnants of his Kei, and saw the girl with Gorneo......He remembered her name from the news: A member of the 5th platoon, Shante Leite.

"Uhhhhhh!" Shante groaned as she collected herself.

"Bastard," Gorneo got up slowly, watching Layfon.

His eyes looked like they were staring up from the bottom of a deep valley......Where had he seen it before?

''(If I remember correctly, his name is......Gorneo......Luckens......)''

Luckens......A name that rattled Layfon.

<center>◇</center>

"My performance was perfect today too," Sharnid praised himself as he spun the two Dites in his hands.

"Yeah, I didn't expect it to go that smoothly. Nina's strategy was successful."

"Hey, hey. Don't forget that it was all on me, Harley."

"Of course," Harley shrugged and took Sharnid's Dites for maintenance.

"In truth, the captain's strategies have been pretty successful in the last two matches."

Sitting in a chair, Layfon listened to their conversation and looked at Nina.

"That was because of everyone's hard work," Nina smiled sourly. She didn't look satisfied.

First, Layfon acted as bait, followed by Nina. Sharnid sneaked through the enemy line, avoiding the psychokinesist as he did so. When Layfon fought enemies, Nina drew out the rest of the enemy teammates to make an opening for Sharnid, who successfully moved into his firing position overlooking the flag.

Sharnid was using close-quarters gun combat, and the technique fitted beautifully with Nina's strategies.

While trying to reinforce the main attackers, Gorneo and Shante, the rest of the 5th platoon members had been a bit slow in their reaction. Sharnid had always fought long distance. Changing from that to a close range attack had given them unexpected results.

"Sharnid's hidden ability has given us good results so far......But that strategy must have been analyzed thoroughly in the last two matches. We still haven't fought the 1st platoon, Commander Vance's platoon. So I don't think we should let down our guard."

"Hey, hey, I've been waiting a long time for this feeling. Don't smother it with worry."

"But......"

"Let's just celebrate our victory today. If you got anything to consider, you can leave it till tomorrow."

Layfon could tell Nina wanted to say something, but she swallowed it because of Sharnid's words.

"Okay, let's do that then."

"Yeah, let's leave the terrible topic for now. Let's celebrate. The usual at Mule? I'll book a table. Let's meet up again at 6. Now, dismissed."

"Hey, don't just decide on your own," Nina said. Sharnid was already heading for the showers.

"Oh alright. Dismissed."

Looking at the Nina like that, Layfon smiled. Someone's gaze pricked his face, so he turned around.

Standing to the side was Felli, pouting.

<center>◇</center>

The world was polluted.

When did that happen? Why? How did it happen?

Those questions were lost in antiquity. No records remained.

Pollution stopped the normal cycles of life and killed all the creatures. The earth turned red and arid. Wind and sand swallowed the bones of corpses. The plants that adapted and survived were filled with poison. A strange new ecosystem arose in this new world, giving birth to greedy and stubborn filth monsters. This was no longer a place for humans.

Regios.

Humanity's new earth. The only place where humans, rejected by nature, could live. A world drifting in this world, created by a long lost technique.

In these artificial worlds, people were born, and people died......

At the same time, they fought......

<center>◇</center>

"Number 3! Mifi! I'm gonna sing!"
[[Image:CSR vol03 037.jpg|thumb]]

Mifi grabbed a microphone and all of a sudden the shop was filled with loud cheers.

Zuellni had a number of streets lined with shops. The most prosperous street was the one with numerous stations for roaming buses, parking lots and facilities for people planning to go to other cities – Sarnaky.

Layfon and everyone else were inside a shop on Sarnaky Street called Mule. Inside Mule was a bar and a lot of empty space, with only a few tables and chairs. Usually, the bar was full of wines and beers, but today, the shelves were filled with empty bottles. On the counter were trays and trays of sumptuous dishes.

"Oh well. If it's something they like it'll be alright even if they aren't drunk."

Sitting at the bar, Sharnid placed a wine cup to his lips with dull eyes. This bar had no audio equipment. The members of the 17th platoon and their guests must have brought some along with them.

"Sharnid, aren't you gonna sing?"

"I'll pass. My singing isn't for everyone."

"Ah, really? Then when do you sing?"

"When I'm alone with someone."

"Hmm, would that someone be someone not here tonight?"

"You're harsh," Sharnid said to the hostess. Sitting next to Sharnid, Layfon was drinking juice and letting the rowdy atmosphere roll over him.

Along with Mifi's song, singing that didn't sound too bad echoed through the shop and the male students couldn't help but cheer. They were Sharnid's classmates, a male and female choir, reading from scores and chatting at the same time. Harley was also there with his friends. Another group was there, staying slightly distant from the other groups. A group of girls who looked serious and earnest. The atmosphere over there was a bit different. The girls were all chatting happily amongst themselves.
In that group were Meishen and Naruki, and Nina was in the center of the group. Nina was talking to Naruki, who listened with a troubled expression on her face.

(What's she talking about?) Layfon thought, but he had no intention of walking over to find out. He had just escaped from Nina's friends and moved over to the bar. He didn't want to go back to that thick atmosphere again.

"It really is rowdy here."

Mifi's singing and the sound of the door opening drifted over to Layfon. Having already sensed the movement through his Military Artist ears, Layfon turned to watch the door.

"Formed-san?"

"Yo, how've you been, ace?"

Formed Garen. The City Police's Chief of Security walked over with a smile that didn't match the seriousness on his face.

"Please don't call me that."

"Well, isn't that the truth? No one in Zuellni can defeat you. You've already become a legend. What do you think?" He sat down matter-of-factly beside Layfon and asked for a drink from the hostess. He reached out for the food.

At first he had called Layfon "Alseif-kun", but now he was already calling him "You guy". Against Formed's familiarity, Layfon could only shake his head lightly.

"I can't help with that title, but a lot of things have taught me that being strong alone can't do anything much."

"Um, it's as if you're talking about someone else. You aren't that old, but it feels like you're looking at someone from far away. Have you had some painful experiences?"

Formed Garen was also a fifth year student in Cultivation. In Zuellni, the youngest student was sixteen, so a fifth year student was around twenty years old......Perhaps Layfon felt some pity for Formed Garen. He doubted anyone would object if he said Formed was around thirty. He waited for the Chief to explain what he had come for.

"So do you need anything today? If it's Nak...... Naruki, she's over there," Layfon had almost called Naruki by her pet name. Good thing he caught himself so quickly.

"Ah, I came specifically to congratulate you, but it looks like I've been misunderstood. I feel so lonely," Formed smiled.

Layfon had once been asked by Naruki to apply as a temporary member of the City Police. It was a job dealing with events that might involve Military Artists, meaning only Military Artists were capable of doing it. Of course, there was danger involved. Layfon was asked to cooperate with the police and prevent the culprits from escaping.

"Relax, there's nothing you need to solve right now......But, if possible, I want to ask you a favor."

"Ha......"

Formed was looking at Layfon's drink.

"That's not wine? It might be a problem from my standpoint, but I think in this situation, it's all right to drink a little. But it doesn't feel like you want to drink. Anyway, don't be too harsh on yourself. Your captain is very serious and strict," Formed turned his gaze on Nina. Layfon looked over too.

Nina Antalk. A Military Artist who formed a platoon when she was only in third year, whereas all the other captains were fourth year or above. Her short, golden hair brightened up the dimness around her. The curves of her face seemed to accentuate her beauty.

"Not a bad looking person. It was tragic that we lost in the last Military Arts competition. You and the captain over there appearing in Zuellni probably is a good thing."

"Is it really that tragic?" Layfon asked.

All Regios needed pure selenium to function. Selenium, a mineral discovered only after the world was polluted. Low-level Selenium could be found anywhere, as much as one wanted. But a large amount of pure selenium was needed for a city to function, and that could only be found in a mine. The ever-changing paths of Regios revolved around selenium mines. This was assumed to be true, even though people didn't have maps of the world to check. They could just tell by the yearly re-supply at a selenium mine. And it was a certainty that a selenium mine would reach its limit one day, so......How many mines a city possessed symbolized a city's lifespan.

The fight between cities for selenium mines took place once every two years. The people living in the cities were the ones fighting in this war. A city's life and death was directly related to the people living in it, so they had to fight without holding back.

"Yeah, it was very tragic," Formed frowned, remembering the past.

A city would only fight against the same type of city. For example, Academy City Zuellni would only fight with other cities that specialized in education. In other cities, they might fight with blood, but for Academy Cities, the Alliance of Academy Cities had set down rules for the Military Arts competition, turning the war into a sport that wouldn't see anyone getting injured.

"It's hard for someone who's not an expert to explain......Anyway, they totally owned us. They predicted our every move, and they went through our openings whenever they wanted. That was the type of feeling I got."

"Was it because they had excellent psychokinesists?"

Psychokinesist......Military Artists with a special type of Kei who could turn it into psychokinesis and use it to gather and analyze a massive amount of information.

"Well, I don't really know much about the opposing force," Formed scanned the shop. "Speaking of which, the psychokinesist of your team isn't here? The Student President's sister."

"She doesn't like this type of atmosphere," Layfon replied.

"I see."

Felli was a genius in psychokinesis, but she hated her ability. Although her brother forced her into the platoon, she didn't plan to use her true strength.

Layfon couldn't do anything about it.

To Layfon, born in Grendan and given the title of Heaven's Blade Receiver, he hadn't used his true strength in the platoon matches. It wasn't because there wasn't a need to use his true strength, and not because he would be invincible if he displayed his true strength. Layfon came to Zuellni in the first place in order to give up Military Arts but he had become a platoon member and was working hard for the next Military Arts competition. The fact that he ended up fighting again was surprising to him.

"Do all Military Artists in Grendan have to have strength like yours?" Formed asked.

"......Not really. What is it?"

"Ah, nothing. Besides you, the captain of the 5th platoon also came from Grendan, and both of you are platoon members. I don't know any Military Artists from other cities, perhaps it's just my prejudice. From an outsider's perspective, Grendan's a place of monsters."

"Uh-huh......" Layfon nodded without putting meaning into it, and asked. "Was Gorneo Luckens born in Grendan?"

"Yeah, seems so. What? Do you know him?"

"No, I don't know him directly, but the name Luckens sounds familiar."

"Oh, then he was probably born into a pretty good house."

Layfon smiled.

"I don't know why he came here, but to him and I, we have a certain confidence in our own skills. Before coming to Zuellni, we fought many battles. Of course, there were opponents like monsters."

Layfon found it hard to say he was also a monster.

"Then I'm fine," Formed smiled, but something shone in the depth of his eyes. Perhaps he had understood something, or perhaps nothing at all. He was a student but also a person who had handled all sorts of things in the city. Nothing could escape his eyes – a person's language, expression......On the contrary, Formed's eyes seemed to be a trap, tempting people to make a mistake. It looked like Layfon couldn't relax after all.

"Ah, chief."

Naruki and Meishen came over.

"Oh."

"Did something happen?"

Looking at Naruki, who was all keen and ready, Formed sighed. "Am I someone who would neglect my work? I'm still a student."

"You aren't too convincing," Not knowing what Formed was keeping from her, Naruki relaxed her shoulders, discontent.

"Aren't you the workaholic?"

"I'm not up to Chief's level yet, but I'll catch up soon."

"Never mind. Don't waste your precious school life."

"It's my right to choose."

Looking at the silly conversation between a superior and his subordinate, Layfon and Meishen exchanged a glance and smiled.

"......Is it about time to go?"

"About time. Need me to take you back?"

"It's okay. Nakki's here."

"Ah......it really is ok."

"Right."

Both Naruki and Layfon were in Military Arts, and they both worked for the City Police. Meishen was safer with Naruki than with any man.

Mifi wasn't around. Layfon checked and saw her still reading music sheets.

"She can't stop once she's started singing."

"I'll take her back then," Layfon said.

Naruki returned to the conversation. "Well then, we'll go back first. Layton, thanks for tomorrow."

"Oh, yeah. Is it really alright? If you really can't, we can change the date."

"Don't worry. I'm pretty accurate at the timing of being a light bulb."

"Nakki!" Meishen said as she pulled the smiling Naruki out of the shop.

"What's going on tomorrow?"

"We're hanging out."

"Oh."

"Originally the four of us were going together, but Naruki and Mifi said something sudden has come up and they can't go. We wanted to change the date, but in the end, we still decided on tomorrow."

"Is that girl beside Naruki going to go?"

"Yes, I'm going to thank her for the bento she made."

"......I feel that I'm wasting my precious school life because of work, but you're wasting it in another way."

"......Ha?"

Formed slowly shook his head and said nothing.

<center>◇</center>

She held the heavy staff Dite in a place devoid of people.

(I still can't control it completely.)

Not long ago......She trained here after the fight with the Phase 1 filth monster and after Nina had fainted.

Nina hadn't wanted anyone to see her.

It was the same with Felli. She didn't want anyone to know. Standing on the outskirts of the city, Felli gazed at the faraway command tower. There wasn't any wind today. Without wild dancing sand, the nighttime scenery around the command tower was clear and unhampered. Felli thoroughly understood the inconvenience of being unable to pierce this darkness.

The world was clearer and more vivid.

She knew. Countless stars dangled in the sky, in the darkness opposite the command tower. They shone and sparkled beautifully beyond the reach of the city's artificial light. The pale moonlight shined down, as if to look through the polluted earth.

Felli knew there was another life form besides filth monsters in this world. Microscopic creatures that weren't categorized as animal or insect. She knew those sad little creatures lived in the depths of the earth, their power of life not losing out to that of the filth monsters. She knew of that point of grandness.

Knew. Filth monsters howled under this moonlight that seemed to come from a dream or perhaps, from reality. Sad and lonely conquerors.

Felli understood this world better than anyone else.

"Ah......"She breathed in the silent air.

She relaxed, and bathed in the light that ran down her long hair to illuminate her surroundings. The light emitted from her hair suppressed the darkness and enveloped her.

Psychokinesis.

A huge amount of psychokinesis exuded from her body, conducted through her hair. Felli was a genius in psychokinesis. Even psychokinesists born without training in the special power but born with their hair emitting light could not be like Felli. It was the same with psychokinesists schooled and familiar with their ability. The power of psychokinesis couldn't be increased through training.

The Kei of psychokinesis flew into her Dite. Felli did not need a keyword to restore her weapon, a translucent staff made of flakes.

The flakes scattered, leaving nothing in Felli's hand. The flakes were connected to Felli through the power of psychokinesis. They became her eyes, mouth and ears. These flakes increased the communication range of a psychokinesist. Felli sent the flakes out to feel the existence of the world. She filtered out the burns of pollution, going back to the time when humanity and earth existed in harmony. She experienced the pale world of night, imagining a picture dotted with the jewels of the stars.

It was a psychokinesist's privilege to feel the world outside the city. Anyone else would have to wear an environmental suit to walk outside the city. If they went out naked, their lungs would rot in five minutes. Their skin would burn. They had no way of touching this world, because the world rejected them. Even so, there were people who still had to get out. Those who fought.

"I don't understand," Felli murmured.

Through her innate feeling and the feeling she acquired through maturity, something else felt peculiar. Perhaps.... Something wasn't right. This feeling was similar to the one she had when she met him.

Layfon Alseif.

A feeling of hating one's own ability, but being admired by others......His past was different from Felli's, and for that past, he planned to abandon Military Arts. Layfon's past was more strained and distressing. He had experienced more hurt and pain than Felli. He was different from her, who was born to be a psychokinesist.

No. If it was about ability, then his ability had forced him to choose the path of a Military Artist. Layfon used his ability as a tool for survival. People wanting Felli to become like that were all around her.

Both Layfon and Felli attempted to head for a path other than the paths they were already treading, and both had experienced setbacks. And their experiences were different. Layfon had experienced a setback, whereas Felli chose to have a setback.

(Could I be wrong?)

(No.)

Layfon came to Zuellni for a road besides Military Arts. What prevented him from chasing his dream were Zuellni's current situation and Felli's brother, who knew of Layfon's past – Karian.

At first, Layfon hated it. He should have hated the platoon match...... But he didn't look like that now. He didn't look keen in the matches, but he didn't give up fighting.

(He really is indecisive.)

He hadn't given up on finding a path outside Military Arts, but he didn't ignore what he was capable of doing.

And people thought he was zealous.

(A helplessly good-natured person.)

But perhaps, the road Layfon picked was right.

(Or......)

Or...... feeling something murky weighing on her, she shook her head and called back the flakes. She came here to clear her mind. Wasn't it meaningless to consider so much......

"?"

Something was out there in the darkness. She had almost missed it because of the mountains. It wasn't possible to discover it through the reflection of light. She probed with ultrasound and electromagnetic waves. The flakes approached the source of the disturbance. It wasn't far. Judging by the city's speed, that thing was two days or so from Zuellni. If she let the flakes head for that thing's location, daylight would arrive. The flakes hovered a short distance from it and began their investigation.

Looking at the numbers surfacing in her consciousness, Felli swallowed.

"This is......"

<noinclude>
{{Regios Nav|prev=Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume3_Prologue|next=Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume3_Chapter2}}
</noinclude>

Chrome Shelled Regios:Volume12 Chapter5

2012-06-23T02:34:21Z

Pritesh:

===Chapter 5 - The City that eliminates evil===

Nelphilia's gaze moved away from the sky. Just this action alone pulled Nina in and made her stop breathing. Nelphilia's chin had only made an imperceptible movement, her gaze pulling away, and that was enough to capture Nina's heart.

This girl was dangerous.

This girl was dangerous. Just by looking at her, no, since her figure entered Nina's sight, she found herself unable to look at anything else. This girl's beauty and attraction was indescribable.

"As I thought, the Guardian Beasts aren't enough!" Nelphilia said. She wasn't looking at Nina, nor was she speaking to her.

"They're all destroyed!" she said and finally looked at Nina.

"All destroyed?"

This word sent a chill up Nina's spine. Did anyone die? Or.......

"The Guardian Beasts. You and the people with you, why did you come here?" Nelphilia smiled, looking at Karian and the Head of Alchemy who lay on the floor.

"I knew these two. The one with the terrible face has always wanted to wake me. The other views me as some kind of danger."

"......... Who are you?"

Nelphilia had her back on Nina, but her figure still attracted Nina's eyes. Just who was this girl?

"Are you really the Electronic Fairy that's split from Zuellni?"

"I hope you don't put me on the same scales as those fake imitations," the girl's serious eyes found Nina. ".......... But, thanks to that thing coming, I'm now awake. The gear of time has begun moving. Everything's moving now. That's why I woke. That's the result. That thing begins everything by coming here."

"What were you saying? Please explain it in a way that we understand," Nina said with dissatisfaction. If she didn't say this, that girl's attraction might take over her entire body.

"I'm not an Electronic Fairy but I like Zuellni! Out of all the Electronic Fairies, I only like that child. Is that not enough a reason?"

"Then what are you?"

"What would you do if you found out? This has got nothing to do with you, right? Whether you know who I am, what you can do has nothing to do with my real body. That I can tell you. No matter which path you choose, you won't have anything to do with my real body," she said with determination. Though her tone was nonchalant, her words were obviously refusing Nina.

"This is all you need to do now," she said. Something had appeared in her hand.

"This is...........?"

Her fingers held the thing lightly. A mask. A mask of a beast. Nina had seen this before. This belonged to the Wolf Faces. She readied her iron whips.

"You........ Are you a Wolf Face!?" she pointed her iron whip at her.

"Your train of thought is so simple!" the girl said, not at all frightened at the weapon pointed at her. Disapproval showed in her eyes and she was not afraid as she placed the mask on her own face.

"Have a good feel of it with your body. You should be able to do that, right? Your body is half Electronic Fairy!"

Nina didn't understand her words in a split second, but the memory of what happened when she was ten rushed up inside her. That tiny Electronic Fairy. She had wanted to save it, but in the end, it saved her. She thought she understood something as she recalled her memory, but the next moment, she lost it. The true meaning of the mask before her suddenly rose in her.

"Haikizoku!"

That mask in the girl's hand, the Haikizoku that had shown itself as a golden goat.

"Why?"

"Don't you remember? Who do you think you were talking to when you were defeated?"

She recalled the past event. Yes, it did happen. She remembered blacking out and losing consciousness. Sharnid had then saved her. So something had happened before that?

"That man, the Wolf Face you were talking about. And for the Haikizoku to turn into this, isn't it quite a convenient look? Its face reflects its master's appearance!"

She tossed the mask to Nina. Though both of Nina's hands were occupied with her iron whips, she reflexively caught the mask with her left wrist. As if melting, the mask sank into her chest.

It had returned. That was how Nina felt.

"Dixerio, the man who bets on the mask for his wish to revenge, is easy to understand? That thing is necessary to him, so he lets the Haikizoku keep its appearance in the mask. What about you?"

Nina didn't understand her question. She wasn't surprised that this girl knew of Dixerio. Since she knew the Wolf Faces, it wouldn't be strange for her to know Dixerio.

"You've the power that people are envious of. If you could obtain that power, what would you do with it?"

"Just what are you......"

"I anticipate it," the girl said, the shadows around her deepening into darkness as if to refuse Nina's hand. Gradually, darkness swallowed her pale face and arms.

When the darkness disappeared, it left behind the green light exuding from the tubes. The light was brighter than when the girl was present. It illuminated a bigger area than before.

Nina heard moaning in the room. Karian and the Head of Alchemy had regained consciousness.

<center>◇</center>

Layfon moved first. As if fishing up something, he aimed his attack at Savaris' upper body. It didn't hit. Savaris had deflected the attack. Savaris had released Kei from his body while retreating, using it to deflect Layfon's assault.

When Layfon swung his katana upward, Savaris had rushed him, left fist aiming for Layfon's cheek. Layfon attempted to grab the fist with his own left hand, only managing to grab hold of Savaris' wrist as the Heaven's Blade successor deflected Layfon's attack. Savaris added horrific pressure on his left wrist. Layfon about to lose his grip, added strength to his fingers. The Kei covering Savaris' fist resisted Layfon's hand. Layfon gathered even more Kei to his fingertips.

Layfon had only managed to control Savaris' arm. As such, the Heaven's Blade successor attacked Layfon's knee with his foot. Layfon released his hold. The two jumped apart.

Layfon's fingertips were very hot. The glove he was wearing was torn through, with traces of injuries left on his fingers. Some of his nails had fallen off but his fingers had sunk deep into Savaris' wrist. There should be five lines of injuries on the Heaven's Blade successor's wrist. Additionally, Layfon's katana had slashed open the chest area of Savaris' fighting suit. Savaris had deflected the blade with his Kei, but it wasn't enough to completely stop Layfon's attack.

Savaris laughed. He tore the fighting suit apart to reveal his upper body. Blood welled up from the injuries on his left wrist. He licked his wounds. Layfon's fingernails were still in them. Savaris bit down on the fingernails, pulled them out and spat them out of his mouth. His smile looked even more appalling with blood in it.

"As I thought. In the end, only a fight with a fellow human can satisfy me. It isn't a fight of power alone, but of skill and closer to death!"

"As if I care," Layfon said and readied his katana again. The spirit he had honed through training with the katana had chased away the pain in his left hand.

"The present you is just an existence that I have to surpass. The wall is high, and it's connected to other things too. I'm really envious of you. Perhaps it'd be more interesting if I stood on your side."

"These things aren't important," Layfon said and moved.

Three successive sudden strikes for the head, heart and head. Savaris failed to evade all three attacks and sustained shallow injuries on his shoulder and cheek. Two forces of Kei clashed and detonated, blowing the air into disarray. Savaris flew away in the air, as if bounding off something. He did a back-flip. Feeling something unpleasant on his chin, he quickly pulled back his body. Clamps seized his face. He felt fingers assaulting his face.

He was in the air.

External Burst type Kei – Sendan. (Lightning Cut)

Layfon's strike flew towards Savaris.

Savaris' slow vertical spin became horizontal as he kicked out with his foot.

External Burst type Karen kei – Kaze Retsu Kei. (Fierce Wind)

The mad running current of air was sucked into Savaris' Kei and then deflected. The condensed air pressure took Sendan head on and they canceled each other out. A new force of chaotic air was called forth and pushed back by the two combatants.

External Burst type Kei variation – Uzu Kei. Guiding the flow of the air current, Layfon hid numerous bullets of Kei inside it.

External Burst type Karen kei – Kishikubaku. (Compressed air)

Savaris' move compressed air into one point. He detonated it to cancel Layfon's bullets. The remnants of the explosion flew towards Layfon.

Internal and External Kei variation – Ryuusen Kei. (Spinning Dragon)

Layfon spun to deflect the remnants as his spin drew in more air currents, sucking in Savaris as well. For a split second, Savaris had lost control of his body, and Layfon did not let that opportunity go.

External Burst type Kei – Sendan. (Lightning Cut)

The condensed Kei that flew out of the typhoon was enough to split a person in half.

"Haha!"

External Burst type Kei, Luckens' move – Roar Kei.

Savaris' voice made the air vibrate, scattering the roiling dust that came from the battle. The vibration that couldn't possibly have come from a human's voice decomposed the dust into finer particles. The thin dust screen gathered by the exchange of Kei techniques, Layfon's Ryuusen Kei and the Savaris' Kishukubaku, now scattered in all directions.

Explosions surrounded Savaris. Sedan pierced through those explosions to draw a shallow ditch on the outer shell of the city.

Layfon didn't feel he had finished his opponent. Numerous explosions had drastically reduced visibility. And he didn't think the sparks caused by the dust were enough to create such large explosions. There must be a trap. But what was it?

"Tsk."

He stopped the Ryuusen Kei and retreated. The trap must be close to him. Using the rebounding force of the External Kei, he moved back a hundred meters or so from his spot before his foot touched ground. He felt he had the advantage when the two forces of Kei clashed, but that was exactly why he felt Savaris had laid a trap for him.

All the explosions had finished detonating when he landed. The turbulent air had yet to settle. Dense smoke rose to cloud his vision. He couldn't feel any Kei around him. Savaris must have used Sakkei to mask his presence. Where did Savaris plan to ambush him?

It wasn't strange to think Savaris would attack from anywhere, as he was a Heaven's Blade successor. He could even come from the ground beneath Layfon's feet. If Layfon lost his concentration, it would lead to his defeat.

He was ready no matter where Savaris came at him. He considered where Savaris could attack him. Though he knew this would obstruct the flexibility of his movement and expose him, though he could only greet the attack through the instincts honed in training, he could not stop thinking.

The previous explosion bothered him. The dust cloud caused by it did well to hide Savaris' figure. However, Sakkei itself was not enough to totally mask the flow of Kei unless the Kei vein itself was taken out. In that case, the best timing and location to close with Layfon was...........?

Above. Explosion. Take advantage. Jump.

Those terms flashed past his head, and he moved.

As he had thought. Savaris was above him. Their gazes met. The explosion had painted black Savaris' bloody smile, making it more horrific. He had stopped using Sakkei and concentrated the Kei around him to his left fist.

Layfon made an instant judgment that this move was to decide the outcome of the fight. His body naturally reacted and readied his stance to meet the attack.

Psyharden technique – Flame strike. Shoujin. (Flame strike. Flying Blade.)

Layfon jumped as he struck with the katana. Flame writhed on the blade. The strike of the katana brushed past Savaris as two forces of Kei ate into each other. The impact was just one swift moment, and next, both fighters had exchanged positions.

[[Image:CSR vol12 189.jpg|thumb]]

The fight hadn't ended. The impact of the opponent's move swam in Layfon's body. Pain. Red dots that weren't of his flame danced in his sight but he ignored them. He changed his stance. Savaris had also landed to ready his next attack.

But this time...........

Psyharden technique – Honoo Juu. Koufu. (Weight of Flame. Red Cloth)

External Burst Kei variation – Goushiyoudan. (Rising bullet)

External Kei in the form of flames poured out upon Savaris like a red roaring waterfall. Savaris received it with Goushiyoudan. Explosion. Impact. The impact sent Layfon tens of meters from his original position and forced him to land. Savaris had stopped his movement as he shouldered the descending impact of Layfon's move.

Psyharden technique – Water Mirror.

With a speed that was even faster than Uzu Kei (external Whirl Kei), Layfon rushed Savaris. Their gazes overlapped. Though Savaris had yet to ready his stance, he managed to react with his leg. Feeling the kick of a death god nearing his right side, Layfon swung the katana without hesitation. He aimed at Savaris' throat in an attempt to finish this battle with one move.

The flowing of time was extremely quiet. Death was closing in. Death was about to descend on him. Which side was faster? Or they might react simultaneously. Layfon did not defend against Savaris' kick. If Layfon was faster, then the threat against him would vanish. If he was slower, he'd die.

Death. He had wanted to kill Gahard at that time but he did not. That man was connected to the Luckens family. Was he now to kill off a Heaven's Blade born to that family? He could not stop his movement now. If he didn't kill his opponent, only death awaited him.

The katana stabbed at Savaris' throat without deviating an inch. Layfon felt it touch skin and breaking through muscles. But next, a painful impact assaulted his shoulder.

Time returned to the two fighters. Savaris' kick sent him flying. He slid on air as if something was pulling him out and then tossed him onto the ground. The katana flew from his grip to pierce the earth.

"Wu.............."

Pain ran through his entire body. His right shoulder was dislocated. Wounds broke over his body. He felt something wet beneath his tattered fighting suit. He pushed the right shoulder back in place. The stimulation made him moan. He picked up the Dite beside him.

Savaris had fallen. He wasn't moving. Blood welled from his neck wound to pool around him. Dead, or, he was about to die. The light in his opened eyes was lost. He probably was still alive as he was looking at Layfon's direction, his lips trembling but without voice. Probably because his throat's been cut open. Layfon originally planned to completely stab through that throat, but the kick had intercepted his move. If Savaris' knee had contacted with Layfon's shoulder rather than part of his foot, then Layfon's shoulder would have been shattered. The impact might have even damaged his lungs. What a close call. And if Savaris could use his right arm, things wouldn't have turned out this way.

"................"

Layfon left Savaris as he quietly ran internal Kei through his body. He still had many people to defeat.

I'll probably die.

That thought echoed in Savaris' head as he felt something flowing out with the blood. He didn't regret it. He didn't even think of another outcome if he could move his right arm. To have strong mental preparation was his all. It would have been shameful to consider that other possibility after the fight.

Layfon had left him, carrying his own wounds. He probably planned to keep fighting. Ruimei was his next opponent. The one after him was probably Troiatte. And then he would have to fight all the Heaven's Blade successors. Where would he end up? Or, where would he fall? Savaris was envious of him.

He had always wanted to challenge the Queen, and he did do it, but he lost. He had lost under the Queen who had held back in the fight. After that day, he had fought filth monsters in order to once again challenge her. He thought he'd surpass her one day. But it wasn't too bad to fight Layfon in this desperate situation. Yes, he had nothing except himself in a desperate situation. That was why he could use power above his real strength. Layfon was probably in that situation back then. Savaris also wanted to find that extra something in himself. But he probably wouldn't find it as he wasn't interested in anything outside battle. No matter. He was comfortable. As long as he lived, a day of satisfaction would never come. It might not be that bad to die here.

"Are you to die here?"

Though blood flowed out from him and his consciousness was gradually fading, his sense of hearing was still sharp. He heard footsteps. The ball of light from Troiatte made a long shadow on Savaris.

"You boring guy. Are you to die here because you went overboard playing?"

His vision was dimming, but he recalled that voice and realized it was Lintence. He opened his mouth and wanted to greet him with spirit, but all that came out was blood.

"I've a message from the Queen."

He felt sharp pain and heat on his body that was like fire. His body was still weak but the blood flow had stopped. Savaris coughed violently as blood continued to spill from his mouth. When he stopped coughing, the flow through his throat was better. He could now breathe.

"We're already short of one person. We can't let one more die. The Queen is the one to decide when you are to die."

Lintence had used his Steel Threads to sew up Savaris' injuries. The Kei generated heat to burn the wounds and seal them, completely stemming the flow of blood. Perhaps he had also perfectly sewn up the Kei vein.

"Th..... Thanks," he said. His voice was hoarse and weak.

"But speaking of which, what's with this commotion?"

"Hell's about to descend. Aren't you good? Having your name taken out of the comrade list?"

Savaris saw him leaving. Looking at his back that moved towards the centre of the city, Savaris was very envious of Layfon.

Having his life saved, his desire for battle had re-awakened. But even he was unable to do anything more with his body. This was disappointing.

<center>◇</center>

Leerin had done what she could. She had helped with cooking, setting up tables and eating utensils. No matter what task it was that anyone thought was short of people, Leerin was able to make them feel they had too many helpers. She wanted to do something for them. Only that could keep her calm.

Very quickly, she had finished everything and had nothing else to do.

"Could you take a look at Mei for me?" Naruki said as Leerin helped to deliver food to injured Military Artists. Though Naruki was also wounded, she could still move around. However, she could not return to the battlefield immediately. Right now, she was helping out the City Police. Mifi was somewhere here, but she was probably busy with people that she knew.

"Seems she's preparing for an activity to keep everyone's spirit up."

What a good idea. Ignore the possibility that the event might not be interesting, but it would be a good distraction.

Leerin headed for Meishen's room alone. She touched her face unconsciously. Her right eye was still closed, but no one had noticed. No....... One person had noticed.

Nina. Only she had noticed Leerin's eye was closed. Why her? Nina didn't feel anything strange and special about her closed right eye. But no one else had noticed. This meant Nina might also have something in her, something that could be similar to what was inside Leerin. Perhaps the event here was connected to the event in Myath. But what was it? The mysterious Wolf Faces organization had attempted to seize Myath's Electronic Fairy. That was all she understood. All the information she held now was just bits and pieces. Too broken to be put back together. If what the Wolf Faces did was just a process to reach their goal, then what were they aiming for? And what was the fruit of that aim? Was her right eye part of it? Who was she?

Thoughts continued to churn inside Leerin's head, unable to halt. She didn't know how to handle those questions. Something must have happened opposite the shelter. And this wasn't connected to the reality. It felt like something that Leerin had felt before. A feeling of dislike chased after her.

So who was Leerin? She kept asking herself. She had never thought of this before. At the orphanage, some children were taken in by other families, some were adopted, and others were taken to work. Particularly for those people who had a craft skill, they often visited the orphanage as they wanted apprentices who could learn a skill at a young age. But no one had requested for Leerin, and Leerin didn't regret it. All she was bothered was that she didn't have any parents. Derek never said anything about her origin. Different reasons explained the outcome of one becoming an orphan. And among those reasons, some could be said, some couldn't. If Derek had told some orphans of things that weren't important and consequential, others who weren't told of anything would feel despair. As such, he didn't say anything.

Leerin understood why her adopted father said nothing, so she never asked. But she did want to know. No, perhaps even Derek didn't know why she wanted to know. She wasn't sure whether she had been adopted once when she was born. But what existed must have undergone a process. Leerin's eye..... the eye that reflected what a normal eye couldn't perceive, this right eye – there must be a reason existing in Leerin. Nothing had happened in her when she was in Grendan, but an omen was given to her when she met Synola. In that case, "because I left Grendan" couldn't be a reason. Though it might be the reason to awaken that thing, it wasn't enough to explain the existence of her right eye.

Something was slowly putting pressure on her head. That feeling filled her as she walked. She had felt something changing. Something was happening above the ground. Were they connected? What should she do?

You can do nothing. That was what that girl had said. The black clothed girl looked the same as the girl in Leerin's memory, but she was a different person.

....... Though she recalled the girl in her memory, she only remembered her appearance. It wasn't strange for her to mistake this girl as the girl in the memory. She didn't know why, but she felt the girl was of a personality that would arouse pity and sympathy, looking at her appearance.

But why could Leerin not accept this thinking?

She remembered what the girl had said.

You can do nothing.

What was going on? She was challenging Leerin. Leerin felt the other person was simply narrating a truth. The existence in her right eye seemed to be related to this commotion. Then what did she mean that she could do nothing? What did she want to do? How did she plan to carry it out? These things that had already been decided were mysteries to Leerin. Was this what the girl wanted to express? How painful a thing it was. This seemed to be Leerin's will but in reality, it wasn't. Though she chose certain actions, she felt those things had already been decided.

Her inability to understand these things brought her unease. She didn't even know what she could do about it. Leerin came to the patient's room, perturbed. She clapped her face lightly to soften her expression.

Meishen was already up. This was a room housing many patients. Leerin saw her sitting up through the gap in the curtain separating the beds. Meishen looked eased at seeing Leerin.

"Are you all right?"

"Uh, the doctor said I can leave when I feel ready. I'm sorry."

"That can't be helped."

Leerin sat beside her. There weren't many chances for them to be alone. Naruki and Mifi were usually with Meishen. Meishen was like a kid, a kid who tended to suffer when she was alone. Leerin didn't think that was a good thing. She didn't feel refusal and alarm from Meishen for sitting so close. This was proof of how good their relationship was.

"Is it really bad outside?"

"I'm not sure. Have you seen Naruki and Mifi?"

"Mi's visited me already. Is Naruki injured?"

"Yeah, but she seems ok. She's working with the City Police."

Leerin told her of what she knew.

This was a very usual and relaxing hour, but Leerin felt a sense of tension coming from the outside of the ceiling and from something else she couldn't pinpoint. She then realized that the tension came from Meishen.

Meishen was used to looking at people from a low angle. It probably came from her shy personality. She always had her head down. It was difficult to look her in the eye. But it seemed she came to this city to change her personality. Since coming here, she had met Layfon and was now talking to Leerin.

Leerin found that part of her strong. The attempt to change her current self was a fight that was harder than any other fights. Layfon also wanted to change his lifestyle. Though his first intention was to abandon his life as a Military Artist, the intention was different now. Leerin was a bit worried that he was only being pulled around by fate.

Nina was the same. The people Leerin lived with in the dormitory were also the same. She felt they were fighting something against themselves. Perhaps everyone who came to an Academy City was the same. Otherwise, they wouldn't have taken the roaming bus and left their city on a life-threatening journey. But if that was the case, then this world had too many battlefields.

"Lay.... ton............. Layfon. Is he not back?"

For Meishen to say this with this expression, this must be a part of her fight. Perhaps it wasn't something big to others, but it must be an important battle for her.

"Yeah, he's not back."

Speaking of which, Leerin hadn't heard of any news about him even though Nina was back.

"....... Are you not worried?"

She didn't know how to answer. She didn't think Layfon would die and sustain heavy injuries. She had met Nina when she was preparing meals. If something terrible had happened to him, Nina wouldn't have hidden his condition and kept calm. That didn't match her personality. This meant Layfon was fine. That was Leerin's belief. She could only believe as she couldn't do anything else.

"Because I can't do anything, I can only believe in him."

She had journeyed to this city to give Derek's katana to Layfon. An incredible event had happened at that time and she had told him how she thought. He must be fighting a terrible fight right now. She felt he was in the most difficult fight out of all his battles. In Grendan, he could leave the fights to others, but not in Zuellni. That was why she wished for him to take up the katana. She wasn't against him continuing to be a Military Artist. She wanted him to take up the katana so that he wouldn't be crippled when he had to give his all. In the end, Layfon decided to pick up the katana once more. He had accepted her thinking and Derek's forgiveness. In his heart, he had not abandoned his past in Grendan. Though she felt his refusal to take up the katana was his stubbornness about the past, she had managed to persuade him. She was very happy that he understood her. That was why she firmly believed in him, believed that he would safely return just like the times in Grendan.

.......... Strange?

"You're strong," Meishen said with her head lowered.

Leerin ignored the light swaying in her heart and looked at her. From the start, Meishen was bent over her knees on the bed, looking at her own feet.

"I can't be as strong as you. I've........ I've always worried. I don't know what to do."

A dark spot stained her dress. The trace of something wet...... the trace of tear. Tears fell from her face.

[[Image:CSR vol12 205.jpg|thumb]]

Was she so worried that she had to cry? Leerin remembered that she also cried when she reunited with Layfon and saw the wounds on his body. That had never happened in Grendan as there were many Military Artists who were strong like Layfon. She always believed that Layfon would return.

"I'm worried about Naruki too, and everyone else. As long as it's someone I've seen, the Military Artists in the class. What would I do if they're not here tomorrow? Just that thought alone makes me feel so uncomfortable. I'm more worried about Layfon, Compared to worrying about Naruki, I think I'm more worried about him."

"Uh."

Leerin felt her own reply was weak. What meaning had she put in that reply? Agreement? Acceptance? Or did she only reply to allow the other person to keep talking?

"I...... I..... like Layfon. Perhaps, he's the first boy that I like."

"Uh."

Still weak.

After knowing that Meishen had read Layfon's letter, she immediately knew that Meishen liked Layfon. The other two girls that she noticed also were Nina and Felli. She wasn't sure at first as she thought they were with him because they were both Military Artists. After knowing them more, she was certain that Felli liked Layfon. Nina's feeling was delicate. If that was the case, she probably didn't notice her own feeling due to other distractions.

She could tell how proactive Meishen was by her action of reading the letter. Though she suspected Meishen's personality was shy through her action, she was in reality a shy person. Meishen wanted to change. Of course, her action might have come about through her childhood friends giving her a helping push from behind. If Meishen hadn't fallen for Layfon, perhaps she had already changed her personality. Layfon was too clumsy and slow in areas other than Military Arts. To make a girl like Meishen take such action, this man was too foolish. Leerin really wanted to scold him and call him a wooden person. Layfon was able to make another feel angry like that.

"Leerin's strong. I don't know what I should do."

Meishen sobbed with her hands covering her face. Leerin placed her hand on Meishen's back, patting her. The girl's entire body shook.

Leerin didn't know what to say. What should she do? What should she convey to her? What should she do for Meishen who worried about Layfon so much that she cried for him? She couldn't do anything if not for Mifi.

She handed Meishen to Mifi's care. So relieved. At the same time, she wondered whether she was over her head. She was relieved to escape from that scene. She had many things to ponder – about that girl, about her closed right eye that no one noticed, about more important questions. But these were just excuses. What she had noticed in the conversation with Meishen shook her more intensely. She had forgotten the questions about herself and her right eye when she sat beside Meishen.

Leerin left for the corridor.

This was not her home city. She had thought of it during the time in the roaming bus and the time of her earlier days in Zuellni. But now that she had spent three months in Zuellni, that thought had vanished.

She now told herself once more that this wasn't her home city. This wasn't Grendan. And this might not be the place that she should be in.

The person she hoped for, the thing she hoped for. All that had ended when she handed Derek's Dite to Layfon. She had nothing else to do here. Though she could learn many things in the Academy City, she wanted to return to Grendan. She wanted to go back.

She just needed to take glimpses of the orphanage from far away. She wanted to keep making meals for Derek. Unlike the atmosphere here, she wanted to once more feel the atmosphere of the small and narrow classroom. She wanted to see Synola Senpai's foolish acts. These thoughts shocked her brain. Though she didn't cry, she felt her brain heating up.

She walked and continued to walk, but no matter where she came to, she couldn't calm down. This was a shelter during a crisis. This was Zuellni. If it was a shelter in Grendan, at least she had something. Since when she was little, she had entered the shelter once a month like a routine. Having left the orphanage to enter the shelter, she had met other children and had argued with them. She had experienced the time of being provoked to anger and being called to stop arguing.

Since living on her own, she had been visiting a different shelter. The canteen area where she helped to make meals had calmed her down. The people she met there would greet her when they saw her. They'd even tell her where to buy cheap food. The foundation of her life was there. Right now, she wished and longed for it. She wanted something to rely on.

She knew she had become weaker, and she hated it. She had wondered with perplexity of whether she should have come here. In the end, she arrived in Zuellni because she wanted to see Layfon. What did she want to do after seeing him? She wasn't sure of that even before she met him. She didn't think she understood what she herself wanted and she didn't think she'd understand everything even if she took one more step.

She wanted to confirm everything – her feelings, Layfon's feelings, and the future.

These things had ended. She felt that had ended on the first night in the shelter.

Her right eye hurt. She wanted to tell someone about it.

Meishen's feeling was painful for her.

She wanted someone to listen to her so she could get some answer. She wished someone could clearly point out to her what she wished for. She was becoming weak.

When she came to, she was already standing there.

No one was here. The group of eye balls was gone. Had they truly disappeared or had they simply become invisible? She wanted to try opening her right eye, but the pain didn't allow her. Her right eye seemed to be refusing to open itself.

"Seems you can't open it for the time being."

This was a voice so light that it could pierce through air. This girl stood next to her and looked the same as the other girl. As expected, this girl was not the same person.

The beautiful girl wearing clothes the color of the night sky stood next to her. She stood there as if it was matter of fact.

Who, who are you?

That was what she wanted to ask, but she said something instead.

"What's happened to you?"

How come this girl could see through her heart?

"I've been sleeping. Always sleeping," the girl said faintly.

Leerin felt this wasn't the answer she wanted. But. No.

"If it's just sleeping, I can sleep anywhere, but I just want to sleep beside that person."

"Right?"

Leerin felt this was important.

"What's your name?"

"Saya."

Leerin was satisfied with the concise answer. Nelphilia and this girl were like the same person on different side of the mirror. Though Leerin wanted to ask about Nelphilia, she didn't say anything.

"It'll be painful," Saya said.

Saya's words seemed to point to the future after this moment, Leerin's closed right eye and all that were to happen to her. Painful. Leerin wanted to tell someone about it and rely on that someone. Only one person floated in her mind. He looked so unreliable, but he made people want to rely on him. The man that she had always wanted to believe in.

"Even so............"

The pain in her right eye slowly faded. She thought it was due to Saya. Right eye. The true owner of the right eye wished for Saya, and that wish had flowed through to Leerin. That owner should be in the place it wished for.

There was such a place for Leerin too. Her birthplace, the place she wanted to live in........

"If I can return."

She must return. She had done everything she needed here. And to resolve the questions that she had, she must return to Grendan. Only she could tidy her feelings for Layfon when she returned.

<center>◇</center>

What bad concentration in this area.

"Ah?"

Though he hadn't managed to count the number of giants from the very beginning, the fact that the number continued to be incredibly large was annoying. Ruimei shouldered the metal ball, his presence an aura of danger to his opponents.

The giants kept rushing him, but the distance between them wasn't all that close. If he destroyed them all with one move, he'd end up damaging the city. Hence, the temporary strategy was to draw the giants close and destroy them.

The number closing on him was reducing.

"What do you think? Old woman?"

(Here. Here.)

The image projected from Delbone's flake beside him was a map of Zuellni. Numerous dots of light adorned the map.

(The number's reduced drastically in this vicinity. That's brilliant, Ruimei.)

"Of course," he said and put out his chest.

"But this feels rather unreal. The enemy hasn't come. What's going on?"

He could clearly see the density of light in some areas. The area where he was in and the area that Troiatte had headed for did not have that many light dots. On the other hand, the light dots had gathered elsewhere. It appeared Ruimei and Troiatte hadn't attracted their attention. Something else had drawn them in.

"This seems unrelated to the two idiots playing on the outskirt."

(That's Savaris and Layfon.)

"He lost? That stupid brat."

Ruimei had felt the Kei of both of them. The fight had borne a clear outcome. Since both sides were alive, this meant Savaris must have lost.

(Savaris' right arm is injured.)

"This naive thinking isn't like you. An injury means nothing once one stands in the battlefield. What's wrong is for the injured person to head into battle with an injury."

He could feel from the flake that the old woman was smiling. He sucked in a breath and looked at the projected image again.

"Whatever. These guys aren't just making a ruckus. Is it all right for me to stand here and not move?"

(We've made preparation for Troiatte and Barmelin to move. Lintence is probably already over there.)

"What the, making everything so grand? What about me?"

(I thought you don't like doing small things?)

"Tsk!" he made his disapproval loud.

Delbone's laughter echoed in the battlefield.

A figure had come to visit.

"Aaa?"

Ruimei turned around.

<center>◇</center>

An emergency notice from a psychokinesist.

(A large number of filth monsters has gathered near the entrance of A10!)

Nina and the others were in the underground research lab. Karian and the Head of Alchemy had just woken up. Their stiff faces looked even worse at the news.

"Heaven's Blade...... What about Grendan's Military Artists?" Karian asked, supporting his head with his hand. His consciousness seemed confused.

(They're fighting in the middle of the city. Their speed is unbelievable. The filth monsters have suddenly changed their direction and headed this way.)

"What about Vance?"

(Captain Vance has already gathered the Military Artists that can still move and have assigned them. He's also ordered the students in area A to evacuate. The main door hasn't yet received an impact, but that's just a matter of time.)

"Once everyone's evacuated, seal off the entire area A. No need to think of us. Just pretend I'm not here and give all the commanding authority to Vance."

(Roger.)

The psychokinesist was silent.

"Looks like we can't return," Sharnid said.

"I'm worried about Gorneo and Shante. We've to let them know of this," Nina said.

Karian nodded. "If they can retreat to here, at least we can gain some time. I'm counting on you."

The Head of Alchemy was looking at the empty container, numbed. Karian nodded.

Nina and Sharnid rushed out. Nina's mood had changed. This wasn't the time to think about the disappearing girl.

They ran through the abandoned house to the outside. Trees burnt everywhere around them. This was Shante's Karenkei. Even the dried leaves that filled the courtyard were burning. A number of giants were in the middle of the flame where Gorneo and Shante were.

"Sharnid, head for the roof," Nina said and cut open a path through the flame with her iron whips to stand beside Gorneo.

"You all right?"

"Ok," he said but he wasn't in his best condition.

Small wounds covered his body. Blood had seeped through his clothes. Shante wasn't injured, but she looked weakened. Nina could tell her level of concentration had dropped as she was worried about Gorneo.

"No matter how many times we kill them, they keep reviving. What terrible regenerative power."

There were eight giants here. Some carried traces of the flame. Some had a big impression in their stomachs, left behind by Gorneo's fist. Some had missing muscles in their shoulders, probably done by Shante's spear, as if the injuries were formed after an explosion. However, bubbles formed around the wounds to fill them up. The giants didn't look tired at all. But Gorneo and Shante failed to hide their exhaustion. They had fought too long.

"The filth monsters have gathered around the shelter. We can't return."

"I see."

Gorneo was not shaken at the news.

"Grendan's Military Artists are fighting in the middle of the city. The filth monsters had changed their direction afterward."

"I don't think they've fled. They're looking for a new target. Either way, the number here probably won't increase."

The giants closed in on them. Shante jumped as Gorneo kept close to the ground. Nina moved for one of the giants as if that giant had pulled her over. She knew she couldn't enter Gorneo and Shante's fight.

Sudden attacks from both sides caused confusion for the giants. Gorneo seized the chance and hammered his fist into a giant's knee. Something in it broke. The giant lost its balance and fell. Shante then stabbed her spear into the giant's enormous mouth, filling its inside with flame Kei. Fire seeped out from between the giant's teeth.

During this time, Nina had come near a giant. The giant raised a weapon that looked like a sword but it had not the sword's sharpness. But if Nina got hit by that weapon, swung by the huge body of the giant, she would easily break into pieces.

The giant saw Nina closing in on a crouch.

The giant suddenly shook. Sharnid's bullet had opened a hole in the giant's head. Nina took the chance to rush close to the giant's chest and had also chosen to destroy the giant's knee. While the giant fell, she swung upward with her second iron whip, using all of her strength to send her opponent flying.

Eliminate it........ But other giants had started to move. She could only release External Kei as she returned to the original position. She had Sharnid's support. At first, he sniped from the roof, but after that, he had moved to other locations. He probably didn't want his location exposed and ended up drawing an enemy to him. He must have made that decision looking at how the giants had moved in an organized manner.

These weren't normal filth monsters. They not only looked different but Nina realized something after having fought them for some time. At first, they attacked in pairs, making it easy for her. But they might just be confirming the number of enemy reinforcement.

"This is difficult."

"Yes, though they aren't like us, they fight with precision."

Eight giants surrounded them. It didn't seem any more giants would join in the fight. If Nina's side couldn't break through this circle, they'd be destroyed.

Bubbles filled the wounded knee and the burnt mouth of the giant that Gorneo and Shante had defeated. It stood back up. Nina's giant did the same.

"This takes forever if we don't annihilate them."

"But if we do that, other giants will attack together. That happened already," Gorneo said. He was probably injured during that time.

"A long fight is disadvantageous for us."

"Military Artists only hold the advantage of speed. We can only do it that way then."

Gorneo quickly understood her. They were now four instead of two. Three of them were to attack while Sharnid's bullet served to stall the giants. They didn't have Felli's flake with them. The flake they had was used as communication between Karian and Vance. Since they had no flake, could Sharnid understand their plan? Though Gorneo felt uneasy, he could only trust him.

"Ha!"

Shante moved. She roared and jumped high. Gorneo also ran out and headed for the giant that was regenerating. Since this giant moved the slowest, they would use it to test the strategy.

Same as before, the giant ignored Shante and concentrated on Gorneo, sweeping in with its weapon. It must have hated the attack on its legs more than the attack from above. Gorneo jumped. The weapon struck the ground. Dust and soil scattered. Gorneo met Shante in the air. He reached out with his strong arms, his palms opened. Shante stood on his hands. The two wordlessly completed their form.

Gorneo tossed her. Shante held the spear before her and flame Kei shot out from it.

"Shoudansen!"

The tip of the spear pierced through the giant's back. The flame burnt and melt the muscles surrounding the spear. The spear appeared from the giant's chest. Shante let go of the weapon and jumped back. As if following close to her, Gorneo landed.

External Burst Kei variation - Gouriki | tooru ha << Teppa >>. Totsu. [Submerging power. Dash.]

His kick connected with the spear, causing it to fly out of the giant's chest. At the same time, the Kei was driven through the spear into the giant's body to destroy it from its inside. Cracks ran through the opponent's entire body.

"Nina!" he shouted as he jumped away.

Nina was ready. She had included the dust created by the giant's strike in her calculation. Moreover, Sharnid had seized the best timing to shoot randomly to attract the attention of other giants. If that hadn't happened, both Shante and Gorneo couldn't have attacked with full power as they had to be alert on the movements of other giants.

Their combination was completed before the dust fell. Besides, the rising current of air caused by the flame prevented the dust from falling too quickly. Nina's figure vanished for one swift moment in the dust screen. If one couldn't read Kei, one could not discover her location.

Release. Internal and External Kei variation - Raijin.

She ran.

The chest of the fallen giant had started regenerating. What horrible life force. Could she completely destroy it? The doubt instantly vanished. Nina ran like lightning.

Her iron whip struck the enemy's head. The head tore off the body and flew away like cannon. The remaining body also flew out, deflected by the Kei weaving around Nina's body. The body hit somewhere hundreds of meters away. Its impact was loud. Nina shook away the remnants of Kei on herself and kicked the spear back to Shante. Though her kicking the spear was rude, it was better not to let go of her weapon in a battle. Without a complaint, Shante spun in the air to receive the spear.

Nina didn't have the confidence that her last strike had completely destroyed the giant. She also had not the time to confirm. The giants that Sharnid had distracted had gathered to attack them, as if realizing that attacking them together was the best. Seven giants came at them, giving off the feeling of a wall moving.

This wall was just too huge. They had the advantage if they were to surround one person while swinging their weapons. Moreover, both their bodies and weapons were massive, whereas Nina's side was quite small. She ran and evaded two giants. At the same time, the giants had avoided Gorneo and Shante's combined attack.

Right now, she could only choose to run away. She ran as she checked whether the giant she fell had stood back up. Gorneo was also running. Shante, since her body was lighter, was jumping from one giant's head to another, attacking their heads while she leapt.

Nina must observe. These giants were huge and powerful, but their speed paled into insignificance compared to Military Artists. Their basic characteristics were not that different from filth monsters.

As expected, it was more worrying to see Shante jump and move overhead. She was attracting the giants' attention more. Gorneo had realized this too. He judged the timing and attacked the giants to divert their attention.

They couldn't use this strategy. But how could she convey that thought to Gorneo? She hadn't got any extra time for that. It was already difficult to carry out the combined attack without a psychokinesist. How reliable a psychokinesist was.

What could they do? They couldn't use the combination strategy anymore. And even if possible; they needed to first reduce the number of enemies by half. Half....... Was there a way to defeat three giants? If this kept going, Nina's side would lose.

"Any ways......." She thought as she evaded the giants.

There were two giants on her side, three on Gorneo's and three on Shante's. Sharnid's bullets flew in between the three people to keep the formation from getting any worse. The bullets did little harm to the giants, but sometimes they hit and the impact was considerable. Perhaps he had noticed the giants' weakness. If they had a flake, they could communicate with him....... A thought flashed past her mind. But.... Who knew whether it'd work until one tried it out?

"I can only try and find out."

Whether it was Gorneo and Shante, after having run away from the giants for a while, both would want to team up with Nina and attack.

Nina finally came to the location she wanted. The giant before her moved slower than others. Shante was behind this giant with three other giants around her. If possible, Nina wanted Gorneo to take this job instead, but there wasn't enough time.

The only way was to bet on it.

She retreated from the giant but suddenly shortened the distance between them. The giant's footsteps erred because of her unpredictable movement. As its body was much larger than her, even a light kick of the foot was enough to send her flying. Nina struck its leg with the left iron whip, making it fall backward with its face skyward. She then raised the right iron whip, ignoring another giant that was heading this way opposite her. She continued to gather Kei in the weapon.

Sharnid's bullet, though weak in appearance, hit the giant. As if it had its central nervous system hit, the giant stopped its steps and its entire body twisted. It placed its weaponless hand on its chest where a thing that looked like an eyeball was buried in its muscles.

Nina studied the ball.

"Ha!" and she struck it with the right iron whip with her full strength.

The giant wailed as the ball shattered. Bubbles immediately gushed out to envelop the ball, but the giant did not stand up again. Perhaps this thing was where all the sensory organs were? She thought so. Its regenerative power was too incredible. Besides, the giant's form was similar to a human's, mistaking them to think the head was its weak point.

Sharnid's sniping helped him search for the giant's weakest point, and he had quickly taken notice of the ball. Close and long distance combat had shown their difference.

Sharnid's fire had stopped the giant and Nina had dealt it a heavy blow, destroying the ball-like thing. However, that wasn't enough to kill it and stop its entire movements.

Was this it? As she thought of the worst case scenario, Shante descended from the sky. The spear stabbed into the giant's chest.

"Ahhhhhhh!" she roared as flame Kei exploded. The giant's limbs vibrated and finally stopped.

"That ball! The chest!" Nina shouted at Shante and Gorneo. But it wasn't that easy to obliterate the giant.

"Jump!" Nina shouted.

As Shante was trying to pull the spear out of the giant's chest, she had lost some time to escape. The giant behind was closing on her. Nina leapt to stand behind Shante. The giant's weapon was high above its head. Kongoukei. She hoped that was enough.

Shante turned around but Nina had no time to look at her. She crossed the iron whips and got ready to receive the swing. Unbelievable pressure pressed down on her wrists. She could bear this. Ten seconds. This digit surfaced in the calm that was her head. She knew she didn't have enough strength to bear this pressure for a long time. Pain flared in her chest, in the location where the mask tossed by Nelphilia had melted into. Are you here? Nina asked.

No reply.

"Gu.........!"

The bones made noises in her back. The pain from her wrists shot up to her head. She was running short on time. Shante finally retrieved the spear. Gorneo had also taken action, burying his fist in the giant's chest. The giant moaned and stepped back. Nina jumped away. Shante shouted in anger and stabbed her spear at the chest where Gorneo's fist had left a trace of injury.

"Retreat!" Gorneo shouted at her. True, one's body wouldn't hold if she didn't allow her internal Kei to recover.

Doh.........

The sound of the mask stirring came from Nina's chest.

"Where can I retreat to!" Nina shouted too and was surprised at the words.

"There's no place else to run! No other way but to cut open a path myself!"

These words gushed out from the depth of her heart. Her mood changed. Anxiety, sadness, hatred......... All negative feelings turned into fury. That was why she shouted out the words. But whose feeling was it? She didn't think it was her own. It was the Haikizoku's.

"This is the crisis. We've nowhere else to run to. We can only fight. In order to protect, we must fight."

The feeling in her heart turned into these words, and this wasn't her voice. She knew this was the voice of something inside her because she wasn't used to the feeling in the words. Haikizoku.

An image floated in her mind, an image that wasn't Zuellni but was a similar battlefield. People were chased, and the city ultimately became desolate. The Military Artists didn't wear Zuellni's fighting suits. There were adults, children, old people. A group of people that weren't united and organized. The Haikizoku had been protecting the people of this city. This was the Haikizoku's memory.

Fury filled those words, but who spoke them?

"There's no other way but to fight. No other place to retreat to. We've to keep fighting and hold out the last hope for everyone. That is what only Military Artists can do!"

The Military Artists in the city that was fated to be destroyed called to each other. And the Haikizoku saw everything. It couldn't forgive itself. It could do nothing but watch. This city was its real body. These people were its most beloved. At that hour, it could do nothing but curse itself.

And that gave birth to the Haikizoku.

"Dixerio, the man who bets on the mask for his wish to revenge, is easy to understand? That thing is necessary to him, so he lets the Haikizoku keep its appearance in the mask. What about you?"

Nelphilia's words surfaced in her head.

The Haikizoku was born in the heart of revenge. Did Dixerio begin his fight due to revenge too? Was that why he fought the Wolf Faces?

Right now, the Haikizoku wanted revenge.

What about Nina? What was inside her? She knew it wasn't possible by purely following the Haikizoku's desire for revenge, as that would take away the thing that was most important to her. To follow another's heart for revenge was the same as wiping away her personality.

She felt as if she was hit by lightning when she realized this fact.

Wasn't Layfon the same?

Karian had said before when she returned from Myath and reunited with Layfon. Layfon had followed her reason to fight. He didn't fight out of his own volition. Though she didn't know whether he was the same now, he was like that when he first arrived at Zuellni. He fought, following Nina's reason. Her evaluation of such action was that "Layfon, you're already dead". But now that she was experiencing the same situation, she finally understood him.

The same as Layfon.........

Her heart shook lightly. If this could save the city........... She swallowed the weakness in her heart. No. This wasn't enough. Her instinct reproached her. She was standing on the boundary. Once she crossed over it, she'd never return.

She recalled the event when she wore the mask of the Haikizoku. Her heart had been taken over. She was told that she was bound by promises. The promise between her and the Electronic Fairy, the promise to protect it. The promise to protect Zuellni and the nameless tiny Electronic Fairy. Her first defeat in failing to fulfill the promise in Sheniebel had made her lose her life. She had always lived by promises till now. When she met Zuellni, she promised to protect her. When she met Layfon, she realized how weak she was and she promised to protect Leerin so he could fight with everything. She had to protect. This was her principle as a Military Artist.

"I...... I am me," she said as if her throat was being torn apart. "I fight for the things I'm to protect. That is the real me!"

Gorneo and Shante reacted to the giants. They were keeping the giants from her, but they were close to their limit. The giant closed in one after another. Sharnid attempted to stop their movement but none of his shots were fatal.

"I'm me. That's why I fight!"

The giant swung its weapon. However, that movement was slow in Nina's eye. She blocked the attack with the left iron whip, yet no pain and no weight pressed down on her wrist. No need to use her right hand. She bore the attack and counterattacked. The giant's body flew out. Its upper body was completely destroyed. Nina's surrounding sank into silence. Something was happening.

"....... No, this is."

She realized a green Kei had enveloped her.

"This is the Haikizoku?"

Suddenly, she felt Nelphilia laughing somewhere. But she hadn't the time to think about that now.

Another giant appeared before her. She remembered there were numerous giants at the shelter where the students were, where Leerin was.

"Please lend me your strength!" she said. The stirring of the vein answered her. The Haikizoku's reply.

Nina jumped into the group of giants and swung with her iron whips, sending each giant flying. She felled them one by one and was shocked by that strength. She annihilated them in one swift moment. Speechless air and gazes gathered on her. The green Kei still enveloped her. This meant the battle wasn't over yet.

She must protect Leerin.

Nina jumped. Her destination was the group of giants – where Leerin was. She must fulfill her promise.

"........ What's that?" Gorneo said in the sudden silence.

A huge Kei had surrounded Nina and she destroyed the enemies in an instant. He could speculate one thing from this event.

[[Image:CSR vol12 237.jpg|thumb]]

"Is that the Haikizoku?"

When his grandfather still lived, while he was in Grendan, he had once told Gorneo about it. A Haikizoku was born from an Electronic Fairy whose city was destroyed by filth monsters. Its heart harbored intense hatred and a wish for revenge. It turned all the power used to operate a city into the heart of revenge, and that was the existence of an insane Electronic Fairy.

"Does that power really exist?"

He couldn't imagine it. One couldn't obtain that power even if one was to train till one vomited blood. It wasn't that easy to just talk about an Electronic Fairy that had undergone the destruction of a city and turned into madness. He had to take into account of its feeling of having lost thousands of people. Gorneo at least possessed that level of imagination.

However, the incredulous feeling remained in him. How big was the difference between Nina with the Haikizoku and Gorneo without the Haikizoku? All he could do was stand here and watch. He really wanted to say something.

"....... Anyway, we ought to confirm whether the Student President and the Head of Alchemy are safe. Sharnid, you here?" he said to Shante and began searching for Sharnid.

Though the Captain was gone. Though he didn't know whether she continued to fight, it was better to keep Sharnid with them.

No reply. Sharnid was also one of the best users in Sakkei in Zuellni. It wouldn't be easy for Gorneo to find him.

"He's left?"

Must have followed Nina. Sharnid was unexpectedly loyal.

"........ Shante?"

He felt something strange from her. She wasn't angry, and that was in itself an unimaginable expression on her. She looked like the spear was about to fall from her hands. She was looking at a certain place.

Gorneo tried to confirm the thing she was staring at, but he saw nothing suspicious in the area inside his vision. The rising smoke wasn't enough to attract one's eyeball. Smoke was everywhere.

"What is it?"

Shante didn't reply. A bad premonition rose in him. Had she overworked her Kei vein? This was the most reasonable explanation. She might just faint. He reached for her.

Shante jumped away faster than him. Her unexpected action prevented him from reacting quickly enough. She leapt through the forest and headed for somewhere further away.

"Shante!"

Still no reply. This wasn't the usual Shante. Gorneo didn't know what to do, and he hesitated. Karian and the Head of Alchemy were still inside the abandoned house. Zuellni couldn't lose its Heads, but Shante...

"Damn!" he shouted and followed her.

The huge shadow of Grendan was right in their path, but Gorneo pretended he didn't see it.

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Chrome Shelled Regios:Volume12 Chapter4

2012-06-23T01:52:33Z

Pritesh:

===Chapter 4: The City of Spirits===

Just what had happened? No one here could understand, but they were sure that something had happened. Groups of invading filth monsters had taken over parts of Zuellni, but those filth monsters were fighting each other. They didn't seem like they were allies. The presence of the enemies was enough to seep through Nina's entire body, making her grit her teeth.

A name had come from the flake – Delbone, Grendan's messenger.

Karian had kept a flake to communicate with Felli, and that person's voice had come through that flake.

"We'll take care of the filth monsters on the ground. Please rest at ease."

The old woman's peaceful voice dispelled the ruckus in the room, a voice from heaven that exuded a relaxing breath to ease off the tension. Her words comforted them. In fact, Zuellni's Military Artists were at their limit. To be attacked in the middle of an intercity match........ Many had been injured. No one had died yet, but the number of Military Artists sustaining heavy injuries was on the rise.

They were saved! Relief showed on the faces of the members of the Student Council around Karian. But Karian himself held a complex expression. Nina was the same. Grendan's aim was the Haikizoku. The city might have other goals, but they were sure at least that the Haikizoku was its main goal. Judging from the action of the Mercenary Gang, Grendan's movements were all about retrieving the Haikizoku. Right now, no one knew where it was, though. It was originally in Nina's body, but it had gone somewhere. It might have abandoned Nina to possess another person. In that case, what would Grendan do when it realized it couldn't reach its goal? Or, what would Karian do if the Haikizoku had possessed yet another student of Zuellni? But Delbone hadn't mentioned the Haikizoku, and Nina didn't feel the old woman had any other aim. The negotiation was all about eliminating filth monsters. The psychokinesist had left right after the conversation.

Karian watched the screen on the ground, projected by the psychokinesist.

"What's happening?" he said in a small voice. This was reality but no one knew what it was. Karian called over the Head of Alchemy. This was his first time meeting him. He already knew his name, but he couldn't imagine what the other person looked like.

"This is that, isn't it?"

"I can only think so. It's a guardian beast."

"Guardian beast?" Nina cocked her head, but then she remembered.

Before Nina entered Zuellni, the students of the Alchemy course were researching on a project that got cancelled later– the Guardian Beast project. In a strange event that Felli got caught in, she was attacked by these monsters but Nina didn't see it as she arrived late to the scene. So it was a Guardian Beast? Looking from the function of a Guardian Beast, it was a monster with the body of a worm. Right now, this group of Guardian Beasts was attacking a giant.

"So they were hiding in a place that we didn't know? So many of them too?"

"Impossible! We did a thorough check of the city when the city's base collapsed. We would've found such a place if such a place existed."

"We did not investigate the underground maze though!"

Members of the Student Council said to each other.

"But a facility that can sustain so many lives needs energy! Why didn't we find out about that........." The Head of Alchemy said, thinking.

"Karian, there's a place I want to confirm."

"If possible, I want to go too!"

Some secret information flowed between Karian and the Head of Alchemy.

"But that place isn't connected to the shelter. We'll have to return to the ground."

"No problem."

The Head of Alchemy was a very thin man, but enthusiasm and passion filled his eyes. He wasn't scared of the outside at all.

"We need guards. Military Artists. Psychokinesists........ I want a platoon for this, but we don't have any that is intact. We must choose."

Karian adjusted his glasses. "Contact Vance. Since Grendan's going to eliminate the filth monsters, we can arrange some elites to be guards."

Vance came over quickly, bringing with him Gorneo and Shante. Karian walked with Vance a distance away from Nina and the rest of the people in the room before they spoke.

"Are you all right?"

On the other side, Gorneo was observing the situation.

"Grendan is here."

"What did you say!?" Nina said.

Bandages were wrapped around Gorneo's head. Blood showed on the bandages. He was surprised.

"Just what is the Haikizoku that makes the city come all the way here?"

"I'm not sure of the exact details, but Grendan is looking for the power that the Haikizoku possesses."

"You mean Grendan's government?"

"No...... Grendan itself," Gorneo shook his head. "Only few people in Grendan know of this. Originally, even the Luckens family shouldn't have known since they're not connected to the royal family. No, I myself didn't want to believe a Haikizoku existed, so I don't remember where I heard of this from."

Vance and Karian were still talking. They seemed to have gotten stuck over something in their discussion. It appeared some time was needed till they made the final decision!

"Grendan is a Haikizoku."

"What!?" she couldn't comprehend, but he didn't look like he was lying.

"It does things that other cities wouldn't do. Have I not thought of this before? I did, but I gave it up, thinking it was too ridiculous an idea. But that is the reality. Grendan is a Haikizoku!"

Yes, she remembered. When she saw Savaris in Myath. Leerin had had an encounter, then Savaris had shown up. What did he say? He said.........

"The real consciousness........."

"Is there another Electronic Fairy in Grendan?"

"I've heard of it, but only the royal family knows. Only the Luckens family is left from the first generation of Heaven's Blades."

He didn't look proud of that fact, but why was he telling her of this so easily?

"I'm Zuellni's Military Artist. Even if I'm to return to Grendan, I'm still Zuellni's," he said honestly. "I'll stand before Grendan if it has bad intention towards Zuellni........ Even I can fight against some of them."

A kind of tragic emotion was in his words, but in the next second...

"Ah!" Gorneo's head turned. Shante had suddenly leapt to sit on his shoulders. Her legs encircled his neck as she pulled on his short golden hair.

"Don't worry! We'll beat them up!"

"You're too naive!"

"Don't think so much. We just need to beat up our enemies."

Shante's quick words helped Nina relax her expression. Gorneo looked funny with his troubled expression. He was speaking to himself in a tiny voice.

Karian and Vance had finally come to a conclusion. Nina, Sharnid, Gorneo and Shante were to guard Karian and the Head of Alchemy. They went back to the surface and headed for their destination. Vance stayed in the shelter in case anything happened.

"Just us?"

Only four people. Too few to protect the key members of Zuellni's Student Council in a danger zone.

"Captain-level Military Artists are unable to fight except for you four."

"What a terrible situation!"

This was the painful truth. Nina herself might have shown her shock if Sharnid hadn't voiced his out first. She swallowed her words. This wasn't a usual time. No time to get surprised at every little thing.

"For those who don't want to rest, they'll never rest. We must carefully observe and confirm those who force themselves."

This was the reason that Vance had to stay back. His expression had always been bad, and now he looked even worse. His team was the first to fight the first wave of larvae. He fought while commanding all the other Military Artists. He probably hadn't gotten any sleep.

Nina's wrists hurt. She had received treatment but they hadn't entirely healed. However, she could now ignore the pain. Gorneo and Shante both had bandages on them. Sharnid was the only person unhurt, but his eyes were red. His vision must be overworked for having to do so much precision shooting. He had used eye drop medicine countless times, but he would still rub his eyes occasionally.

"Can we safely arrive there?" Sharnid looked at the ceiling and applied some eye drops again.

The psychokinesist had turned the sky into a map. Vance began the explanation.

"You're to leave from the E1 exit. There's a distance to the destination from E1, but that area has the fewest number of filth monsters. If the enemies come over to check the situation by sense of smell, our psychokinesists will create a magnetic barrier to control the flow of the wind, but that won't affect their vision."

"So we're to move tentatively!" Sharnid joked.

Vance nodded. "Yes. It's best if you don't get found out. We still don't know the enemy's strength. We don't know whether four injured birds can defeat them. In the long term, these things are gathering, fighting and consuming each other. We must use this chaos to our advantage and head for our destination."

"Isn't it better to stay here and wait for Grendan's help?" Gorneo asked.

Karian answered. "We still don't know their aim. With this situation, even Zuellni itself might become problematic."

"You mean the City's Electronic Fairy?"

"Yes," he nodded heavily.

Nina tensed at the possibility of something happening to Zuellni. She didn't know what Karian was planning, but she couldn't let this go if it was connected to the Electronic Fairy.

"This is the temporary route. Everyone, remember it. Got it? Then go!" Vance said.

They walked through a passage in the shelter. The aroma of food wafted to them. This was the canteen, and many students were inside, mostly women. They were probably making meals for Military Artists. The usual food eaten in a shelter was food that could last long, and this food was being cooked in the kitchen.

"We can rest a bit and eat some hot food," Karian said.

Nina saw Leerin in the canteen. The other girl had also noticed her. Nina was a bit surprised. Once the two of them got close to each other, questions surfaced. Nina's expression was dull, but that was normal for this situation. But Leerin was still bothered.

"What is it?"

"I have a mission," she replied vaguely.

Leerin looked at them. "Wait a moment." She entered the canteen and came back with a bag of stuff.

"If you're in a hurry, eat this on the way."

Sandwiches, and soup in paper cups sat in the bag.

"Thanks."

Though she wasn't hungry, she realized she hadn't eaten a thing for a long time. Nina took the bag with gratitude.

"Are you all right?"

Leerin smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine!"

But it still worried her. Leerin's attitude was the same as when Nina talked to her childhood friend. Bluffing. But there was a reason behind that attitude. She had wanted to make a carefree expression but had failed. Whose heart was more knotted? But there was no time to investigate further. Gorneo was calling her. She ran with the bag in her hand.

"Leerin, remember to see a doctor if your eye hurts!"

Leerin looked surprised. Her eye had not opened again.

Nina ran, hoping it wasn't something serious. Layfon wasn't here, and this fact surprised her. She had always believed he was here, and pain cut through her when she thought of that. What would happen to her if she didn't think this way? The soup in her mouth flowed warmth into her body.

A different air hit their nostrils the moment they left the shelter through the door. As expected, this air differed from the purified air in the shelter and the dust-filled air when fighting the larvae. The sky had turned dark. No moon or star could be seen, as if a thick cloud cover had shrouded the entire sky. Electricity had been cut off from some parts of the ground. Everywhere was dim and gloomy. Only the faint emergency lights on the streets led their way.

The sound of clashing filled the air. Filth monsters roared. But there was still some distance between the enemies and the students. Though they could fall from the sky, the number did not seem to have increased. Compared to that, the sound that had been enveloping the entire city was more stimulating. A regular rumbling brought along a bad premonition. The sound of Grendan's multi-legs.

"Let's hurry!"

How could they let the Head of the Alchemy walk ahead of them? Gorneo and Shante headed the small group. Nina and Sharnid took up the rear, and the rest were protected in the middle. Shante had strong night vision. She could see the path even without light. That ability must be innate! On the other hand, Gorneo had chosen to walk close to the emergency lights. Shante looked left and right to check whether anything had closed in on them.

The route remained unchanged. Vance's strategy to change the flow of the wind through a magnetic barrier might have been effective.

Nina was observing her surroundings, and so did Sharnid, but they didn't feel anything getting near. What was this? She was undergoing a mission, and it was the same with the city. This wasn't something simple. Things were developing while she was still in the dark. Just like the literal darkness surrounding them now. For Nina's group, they could see only very little, so they had to do all they could to survive.

Something big was happening. Would Zuellni survive? Unease continued to plague her. What about the Haikizoku? Did Grendan come just to defeat filth monsters? Not because of the Haikizoku? What would they do when Grendan realized it had failed? If that happened, Nina could only give up her body. Grendan's people didn't know how the Haikizoku worked, and Nina had deceived them. What would the situation be when they realized they had been lied to? She better take that possibility into consideration too.

"You're thinking of something again?" Sharnid asked in a small voice.

"You think simply. I can guess from that," he said to the surprised Nina as he looked around. "You're thinking of using yourself for the exchange, right? Stop that thinking! No one would be happy if you do that."

"But..........."

"Layfon's forcing himself and being reckless!"

Nina was confused at his words.

"Why's he doing that? That's important. Since he understands Grendan, then he shouldn't move recklessly! But he was like that when you weren't here."

He meant when she was in Myath. Recalling herself back then, Nina looked at Karian. He was following Gorneo. It appeared he hadn't heard them.

He had said to her before her return that Karian didn't think it possible for Layfon to fight without a reason. Hence, Layfon was only following Nina's reason for fighting, and he was doing that even now! They had to fight because they were Military Artists. But that matter-of-fact reason for Nina did not work for Layfon. He was too strong, and his birthplace was too different. He had things he wanted to protect. He betrayed to protect the people precious to him and then he was tossed away. Was she to draw that Layfon into battle? Was she the one who drew him in? She had asked herself numerous times, and so she confirmed her answer again and again. She could only ask him for his power. No one else had the power to handle the task.

"True. As a Military Artist, he really is too strong, so strong that we find it hard to stomach. He surpasses all of us. He's always acted clueless and clumsy, but he's entirely different when he fights. But how should he fight? – He never thinks of that. As long as he's set his goal, he'd probably fight even if the outcome would be defeat. That's what I think."

"That guy knows."

Layfon really was different when he trained. As long as something had to do with Military Arts, he'd become sharp and cold. People found it hard to like him when he was like that. He was saying clearly to the weaker people that they were weak. He had walked through many intense battles. He had obtained a Heaven's Blade at the age of ten. From then on, no, he had been fighting filth monsters before that. What was Nina doing before age ten? She didn't yet have her own Dite. But Layfon had already stepped into the battlefield, had already started facing cruel and cold reality. To let him fight was foolishness. Unbelievable. But Sharnid thought differently.

He sighed, "Oi, if he really understood, he wouldn't have come here."

She couldn't make a retort. Layfon had always been fighting for the orphanage. What a Military Artist earned could sustain the operation of the orphanage, but he thought it wasn't enough. He wanted to protect all the orphans in Grendan, so he participated in underground matches and consequently was exposed. A person who was a hero was not a hero in reality. Nina couldn't reproach the orphans who thought they had been betrayed. Probably even Nina herself would have condemned him like them if she was there. Sharnid was right. There might be another reason. It probably wasn't what Nina said before about his spirit, but just a more practical way to make up for his deeds in the past.

Layfon had said that he wanted to kill, but he didn't end up killing. He had the chance to kill the guy who threatened him, but he failed. Something must have stopped him. The orphans looked at him as a hero. They might have been in his mind and had stopped him – Nina thought so. But perhaps he couldn't kill him because the screen didn't manage to hide them. If the trend went the majority's way, then he couldn't kill Gahard even in broad daylight. Anyway, something must have gone wrong. That was what she thought.

"That guy's probably the same as you! He doesn't really think about the problem. To him, it's a mistake, if he doesn't face it......... You guys don't think over things, so you never change. Because you never think of whether the fight benefits you or not."

"I don't think I'm doing this for myself, besides, with me here......."

"If you really think you understand, then we ought to celebrate!"

She could only fall silent. They were now at a distance from Karian and the rest. They wanted to talk about deeper things, but this situation didn't allow them. Sharnid understood that and didn't say anything more.

They walked some distance. Still no filth monsters, but they could hear the sound of fights. And the sound of Grendan's movement was getting louder. The sound came from the direction of the Student Council building, so it was opposite from where they were. Though they couldn't see the thing on the other side, they could feel the darkness deepening.

Nina and her group walked a long circle to come to the Student Council building. The sound was close. She could tell the location of Grendan even if she didn't want to know of it. She could see Karian's face had turned stiff, but the Head of Alchemy seemed all right. He just kept moving ahead as if he was impatient for not being able to move according to plan. The clock tower that was the symbol of the Student Council emerged from the darkness. The digits on the clock shone. Light emitted from them so anyone could see them anytime. They were about to step on the path that led to the clock tower.

Shante took a step on the path, shrouded by the shadows of the trees, and stopped. The path was wide, covered by fallen leaves. The building that hid deep in a distance where the path led to was where that event had happened. The event that Felli got caught in.

Shante suddenly lowered her body, holding her spear and stared behind Nina.

(One's heading your way.)

The psychokinesist's report was a bit late.

A huge shadow accompanied by the sound of wood splitting headed for Nina.

"It's here!" Karian said.

"Nina, you cover for the Student President. I'll stop it with Shante!" Gorneo said.

Shante raised the spear. The Kei on the weapon had already painted her hair red, as if she was being burnt.

"But........"

"No time for discussion! Go!!"

The Head of Alchemy was already running for the building.

"Don't die," Karian called.

"As if?"

Nina chased after Karian. Roaring shook the entire forest. Trees fell one after another. Shante shouted and Kei exploded one by one. Nina turned her head around and kept running after the Student President. Sharnid had already reached the entrance and had readied his sniper rifle.

"Hurry and support them!" Nina thought but didn't say it. They couldn't afford to draw attention. Sharnid understood too and hadn't pulled the trigger.

Once she entered the building, Sharnid followed.

It was dark inside, but Karian and the Head of Alchemy kept forging ahead. The psychokinesist didn't know what danger lurked before them, so he moved with caution. Finally they reached the end of the building. The Head of Alchemy touched the wall, and another space opened before them.

"A false door!" Sharnid whistled.

"This is a secret research facility," Karian said.

"I see?"

Nina looked ahead, but there was no light around them. She couldn't see anything.

"Zuellni's been researching about something that came out of the Guardian Beast project. But we haven't fully investigated it."

Karian followed the Head of Alchemy into the darkness. Darkness felt like water. Once she stepped into this area, Nina felt something resisting her, and her breathing became slightly difficult. She had thought that maybe the air wasn't good in here, but she felt that couldn't be the reason.

Darkness filled Zuellni. Filth monsters conquered the surface, and the mysterious things that they fought against were here, as well as the ever closing in Grendan. The pressure that Nina felt before entering this hidden space was different from the pressure she bore now. The term "monster" surfaced in her mind. Darkness conquered Zuellni, yet the darkness here had been living within Zuellni since long ago.

Finally, something that could suppress the darkness – faint green light. The darkness was close to the source of the light, but they didn't seem to touch. Was the darkness a creature? She thought of that and was shocked at what she saw.

The source of the light was in the shape of a large container, and liquid filled its inside. This thing was emitting green light. The glass container was similar to the medical facility used to take care of heavily injured patients. No, this was probably a medical facility.

The Head of Alchemy took a step forward and stood, silent. Karian couldn't see the glass because of him, so he stepped to a side and then saw it.

"......... What is this?" Nina said. Karian was also silent. Sharnid, who used to joke around, also didn't say a word.

A very beautiful young girl was sleeping in the container. A girl with black hair and white skin. Naked, but the green liquid had covered most of her body. Her beauty was indescribable.

"Ha, hahaha.......... It's all right. It's all right!" The Head of Alchemy laughed, as if something had possessed him.

Nina looked at him, feeling something terrifying was beside her.

"Student President, this is..........."

No matter how she looked at it, this girl looked like a scientific sample.

"It is true that a failed experiment during the Guardian Beast project had caused an explosion," Karian said.

Nina looked at him. For some reason, she could see him now. It was difficult to move her gaze away from the girl.

"According to the record, the explosion had heavily damaged the underground energy net. The energy hadn't run away on a rampage, but it has remained here and become like this."

"This is.........."

"A part of Zuellni. An Electronic Fairy. That was the conclusion of the researchers back then. She's been sleeping and she has a body, but the structure of the body differs from a normal human's. The researchers had concluded it's made of a high level magnetic field, but they're not sure of the exact details."

Meaning this girl was Zuellni? But she looked different. A question floated past Nina. If this girl was part of Zuellni, then that question would definitely surface again.

When Falnir fled, it had communicated with Zuellni. No one knew what they said. But something had been decided, and Zuellni had grown. No person in existence knew of how an Electronic Fairy grew. Even Nina, who grew up in Sheniebel, didn't know. The growth of an Electronic Fairy probably denoted the city was in possession of something. If that was the hypothesis, then what did Zuellni's growth represent? A growth stage? Or had she just returned to her original form? If it was the latter, then what did it mean to regain what had been lost? But, but...........

Nina looked at the girl in the container again. Dizziness assaulted her head. It hurt. She realized she might have seen this girl before. It might just be her imagination, but that feeling remained. She had seen her somewhere. Yes, in Myath. To her, the entirety of what was unbelievable all came to her when she was in Myath. Since her mysterious encounter with Dixerio, she had touched the other end of his fate, and that had in turn changed her fate. What was going on? She still didn't get it. A force of darkness was inside her, but it might be part of the darkness that now shrouded Zuellni.

What did she see in Myath? Was this thing in Myath too? Not really. Just her imagination? But something unbelievable existed. She had to remember it quick. Since everything happened so quickly, she might have missed something. Something. Something?

Leerin.

That named surfaced in her mind. She and Leerin went to deliver the Electronic Fairy back to the Mechanical Department, and the Wolf Faces had interfered. Nina was rendered immobile because of the Haikizoku losing control......... What had happened at that time? Something had calmed the Haikizoku down. Something was behind Leerin. Savaris had called it "the true consciousness".

But why was Nina recalling that now? Because she talked about it with Gorneo in the shelter? Because she wished to connect everything? She must remember what she saw at that moment.

"What?" The Head of Alchemy said.

Everyone reacted. Nina raised her iron whips. But the sound of Gorneo fighting from the outside couldn't reach here.

The change occurred in the glass container. The Head of Alchemy stared at the measurement, and he looked as if he had been hit. What did the change in number on the measurement mean? Nina didn't understand. But his action told her it wasn't something good.

Numerous bubbles emerged in the glass container and the girl opened her eyes.

"She's awake. No way........." Karian said.

The Head of Alchemy trembled.

The girl moved. Her hand touched the glass. Next moment, all light vanished, but the green light came back straight afterwards.

The girl was missing. The Head of Alchemy gave off a shrill shout and fell background. Karian also fell as if he had lost his strength. Sharnid was the same.

Nothing happened to Nina.

"As I thought, it's better to return to my original body. Good timing that you're here. Oh, shadow. It really isn't something that other people can use! I didn't like that at all!"

Where did the voice come from?

Nina looked around. Sharnid had fallen. A force of darkness that could suppress the green light was here. A face emerged from it.

"First time meeting you, little girl."

The girl.

"You are......."

"Nelphilia, that was how people called me. No one calls me that now, but since that's the only name I have, call me Nelphilia then," she said in a joking way.

And her words seemed to suck Nina in.

"Your name?"

".......... Nina."

Hang in there. Nina encouraged herself. If she relaxed here, she'd be drawn in. That beauty was dangerous. The lightly dancing figure with her eyes opened was so beautiful.

The girl wasn't naked now. She wore black clothes. She walked over to her. Her dress swayed. The darkness seemed to sway with her too.

The ground shook, and then the entire place trembled.

Nelphilia lifted her head to look above her.

"The thing that controls the shadow is finally here!" she said.

The giant had seen it. The sensing organs in its chest flashed, only the face with the mouth looked up like a human's action. A gigantic ball-like thing floated within the darkness. It saw it, or perhaps it felt it, and then it moved. That was the only thing the giant could do.

The next moment, that thing hit the giant's chest. The impact exploded against the giant's chest. Bones shattered and muscles flew apart. Cracks spidered down the giant's entire body. The giant fell.

Countless number of thorns stood from the ball-like thing, and it was connected to a chain. The chain stretched to the outside of the city where a certain huge shape was.

A large metal ball and a long chain.

Loud noise sounded from Zuellni's ground. Next, a huge man appeared next to the metal ball. He was shorter than the giant, but he was a giant by human standard. Zuellni's "huge men" were Gorneo and Vance, but those two paled into insignificance beside this man.

Ruimei Garrand MacRing. That was this man's name.

"Ahah?" Ruimei looked underneath the metal ball. Liquid spurted from the giant. Dissatisfaction pushed his brows together. The sound of rumbling called in more giants, but he ignored them.

"What? So weak! Is this hell? She sent me out so grandly. Did I mistake her meaning? Or was she dizzy from sleep? No, hasn't she been acting like the fool usually too?"

The giant's body shivered beneath the metal ball. It was regenerating. The previous strike had not finished it. But Ruimei didn't move away.

"Look! It's not like I haven't been out! This way, even that Kalvan's foul face would look shocked?"

He stepped on the chest of the giant casually. He didn't seem to be using any strength in his foot, but the chest of the giant shattered. Sensory organs broke with the sound of glass breaking. The giant struggled and fell still.

"Stop moving, you worm."

He stepped on the face that only had a mouth on it.

"I'm talking! Listen up. Listen up! If you don't have the brain to cry and beg for mercy, then shut up and listen! Oi!!" he said to the still giant. As if satisfied that the giant wasn't moving, he swung the chain.

The chain shortened and the metal ball floated. He put it on his shoulder.

"Don't be too reckless!" Troyatte said from a far distance. When did he arrive at Zuellni? The giants that had surrounded Ruimei had yet to discover him. Who knew when? But he was now standing with Rumei.

Both of them didn't wear fighting clothes since they weren't fighting outside the city. Fighting clothes were unnecessary burdens in battles inside cities. Unlike Kalvan, the clothes would restrict their Kei flow.

"This is an Academy City? Cute boys and girls live here. They're in the shelter because of the monsters. We've to save them!"

Ruimei spat. "Your "man" isn't in there!"

"Of course, Danna! A man naturally uses his own skills to deal with any trouble. As for a woman, she ought to let a man do that for her and that means me, Troyatte!"

In his hand was a Dite in the shape of a cane.

"Let's first chase away the darkness here! It's too dark where I'm standing."

Tenkuru. Tenjuru..... Light up.

What was that guy joking about! Ruimei thought. Who cares what the name is! Besides, the name of Troyatte's technique changed according to his mood. He remembered the last time Troyatte used the name Birushana (notes: this means the light of Buddha.)

[[Image:CSR vol12 163.jpg|thumb]]

Troyatte raised his arm as he tightened his grip on the cane. Light suddenly spilled forth from Zuellni's sky. A gargantuan ball shone with light and illuminated the entire city, dispelling the darkness around them. The hour right now was noon. The light stopped at the edge of the city, where it looked like dawn.

"Light up! Light up more brightly!" Troyatte shouted.

The giants reacted to the light. They headed for the two Heaven's Blade successors.

Ruimei swung the large metal ball to strike and break apart the top half of one of the giants. The metal ball kept moving forward and destroyed more enemies to at last come to a stop on the body of an already dead giant. During this time, other giants had encircled him. They showed their fangs and attacked with the weapons in their hands.

Ruimei wasn't at all anxious. He did not retrieve the metal ball. Bare-handed, he stabbed an enemy's chest, his fingernails piercing the giant's skin, and he lifted him up with indescribable power. That giant then became his shield. Strange sounds came from the captive's mouth. His body trembled, and his arms and legs expanded in an unbelievable rate. His entire body expanded to a certain size and exploded. All the giants around Ruimei fell like weeds.

External Burst type Kei variation – Exploding Fist.

The smoke of the explosion quickly dissipated. Ruimei only sustained one burn injury, but he hadn't been defeated. He retrieved the metal ball with no expression.

Other giants had also reached Troyatte. The Heaven's Blade successor did not move. He kept his arms raised. The giants' footsteps shook the earth. Troyatte remained rooted on the spot, however, something had changed.

In the next split second, the giants were all painted with red. They were burning. Parts of their body were suddenly on fire. One had fire on his shoulder, one on his chest, one on his head.......... Flame spilled from their bodies and their muscles melted into fiery blocks. The ball of light above Troyatte's head had caused many changes during this time. Karen kei caused the density of the atmosphere to change, creating many things like magnifying glasses. Those glasses turned to the giants, readied the right angle and began to concentrate, filtering the sunlight onto the targets.

If this was just normal sunlight, many magnifying glasses were needed to generate the high heat. But this light came from Troyatte's Kei. A very destructive power. Troyatte had no problem gathering that power.

There were about ten magnifying glasses, and around Troyatte were fifty giants, gathering closer and closer. Ruimei was probably facing that many giants too.

The giants burnt one after another, but it would still take time to turn them all into a sea of fire.

"Aaa, this is annoying," Ruimei called after hammering a giant's head into pieces. "If I could destroy Zuellni, then I can take care of these things immediately."

"Danna, that's the act of a villain!" Troyatte laughed.

"Well, though it's weaker than a filth monster in its aged phase, it's stronger than a male filth monster. What mysterious half-ass. The only fearful thing is their number. If a male appears before these green Military Arts Students, they'd definitely lose."

"Because Layfon's here? Where did that little brat go off to?"

"Playing around with Savaris. Haven't seen him either."

"Foul brat."

Ruimei snorted and looked at the city. Zuellni looked different from Grendan. Grendan had many more crude buildings, whereas the buildings here lacked unity. After all, this city consisted of students who all came from different cultural backgrounds. Ruimei thought that a pretty good idea.

"I really want to destroy the city!"

"Be patient, Danna."

More giants appeared while they chatted. These giants had probably drowned the entire city. Their number must have reached 10 thousand! Delbone didn't tell them the exact number. Perhaps she knew but the Queen thought it unnecessary to relay that piece of information. Was it a terrifying number? That thought alone made Ruimei furious.

Even so, only he and Troiatte were assigned to here. Lintence and Barmelin had moved, but they were carrying out another order. Did the Queen think Ruimei and Troiatte were enough to handle this situation? But other Heaven's Blade successors were guarding the contact point. Did she think the enemies would get past to the contact point? That made him even more furious.

"I'll destroy you all. Destroy every single one of you!" he rushed for the giants with the metal ball on his shoulder.

"Oi, I'll take care of the ones that have gone past Danna!"

"As if any would get past me."

"The lively Danna wouldn't do that!"

Really. As he thought, he would be the one to destroy this city himself. The metal ball flew in amidst the group of giants.

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It was night, but the sky was unusually bright. Layfon felt that he had encountered this phenomenon before. He landed while this thought flashed past him........ He was in the outskirts of Zuellni. The feeling of desolation brushed past his skin. He shivered.

The bike didn't manage to last the entire journey. Though he thought the fight was finished, he knew a new battle had begun since Grendan made contact with Zuellni. But, no. Something wasn't right. What he felt now wasn't the feeling of desolation that appeared after the fight, and it wasn't the pressure of having to face new battles.

"Felli."

As he talked through the flake, he saw a man standing before him.

Savaris was waiting. Looking at his composed face, he probably knew of the situation too.

(This was what happened after we fought the first filth monster.........)

Felli begun to explain what had happened during the time when Layfon was away. Everything was shockingly real. Things that Layfon had never heard of. Things that he had never experienced before.

Felli continued the explanation.

Grendan's messenger – Delbone, the person who held the flake in the shape of a butterfly. Layfon immediately thought of her – even when Felli reported the name of the psychokinesist. He had only seen her a few times and remembered she was an old woman. The way she talked never changed. It wasn't impossible to interact with Delbone, but she was a difficult woman.

Grendan was here to eliminate the filth monsters. That was possible. But why had it appeared here of all places? It couldn't be interested in an Academy City! Either way, consternation seized him at how Grendan had come all the way here. He remembered himself changing many roaming buses before reaching Zuellni! Words couldn't convey the entirety of that hardship.

Grendan's aim was the Haikizoku. Savaris was also here for it.

"What about the Captain?"

"She's fine. She's carrying out a mission for my brother."

Next, she told him how the Haikizoku seemed to have left Nina's body.

What was going on? But there was no time to get the details. All he needed was to understand the situation.

"..............." he was stuck when he wanted to ask the next question. Was it appropriate to ask that question now?

(Leerin-san is also safe.)

But it seemed Felli knew what he was thinking. He felt a bit embarrassed at that, but the current situation wouldn't allow him to keep feeling awkward and shy.

"So you probably have a grip on the situation?" Savaris said.

He just stood there full of spirit. He still couldn't use his injured right arm.

"The Haikizoku has left the Captain."

But Layfon had also lost his weapon. He only had the Shim Adamantium dite with him now. The Dite was now in the shape of a Katana. Layfon could use the techniques of Psyharden since the fight with Falnir. That was a big help to him.

"Oh."

Savaris didn't move.

"But the Haikizoku won't leave the city alone, since it's facing a crisis? It'll possess someone and show itself again."

"Grendan's here."

"Yes, I was surprised too! You might not believe this, but don't you think this city, being unable to move, is connected to something?"

"The other Heaven's Blade successors will defeat them."

Night turned to day. A huge source of light flew to their position. A ball of light had miraculously appeared above Zuellni. Layfon remembered this was Troyatte's Kei. That guy was here. The person that Layfon found hard to like. For defending any city, Troyatte's Karen kei made him a hard to obtain talent.

"What a headache! But there's someone else that makes this a pain."

As Savaris had said, Layfon could also feel the Kei of another person. A rough Kei.

"Ruimei..........."

Oh no! What was the Queen thinking? Why did she send Ruimei to fight in a city? Savaris had said this before. If Ruimei wasn't cautious, he'd end up destroying the entire city, but wouldn't that crisis suit the Haikizoku?

No..........

Did the Haikizoku change after coming to Zuellni? Was this Grendan's aim? What would the Haikizoku do if Zuellni was destroyed and all its inhabitants were dead? Would it look for a new place that had Military Artists? In that case, Grendan was right here.

"Since I've left Grendan for a period of time, I wonder whether Her Majesty might have changed her mind.........." Savaris smiled as usual, but Layfon disliked that face of his.

"So what do you plan to do now? But if you drag it out, Ruimei might clean this entire place."

He was happy. This was the situation he wanted, pushing Layfon into a corner and seeking for one last full power fight with him.

"The curtain's closed for too long. About time to get serious, uh?" he lifted his left arm. His right arm still hung down by his side. Was it too hurt to move or did he do that to draw Layfon into a trap?

"You are too arrogant."

"Yes, but you have to listen. You carry the lives of all Zuellni's students with you."

What should he do? He wanted to spat out that horrible tension in him. When he first arrived in Zuellni, he just raised his sword after some consideration. Because he had found the target to protect from that time on. Nina and the 17th platoon, and Meishen, Mifi and the others. They were all his friends, as if they had replaced the children in the orphanage. But that time he faced a female filth monster and its larvae. He had the confidence to defeat them even without the Heaven's Blade. But now?

Grendan. Just the name itself made his heart heavy. The despair in him was the same as when he fought the filth monster that tossed larvae into Zuellni. He knew his situation thoroughly. This time he faced Military Artists who were the equal of him when he held a Heaven's Blade. No, these Military Artists might even surpass him in power. In addition, there were more than ten of them, and they all had lots of battle experience. Moreover, the Queen stood above them all. That mysterious light that destroyed the filth monster was definitely the Queen's move.

"It's a bit heavy for one person to bear!" Savaris laughed even though his words were that of a sympathizer.

Layfon took down the helmet and tossed it away. He raised the restored Shim Adamantium dite. Kei ran up the blade. For one split second, if he could get rid of that man and stop Ruimei....... But could he win with this weapon? If Grendan truly wanted to destroy Zuellni, beating up Ruimei was not enough. As long as the person was a Heaven's Blade successor, he could destroy the city. Ruimei was only good at large scale fights. Troyatte should be able to manage that feat. Lintence might find it a bit difficult, but that was only a psychological problem.

Zuellni's crisis would stay if he didn't defeat all Heaven's Blade successors and the Queen.

The Katana was heavy. This was the first time that he felt it to be so weighty in his hands.

But the Kei inside him was running and bursting out intensely, so intense that his entire body hurt. If he poured that Kei into the Dite now, the blade would shatter. The long fight had tired him out, but his Kei vein showed no unusual signs. What was this feeling? He didn't think he had become stronger. But it felt like he had been released from something. This might even be a power that he had unknowingly sealed within him.

Layfon's realization was plain. Savaris' smile deepened. He was elated, an expression that one would never understand if one had not fought in battle; an expression that Layfon would never make. A fight was always just a means. To aim for battle was never something Layfon would do.

What did it mean? What was different? He had no time to think of that now.

First was Savaris.

That one single thought occupied his heart.

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Chrome Shelled Regios:Volume12 Chapter4

2012-06-23T01:31:32Z

Pritesh:

===Chapter 4: The City of Spirits===

Just what had happened? No one here could understand, but they were sure that something had happened. Groups of invading filth monsters had taken over parts of Zuellni, but those filth monsters were fighting each other. They didn't seem like they were allies. The presence of the enemies was enough to seep through Nina's entire body, making her grit her teeth.

A name had come from the flake – Delbone, Grendan's messenger.

Karian had kept a flake to communicate with Felli, and that person's voice had come through that flake.

"We'll take care of the filth monsters on the ground. Please rest at ease."

The old woman's peaceful voice dispelled the ruckus in the room, a voice from heaven that exuded a relaxing breath to ease off the tension. Her words comforted them. In fact, Zuellni's Military Artists were at their limit. To be attacked in the middle of an intercity match........ Many had been injured. No one had died yet, but the number of Military Artists sustaining heavy injuries was on the rise.

They were saved! Relief showed on the faces of the members of the Student Council around Karian. But Karian himself held a complex expression. Nina was the same. Grendan's aim was the Haikizoku. The city might have other goals, but they were sure at least that the Haikizoku was its main goal. Judging from the action of the Mercenary Gang, Grendan's movements were all about retrieving the Haikizoku. Right now, no one knew where it was, though. It was originally in Nina's body, but it had gone somewhere. It might have abandoned Nina to possess another person. In that case, what would Grendan do when it realized it couldn't reach its goal? Or, what would Karian do if the Haikizoku had possessed yet another student of Zuellni? But Delbone hadn't mentioned the Haikizoku, and Nina didn't feel the old woman had any other aim. The negotiation was all about eliminating filth monsters. The psychokinesist had left right after the conversation.

Karian watched the screen on the ground, projected by the psychokinesist.

"What's happening?" he said in a small voice. This was reality but no one knew what it was. Karian called over the Head of Alchemy. This was his first time meeting him. He already knew his name, but he couldn't imagine what the other person looked like.

"This is that, isn't it?"

"I can only think so. It's a guardian beast."

"Guardian beast?" Nina cocked her head, but then she remembered.

Before Nina entered Zuellni, the students of the Alchemy course were researching on a project that got cancelled later– the Guardian Beast project. In a strange event that Felli got caught in, she was attacked by these monsters but Nina didn't see it as she arrived late to the scene. So it was a Guardian Beast? Looking from the function of a Guardian Beast, it was a monster with the body of a worm. Right now, this group of Guardian Beasts was attacking a giant.

"So they were hiding in a place that we didn't know? So many of them too?"

"Impossible! We did a thorough check of the city when the city's base collapsed. We would've found such a place if such a place existed."

"We did not investigate the underground maze though!"

Members of the Student Council said to each other.

"But a facility that can sustain so many lives needs energy! Why didn't we find out about that........." The Head of Alchemy said, thinking.

"Karian, there's a place I want to confirm."

"If possible, I want to go too!"

Some secret information flowed between Karian and the Head of Alchemy.

"But that place isn't connected to the shelter. We'll have to return to the ground."

"No problem."

The Head of Alchemy was a very thin man, but enthusiasm and passion filled his eyes. He wasn't scared of the outside at all.

"We need guards. Military Artists. Psychokinesists........ I want a platoon for this, but we don't have any that is intact. We must choose."

Karian adjusted his glasses. "Contact Vance. Since Grendan's going to eliminate the filth monsters, we can arrange some elites to be guards."

Vance came over quickly, bringing with him Gorneo and Shante. Karian walked with Vance a distance away from Nina and the rest of the people in the room before they spoke.

"Are you all right?"

On the other side, Gorneo was observing the situation.

"Grendan is here."

"What did you say!?" Nina said.

Bandages were wrapped around Gorneo's head. Blood showed on the bandages. He was surprised.

"Just what is the Haikizoku that makes the city come all the way here?"

"I'm not sure of the exact details, but Grendan is looking for the power that the Haikizoku possesses."

"You mean Grendan's government?"

"No...... Grendan itself," Gorneo shook his head. "Only few people in Grendan know of this. Originally, even the Luckens family shouldn't have known since they're not connected to the royal family. No, I myself didn't want to believe a Haikizoku existed, so I don't remember where I heard of this from."

Vance and Karian were still talking. They seemed to have gotten stuck over something in their discussion. It appeared some time was needed till they made the final decision!

"Grendan is a Haikizoku."

"What!?" she couldn't comprehend, but he didn't look like he was lying.

"It does things that other cities wouldn't do. Have I not thought of this before? I did, but I gave it up, thinking it was too ridiculous an idea. But that is the reality. Grendan is a Haikizoku!"

Yes, she remembered. When she saw Savaris in Myath. Leerin had had an encounter, then Savaris had shown up. What did he say? He said.........

"The real consciousness........."

"Is there another Electronic Fairy in Grendan?"

"I've heard of it, but only the royal family knows. Only the Luckens family is left from the first generation of Heaven's Blades."

He didn't look proud of that fact, but why was he telling her of this so easily?

"I'm Zuellni's Military Artist. Even if I'm to return to Grendan, I'm still Zuellni's," he said honestly. "I'll stand before Grendan if it has bad intention towards Zuellni........ Even I can fight against some of them."

A kind of tragic emotion was in his words, but in the next second...

"Ah!" Gorneo's head turned. Shante had suddenly leapt to sit on his shoulders. Her legs encircled his neck as she pulled on his short golden hair.

"Don't worry! We'll beat them up!"

"You're too naive!"

"Don't think so much. We just need to beat up our enemies."

Shante's quick words helped Nina relax her expression. Gorneo looked funny with his troubled expression. He was speaking to himself in a tiny voice.

Karian and Vance had finally come to a conclusion. Nina, Sharnid, Gorneo and Shante were to guard Karian and the Head of Alchemy. They went back to the surface and headed for their destination. Vance stayed in the shelter in case anything happened.

"Just us?"

Only four people. Too few to protect the key members of Zuellni's Student Council in a danger zone.

"Captain-level Military Artists are unable to fight except for you four."

"What a terrible situation!"

This was the painful truth. Nina herself might have shown her shock if Sharnid hadn't voiced his out first. She swallowed her words. This wasn't a usual time. No time to get surprised at every little thing.

"For those who don't want to rest, they'll never rest. We must carefully observe and confirm those who force themselves."

This was the reason that Vance had to stay back. His expression had always been bad, and now he looked even worse. His team was the first to fight the first wave of larvae. He fought while commanding all the other Military Artists. He probably hadn't gotten any sleep.

Nina's wrists hurt. She had received treatment but they hadn't entirely healed. However, she could now ignore the pain. Gorneo and Shante both had bandages on them. Sharnid was the only person unhurt, but his eyes were red. His vision must be overworked for having to do so much precision shooting. He had used eye drop medicine countless times, but he would still rub his eyes occasionally.

"Can we safely arrive there?" Sharnid looked at the ceiling and applied some eye drops again.

The psychokinesist had turned the sky into a map. Vance began the explanation.

"You're to leave from the E1 exit. There's a distance to the destination from E1, but that area has the fewest number of filth monsters. If the enemies come over to check the situation by sense of smell, our psychokinesists will create a magnetic barrier to control the flow of the wind, but that won't affect their vision."

"So we're to move tentatively!" Sharnid joked.

Vance nodded. "Yes. It's best if you don't get found out. We still don't know the enemy's strength. We don't know whether four injured birds can defeat them. In the long term, these things are gathering, fighting and consuming each other. We must use this chaos to our advantage and head for our destination."

"Isn't it better to stay here and wait for Grendan's help?" Gorneo asked.

Karian answered. "We still don't know their aim. With this situation, even Zuellni itself might become problematic."

"You mean the City's Electronic Fairy?"

"Yes," he nodded heavily.

Nina tensed at the possibility of something happening to Zuellni. She didn't know what Karian was planning, but she couldn't let this go if it was connected to the Electronic Fairy.

"This is the temporary route. Everyone, remember it. Got it? Then go!" Vance said.

They walked through a passage in the shelter. The aroma of food wafted to them. This was the canteen, and many students were inside, mostly women. They were probably making meals for Military Artists. The usual food eaten in a shelter was food that could last long, and this food was being cooked in the kitchen.

"We can rest a bit and eat some hot food," Karian said.

Nina saw Leerin in the canteen. The other girl had also noticed her. Nina was a bit surprised. Once the two of them got close to each other, questions surfaced. Nina's expression was dull, but that was normal for this situation. But Leerin was still bothered.

"What is it?"

"I have a mission," she replied vaguely.

Leerin looked at them. "Wait a moment." She entered the canteen and came back with a bag of stuff.

"If you're in a hurry, eat this on the way."

Sandwiches, and soup in paper cups sat in the bag.

"Thanks."

Though she wasn't hungry, she realized she hadn't eaten a thing for a long time. Nina took the bag with gratitude.

"Are you all right?"

Leerin smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine!"

But it still worried her. Leerin's attitude was the same as when Nina talked to her childhood friend. Bluffing. But there was a reason behind that attitude. She had wanted to make a carefree expression but had failed. Whose heart was more knotted? But there was no time to investigate further. Gorneo was calling her. She ran with the bag in her hand.

"Leerin, remember to see a doctor if your eye hurts!"

Leerin looked surprised. Her eye had not opened again.

Nina ran, hoping it wasn't something serious. Layfon wasn't here, and this fact surprised her. She had always believed he was here, and pain cut through her when she thought of that. What would happen to her if she didn't think this way? The soup in her mouth flowed warmth into her body.

A different air hit their nostrils the moment they left the shelter through the door. As expected, this air differed from the purified air in the shelter and the dust-filled air when fighting the larvae. The sky had turned dark. No moon or star could be seen, as if a thick cloud cover had shrouded the entire sky. Electricity had been cut off from some parts of the ground. Everywhere was dim and gloomy. Only the faint emergency lights on the streets led their way.

The sound of clashing filled the air. Filth monsters roared. But there was still some distance between the enemies and the students. Though they could fall from the sky, the number did not seem to have increased. Compared to that, the sound that had been enveloping the entire city was more stimulating. A regular rumbling brought along a bad premonition. The sound of Grendan's multi-legs.

"Let's hurry!"

How could they let the Head of the Alchemy walk ahead of them? Gorneo and Shante headed the small group. Nina and Sharnid took up the rear, and the rest were protected in the middle. Shante had strong night vision. She could see the path even without light. That ability must be innate! On the other hand, Gorneo had chosen to walk close to the emergency lights. Shante looked left and right to check whether anything had closed in on them.

The route remained unchanged. Vance's strategy to change the flow of the wind through a magnetic barrier might have been effective.

Nina was observing her surroundings, and so did Sharnid, but they didn't feel anything getting near. What was this? She was undergoing a mission, and it was the same with the city. This wasn't something simple. Things were developing while she was still in the dark. Just like the literal darkness surrounding them now. For Nina's group, they could see only very little, so they had to do all they could to survive.

Something big was happening. Would Zuellni survive? Unease continued to plague her. What about the Haikizoku? Did Grendan come just to defeat filth monsters? Not because of the Haikizoku? What would they do when Grendan realized it had failed? If that happened, Nina could only give up her body. Grendan's people didn't know how the Haikizoku worked, and Nina had deceived them. What would the situation be when they realized they had been lied to? She better take that possibility into consideration too.

"You're thinking of something again?" Sharnid asked in a small voice.

"You think simply. I can guess from that," he said to the surprised Nina as he looked around. "You're thinking of using yourself for the exchange, right? Stop that thinking! No one would be happy if you do that."

"But..........."

"Layfon's forcing himself and being reckless!"

Nina was confused at his words.

"Why's he doing that? That's important. Since he understands Grendan, then he shouldn't move recklessly! But he was like that when you weren't here."

He meant when she was in Myath. Recalling herself back then, Nina looked at Karian. He was following Gorneo. It appeared he hadn't heard them.

He had said to her before her return that Karian didn't think it possible for Layfon to fight without a reason. Hence, Layfon was only following Nina's reason for fighting, and he was doing that even now! They had to fight because they were Military Artists. But that matter-of-fact reason for Nina did not work for Layfon. He was too strong, and his birthplace was too different. He had things he wanted to protect. He betrayed to protect the people precious to him and then he was tossed away. Was she to draw that Layfon into battle? Was she the one who drew him in? She had asked herself numerous times, and so she confirmed her answer again and again. She could only ask him for his power. No one else had the power to handle the task.

"True. As a Military Artist, he really is too strong, so strong that we find it hard to stomach. He surpasses all of us. He's always acted clueless and clumsy, but he's entirely different when he fights. But how should he fight? – He never thinks of that. As long as he's set his goal, he'd probably fight even if the outcome would be defeat. That's what I think."

"That guy knows."

Layfon really was different when he trained. As long as something had to do with Military Arts, he'd become sharp and cold. People found it hard to like him when he was like that. He was saying clearly to the weaker people that they were weak. He had walked through many intense battles. He had obtained a Heaven's Blade at the age of ten. From then on, no, he had been fighting filth monsters before that. What was Nina doing before age ten? She didn't yet have her own Dite. But Layfon had already stepped into the battlefield, had already started facing cruel and cold reality. To let him fight was foolishness. Unbelievable. But Sharnid thought differently.

He sighed, "Oi, if he really understood, he wouldn't have come here."

She couldn't make a retort. Layfon had always been fighting for the orphanage. What a Military Artist earned could sustain the operation of the orphanage, but he thought it wasn't enough. He wanted to protect all the orphans in Grendan, so he participated in underground matches and consequently was exposed. A person who was a hero was not a hero in reality. Nina couldn't reproach the orphans who thought they had been betrayed. Probably even Nina herself would have condemned him like them if she was there. Sharnid was right. There might be another reason. It probably wasn't what Nina said before about his spirit, but just a more practical way to make up for his deeds in the past.

Layfon had said that he wanted to kill, but he didn't end up killing. He had the chance to kill the guy who threatened him, but he failed. Something must have stopped him. The orphans looked at him as a hero. They might have been in his mind and had stopped him – Nina thought so. But perhaps he couldn't kill him because the screen didn't manage to hide them. If the trend went the majority's way, then he couldn't kill Gahard even in broad daylight. Anyway, something must have gone wrong. That was what she thought.

"That guy's probably the same as you! He doesn't really think about the problem. To him, it's a mistake, if he doesn't face it......... You guys don't think over things, so you never change. Because you never think of whether the fight benefits you or not."

"I don't think I'm doing this for myself, besides, with me here......."

"If you really think you understand, then we ought to celebrate!"

She could only fall silent. They were now at a distance from Karian and the rest. They wanted to talk about deeper things, but this situation didn't allow them. Sharnid understood that and didn't say anything more.

They walked some distance. Still no filth monsters, but they could hear the sound of fights. And the sound of Grendan's movement was getting louder. The sound came from the direction of the Student Council building, so it was opposite from where they were. Though they couldn't see the thing on the other side, they could feel the darkness deepening.

Nina and her group walked a long circle to come to the Student Council building. The sound was close. She could tell the location of Grendan even if she didn't want to know of it. She could see Karian's face had turned stiff, but the Head of Alchemy seemed all right. He just kept moving ahead as if he was impatient for not being able to move according to plan. The clock tower that was the symbol of the Student Council emerged from the darkness. The digits on the clock shone. Light emitted from them so anyone could see them anytime. They were about to step on the path that led to the clock tower.

Shante took a step on the path, shrouded by the shadows of the trees, and stopped. The path was wide, covered by fallen leaves. The building that hid deep in a distance where the path led to was where that event had happened. The event that Felli got caught in.

Shante suddenly lowered her body, holding her spear and stared behind Nina.

(One's heading your way.)

The psychokinesist's report was a bit late.

A huge shadow accompanied by the sound of wood splitting headed for Nina.

"It's here!" Karian said.

"Nina, you cover for the Student President. I'll stop it with Shante!" Gorneo said.

Shante raised the spear. The Kei on the weapon had already painted her hair red, as if she was being burnt.

"But........"

"No time for discussion! Go!!"

The Head of Alchemy was already running for the building.

"Don't die," Karian called.

"As if?"

Nina chased after Karian. Roaring shook the entire forest. Trees fell one after another. Shante shouted and Kei exploded one by one. Nina turned her head around and kept running after the Student President. Sharnid had already reached the entrance and had readied his sniper rifle.

"Hurry and support them!" Nina thought but didn't say it. They couldn't afford to draw attention. Sharnid understood too and hadn't pulled the trigger.

Once she entered the building, Sharnid followed.

It was dark inside, but Karian and the Head of Alchemy kept forging ahead. The psychokinesist didn't know what danger lurked before them, so he moved with caution. Finally they reached the end of the building. The Head of Alchemy touched the wall, and another space opened before them.

"A false door!" Sharnid whistled.

"This is a secret research facility," Karian said.

"I see?"

Nina looked ahead, but there was no light around them. She couldn't see anything.

"Zuellni's been researching about something that came out of the Guardian Beast project. But we haven't fully investigated it."

Karian followed the Head of Alchemy into the darkness. Darkness felt like water. Once she stepped into this area, Nina felt something resisting her, and her breathing became slightly difficult. She had thought that maybe the air wasn't good in here, but she felt that couldn't be the reason.

Darkness filled Zuellni. Filth monsters conquered the surface, and the mysterious things that they fought against were here, as well as the ever closing in Grendan. The pressure that Nina felt before entering this hidden space was different from the pressure she bore now. The term "monster" surfaced in her mind. Darkness conquered Zuellni, yet the darkness here had been living within Zuellni since long ago.

Finally, something that could suppress the darkness – faint green light. The darkness was close to the source of the light, but they didn't seem to touch. Was the darkness a creature? She thought of that and was shocked at what she saw.

The source of the light was in the shape of a large container, and liquid filled its inside. This thing was emitting green light. The glass container was similar to the medical facility used to take care of heavily injured patients. No, this was probably a medical facility.

The Head of Alchemy took a step forward and stood, silent. Karian couldn't see the glass because of him, so he stepped to a side and then saw it.

"......... What is this?" Nina said. Karian was also silent. Sharnid, who used to joke around, also didn't say a word.

A very beautiful young girl was sleeping in the container. A girl with black hair and white skin. Naked, but the green liquid had covered most of her body. Her beauty was indescribable.

"Ha, hahaha.......... It's all right. It's all right!" The Head of Alchemy laughed, as if something had possessed him.

Nina looked at him, feeling something terrifying was beside her.

"Student President, this is..........."

No matter how she looked at it, this girl looked like a scientific sample.

"It is true that a failed experiment during the Guardian Beast project had caused an explosion," Karian said.

Nina looked at him. For some reason, she could see him now. It was difficult to move her gaze away from the girl.

"According to the record, the explosion had heavily damaged the underground energy net. The energy hadn't run away on a rampage, but it has remained here and become like this."

"This is.........."

"A part of Zuellni. An Electronic Fairy. That was the conclusion of the researchers back then. She's been sleeping and she has a body, but the structure of the body differs from a normal human's. The researchers had concluded it's made of a high level magnetic field, but they're not sure of the exact details."

Meaning this girl was Zuellni? But she looked different. A question floated past Nina. If this girl was part of Zuellni, then that question would definitely surface again.

When Falnir fled, it had communicated with Zuellni. No one knew what they said. But something had been decided, and Zuellni had grown. No person in existence knew of how an Electronic Fairy grew. Even Nina, who grew up in Sheniebel, didn't know. The growth of an Electronic Fairy probably denoted the city was in possession of something. If that was the hypothesis, then what did Zuellni's growth represent? A growth stage? Or had she just returned to her original form? If it was the latter, then what did it mean to regain what had been lost? But, but...........

Nina looked at the girl in the container again. Dizziness assaulted her head. It hurt. She realized she might have seen this girl before. It might just be her imagination, but that feeling remained. She had seen her somewhere. Yes, in Myath. To her, the entirety of what was unbelievable all came to her when she was in Myath. Since her mysterious encounter with Dixerio, she had touched the other end of his fate, and that had in turn changed her fate. What was going on? She still didn't get it. A force of darkness was inside her, but it might be part of the darkness that now shrouded Zuellni.

What did she see in Myath? Was this thing in Myath too? Not really. Just her imagination? But something unbelievable existed. She had to remember it quick. Since everything happened so quickly, she might have missed something. Something. Something?

Leerin.

That named surfaced in her mind. She and Leerin went to deliver the Electronic Fairy back to the Mechanical Department, and the Wolf Faces had interfered. Nina was rendered immobile because of the Haikizoku losing control......... What had happened at that time? Something had calmed the Haikizoku down. Something was behind Leerin. Savaris had called it "the true consciousness".

But why was Nina recalling that now? Because she talked about it with Gorneo in the shelter? Because she wished to connect everything? She must remember what she saw at that moment.

"What?" The Head of Alchemy said.

Everyone reacted. Nina raised her iron whips. But the sound of Gorneo fighting from the outside couldn't reach here.

The change occurred in the glass container. The Head of Alchemy stared at the measurement, and he looked as if he had been hit. What did the change in number on the measurement mean? Nina didn't understand. But his action told her it wasn't something good.

Numerous bubbles emerged in the glass container and the girl opened her eyes.

"She's awake. No way........." Karian said.

The Head of Alchemy trembled.

The girl moved. Her hand touched the glass. Next moment, all light vanished, but the green light came back straight afterwards.

The girl was missing. The Head of Alchemy gave off a shrill shout and fell background. Karian also fell as if he had lost his strength. Sharnid was the same.

Nothing happened to Nina.

"As I thought, it's better to return to my original body. Good timing that you're here. Oh, shadow. It really isn't something that other people can use! I didn't like that at all!"

Where did the voice come from?

Nina looked around. Sharnid had fallen. A force of darkness that could suppress the green light was here. A face emerged from it.

"First time meeting you, little girl."

The girl.

"You are......."

"Nelphilia, that was how people called me. No one calls me that now, but since that's the only name I have, call me Nelphilia then," she said in a joking way.

And her words seemed to suck Nina in.

"Your name?"

".......... Nina."

Hang in there. Nina encouraged herself. If she relaxed here, she'd be drawn in. That beauty was dangerous. The lightly dancing figure with her eyes opened was so beautiful.

The girl wasn't naked now. She wore black clothes. She walked over to her. Her dress swayed. The darkness seemed to sway with her too.

The ground shook, and then the entire place trembled.

Nelphilia lifted her head to look above her.

"The thing that controls the shadow is finally here!" she said.

The giant had seen it. The sensing organs in its chest flashed, only the face with the mouth looked up like a human's action. A gigantic ball-like thing floated within the darkness. It saw it, or perhaps it felt it, and then it moved. That was the only thing the giant could do.

The next moment, that thing hit the giant's chest. The impact exploded against the giant's chest. Bones shattered and muscles flew apart. Cracks spidered down the giant's entire body. The giant fell.

Countless number of thorns stood from the ball-like thing, and it was connected to a chain. The chain stretched to the outside of the city where a certain huge shape was.

A large metal ball and a long chain.

Loud noise sounded from Zuellni's ground. Next, a huge man appeared next to the metal ball. He was shorter than the giant, but he was a giant by human standard. Zuellni's "huge men" were Gorneo and Vance, but those two paled into insignificance beside this man.

Ruimei Garrand MacRing. That was this man's name.

"Ahah?" Ruimei looked underneath the metal ball. Liquid spurted from the giant. Dissatisfaction pushed his brows together. The sound of rumbling called in more giants, but he ignored them.

"What? So weak! Is this hell? She sent me out so grandly. Did I mistake her meaning? Or was she dizzy from sleep? No, hasn't she been acting like the fool usually too?"

The giant's body shivered beneath the metal ball. It was regenerating. The previous strike had not finished it. But Ruimei didn't move away.

"Look! It's not like I haven't been out! This way, even that Kalvan's foul face would look shocked?"

He stepped on the chest of the giant casually. He didn't seem to be using any strength in his foot, but the chest of the giant shattered. Sensory organs broke with the sound of glass breaking. The giant struggled and fell still.

"Stop moving, you worm."

He stepped on the face that only had a mouth on it.

"I'm talking! Listen up. Listen up! If you don't have the brain to cry and beg for mercy, then shut up and listen! Oi!!" he said to the still giant. As if satisfied that the giant wasn't moving, he swung the chain.

The chain shortened and the metal ball floated. He put it on his shoulder.

"Don't be too reckless!" Troyatte said from a far distance. When did he arrive at Zuellni? The giants that had surrounded Ruimei had yet to discover him. Who knew when? But he was now standing with Rumei.

Both of them didn't wear fighting clothes since they weren't fighting outside the city. Fighting clothes were unnecessary burdens in battles inside cities. Unlike Kalvan, the clothes would restrict their Kei flow.

"This is an Academy City? Cute boys and girls live here. They're in the shelter because of the monsters. We've to save them!"

Ruimei spat. "Your "man" isn't in there!"

"Of course, Danna! A man naturally uses his own skills to deal with any trouble. As for a woman, she ought to let a man do that for her and that means me, Troyatte!"

In his hand was a Dite in the shape of a cane.

"Let's first chase away the darkness here! It's too dark where I'm standing."

Tenkuru. Tenjuru..... Light up.

What was that guy joking about! Ruimei thought. Who cares what the name is! Besides, the name of Troyatte's technique changed according to his mood. He remembered the last time Troyatte used the name Birushana (notes: this means the light of Buddha.)

[[Image:CSR vol12 163.jpg|thumb]]

Troyatte raised his arm as he tightened his grip on the cane. Light suddenly spilled forth from Zuellni's sky. A gargantuan ball shone with light and illuminated the entire city, dispelling the darkness around them. The hour right now was noon. The light stopped at the edge of the city, where it looked like dawn.

"Light up! Light up more brightly!" Troyatte shouted.

The giants reacted to the light. They headed for the two Heaven's Blade successors.

Ruimei swung the large metal ball to strike and break apart the top half of one of the giants. The metal ball kept moving forward and destroyed more enemies to at last come to a stop on the body of an already dead giant. During this time, other giants had encircled him. They showed their fangs and attacked with the weapons in their hands.

Ruimei wasn't at all anxious. He did not retrieve the metal ball. Bare-handed, he stabbed an enemy's chest, his fingernails piercing the giant's skin, and he lifted him up with indescribable power. That giant then became his shield. Strange sounds came from the captive's mouth. His body trembled, and his arms and legs expanded in an unbelievable rate. His entire body expanded to a certain size and exploded. All the giants around Ruimei fell like weeds.

External Burst type Kei variation – Exploding Fist.

The smoke of the explosion quickly dissipated. Ruimei only sustained one burn injury, but he hadn't been defeated. He retrieved the metal ball with no expression.

Other giants had also reached Troyatte. The Heaven's Blade successor did not move. He kept his arms raised. The giants' footsteps shook the earth. Troyatte remained rooted on the spot, however, something had changed.

In the next split second, the giants were all painted with red. They were burning. Parts of their body were suddenly on fire. One had fire on his shoulder, one on his chest, one on his head.......... Flame spilled from their bodies and their muscles melted into fiery blocks. The ball of light above Troyatte's head had caused many changes during this time. Karen kei caused the density of the atmosphere to change, creating many things like magnifying glasses. Those glasses turned to the giants, readied the right angle and began to concentrate, filtering the sunlight onto the targets.

If this was just normal sunlight, many magnifying glasses were needed to generate the high heat. But this light came from Troyatte's Kei. A very destructive power. Troyatte had no problem gathering that power.

There were about ten magnifying glasses, and around Troyatte were fifty giants, gathering closer and closer. Ruimei was probably facing that many giants too.

The giants burnt one after another, but it would still take time to turn them all into a sea of fire.

"Aaa, this is annoying," Ruimei called after hammering a giant's head into pieces. "If I could destroy Zuellni, then I can take care of these things immediately."

"Danna, that's the act of a villain!" Troyatte laughed.

"Well, though it's weaker than a filth monster in its aged phase, it's stronger than a male filth monster. What mysterious half-ass. The only fearful thing is their number. If a male appears before these green Military Arts Students, they'd definitely lose."

"Because Layfon's here? Where did that little brat go off to?"

"Playing around with Savaris. Haven't seen him either."

"Foul brat."

Ruimei snorted and looked at the city. Zuellni looked different from Grendan. Grendan had many more crude buildings, whereas the buildings here lacked unity. After all, this city consisted of students who all came from different cultural backgrounds. Ruimei thought that a pretty good idea.

"I really want to destroy the city!"

"Be patient, Danna."

More giants appeared while they chatted. These giants had probably drowned the entire city. Their number must have reached 10 thousand! Delbone didn't tell them the exact number. Perhaps she knew but the Queen thought it unnecessary to relay that piece of information. Was it a terrifying number? That thought alone made Ruimei furious.

Even so, only he and Troiatte were assigned to here. Lintence and Barmelin had moved, but they were carrying out another order. Did the Queen think Ruimei and Troiatte were enough to handle this situation? But other Heaven's Blade successors were guarding the contact point. Did she think the enemies would get past to the contact point? That made him even more furious.

"I'll destroy you all. Destroy every single one of you!" he rushed for the giants with the metal ball on his shoulder.

"Oi, I'll take care of the ones that have gone past Danna!"

"As if any would get past me."

"The lively Danna wouldn't do that!"

Really. As he thought, he would be the one to destroy this city himself. The metal ball flew in amidst the group of giants.

<center>◇</center>

It was night, but the sky was unusually bright. Layfon felt that he had encountered this phenomenon before. He landed while this thought flashed past him........ He was in the outskirts of Zuellni. The feeling of desolation brushed past his skin. He shivered.

The bike didn't manage to last the entire journey. Though he thought the fight was finished, he knew a new battle had begun since Grendan made contact with Zuellni. But, no. Something wasn't right. What he felt now wasn't the feeling of desolation that appeared after the fight, and it wasn't the pressure of having to face new battles.

"Felli."

As he talked through the flake, he saw a man standing before him.

Savaris was waiting. Looking at his composed face, he probably knew of the situation too.

(This was what happened after we fought the first filth monster.........)

Felli begun to explain what had happened during the time when Layfon was away. Everything was shockingly real. Things that Layfon had never heard of. Things that he had never experienced before.

Felli continued the explanation.

Grendan's messenger – Delbone, the person who held the flake in the shape of a butterfly. Layfon immediately thought of her – even when Felli reported the name of the psychokinesist. He had only seen her a few times and remembered she was an old woman. The way she talked never changed. It wasn't impossible to interact with Delbone, but she was a difficult woman.

Grendan was here to eliminate the filth monsters. That was possible. But why had it appeared here of all places? It couldn't be interested in an Academy City! Either way, consternation seized him at how Grendan had come all the way here. He remembered himself changing many roaming buses before reaching Zuellni! Words couldn't convey the entirety of that hardship.

Grendan's aim was the Haikizoku. Savaris was also here for it.

"What about the Captain?"

"She's fine. She's carrying out a mission for my brother."

Next, she told him how the Haikizoku seemed to have left Nina's body.

What was going on? But there was no time to get the details. All he needed was to understand the situation.

"..............." he was stuck when he wanted to ask the next question. Was it appropriate to ask that question now?

(Leerin-san is also safe.)

But it seemed Felli knew what he was thinking. He felt a bit embarrassed at that, but the current situation wouldn't allow him to keep feeling awkward and shy.

"So you probably have a grip on the situation?" Savaris said.

He just stood there full of spirit. He still couldn't use his injured right arm.

"The Haikizoku has left the Captain."

But Layfon had also lost his weapon. He only had the Shim Adamantium dite with him now. The Dite was now in the shape of a Katana. Layfon could use the techniques of Psyharden since the fight with Falnir. That was a big help to him.

"Oh."

Savaris didn't move.

"But the Haikizoku won't leave the city alone, since it's facing a crisis? It'll possess someone and show itself again."

"Grendan's here."

"Yes, I was surprised too! You might not believe this, but don't you think this city, being unable to move, is connected to something?"

"The other Heaven's Blade successors will defeat them."

Night turned to day. A huge source of light flew to their position. A ball of light had miraculously appeared above Zuellni. Layfon remembered this was Troyatte's Kei. That guy was here. The person that Layfon found hard to like. For defending any city, Troyatte's Karen kei made him a hard to obtain talent.

"What a headache! But there's someone else that makes this a pain."

As Savaris had said, Layfon could also feel the Kei of another person. A rough Kei.

"Ruimei..........."

Oh no! What was the Queen thinking? Why did she send Ruimei to fight in a city? Savaris had said this before. If Ruimei wasn't cautious, he'd end up destroying the entire city, but wouldn't that crisis suit the Haikizoku?

No..........

Did the Haikizoku change after coming to Zuellni? Was this Grendan's aim? What would the Haikizoku do if Zuellni was destroyed and all its inhabitants were dead? Would it look for a new place that had Military Artists? In that case, Grendan was right here.

"Since I've left Grendan for a period of time, I wonder whether Her Majesty might have changed her mind.........." Savaris smiled as usual, but Layfon disliked that face of his.

"So what do you plan to do now? But if you drag it out, Ruimei might clean this entire place."

He was happy. This was the situation he wanted, pushing Layfon into a corner and seeking for one last full power fight with him.

"The curtain's closed for too long. About time to get serious, uh?" he lifted his left arm. His right arm still hung down by his side. Was it too hurt to move or did he do that to draw Layfon into a trap?

"You are too arrogant."

"Yes, but you have to listen. You carry the lives of all Zuellni's students with you."

What should he do? He wanted to spat out that horrible tension in him. When he first arrived in Zuellni, he just raised his sword after some consideration. Because he had found the target to protect from that time on. Nina and the 17th platoon, and Meishen, Mifi and the others. They were all his friends, as if they had replaced the children in the orphanage. But that time he faced a female filth monster and its larvae. He had the confidence to defeat them even without the Heaven's Blade. But now?

Grendan. Just the name itself made his heart heavy. The despair in him was the same as when he fought the filth monster that tossed larvae into Zuellni. He knew his situation thoroughly. This time he faced Military Artists who were the equal of him when he held a Heaven's Blade. No, these Military Artists might even surpass him in power. In addition, there were more than ten of them, and they all had lots of battle experience. Moreover, the Queen stood above them all. That mysterious light that destroyed the filth monster was definitely the Queen's move.

"It's a bit heavy for one person to bear!" Savaris laughed even though his words were that of a sympathizer.

Layfon took down the helmet and tossed it away. He raised the restored Shimu Adamandite. Kei ran up the blade. For one split second, if he could get rid of that man and stop Ruimei....... But could he win with this weapon? If Grendan truly wanted to destroy Zuellni, beating up Ruimei was not enough. As long as the person was a Heaven's Blade successor, he could destroy the city. Ruimei was only good at large scale fights. Troiatte should be able to manage that feat. Lintence might find it a bit difficult, but that was only a psychological problem.

Zuellni's crisis would stay if he didn't defeat all Heaven's Blade successors and the Queen.

The Katana was heavy. This was the first time that he felt it to be so weighty in his hands.

But the Kei inside him was running and bursting out intensely, so intense that his entire body hurt. If he poured that Kei into the Dite now, the blade would shatter. The long fight had tired him out, but his Kei vein showed no unusual signs. What was this feeling? He didn't think he had become stronger. But it felt like he had been released from something. This might even be a power that he had unknowingly sealed within him.

Layfon's realization was plain. Savaris' smile deepened. He was elated, an expression that one would never understand if one had not fought in battle; an expression that Layfon would never make. A fight was always just a means. To aim for battle was never something Layfon would do.

What did it mean? What was different? He had no time to think of that now.

First was Savaris.

That one single thought occupied his heart.

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User:Pritesh

2012-06-21T16:48:29Z

Pritesh: Created page with "hi friends, i wanted to contribute and so i decided to help through editing. english is not my mother language so i can't say i'm good at it. i just somehow manage it. While re..."

hi friends, i wanted to contribute and so i decided to help through editing. english is not my mother language so i can't say i'm good at it. i just somehow manage it.

While reading translations at baka tsuki, i felt that even i can be of some help. my efforts are constricted by the fact that i have no knowledge of chinese/japanese. so the amount i can edit is very limited. i hope you forgive me for the mistakes that i make. i'll be in your care.

You can contact me at baka-tsuki or anime-tsuki. i have the same user name there. you can mail me at meetpriteshgoswami@gmail.com