Editing City Series:Volume3a Chapter 4 (section)

===Part 1===

Mong Kok’s Ladies’ Street was busy even early in the morning.

That shopping district was filled with stores for women and a single Live dominated the area.

“Shopping!”

That was everything.

Hong Kong’s return to China was only half a month away, but the city showed no sign of decline.

That may have been because the current system would continue for fifty years after the return. Or perhaps they were confident they could move to some other land even if they lost their stores.

At first glance, no one would suspect the return was so near.

But a closer examination showed posters put up around the streets.

They said things like, “Attention! Find great bargains at the night festival celebrating the coming return to China!”

To the people living in the city, the change of ownership was apparently nothing more than an excuse for a festival

Excitement was clearly filling the city as the event drew near.

The city’s Live performance grew day by day and it would occasionally give off a sharp, firecracker-like Live.

This was a problem for anyone sensitive to Lives.

“Can’t they keep it down?” complained Akira while lying in her apartment’s bed.

She had the night shift today, so she had to leave at six PM. It had only been one the last time she had checked the clock, so she wanted to sleep some more if she could.

…''I drank way too much last night.

After the General had taken her back in his tank, she had been stuck writing one hundred pages of written apologies for destroying Tsim Sha Tsui so spectacularly.

Partway through, she had taken a dinner break and eaten with Gunmal as he briefly skipped out on his questioning.

After finishing the written apologies, she had left to go drinking with Gunmal who had returned from the catacombs.

After eating, drinking, and enjoying herself, she had cheerfully parted ways with him at past five in the morning.

…''I feel like I spent all day yesterday complaining to him.

Remembering it cleared her head. Reality returned to her senses.

The white sensation of the sheets felt good on her bare skin.

She always slept in the nude. In the past, she had worn special Nein Engel pajamas with a hole in the back, but she had not liked how they felt.

…''And anything that covers the wings is out of the question.

With that thought, she gently moved her wings.

That pushed away the blanket covering her.

“Ugh.”

That seemed to be telling her to get up.

…''Come to think of it, I haven’t been taking time out for morning training recently.

She had watched what her mother did when she was younger and started training her Tuning every morning.

When washing her face, she would Tune the water flowing from the tap.

She would make birds or beasts from the water and blow life into them.

Even if it was simply training, it was no easy task. Even now, she sometimes ended up with water covering the room.

…''If I keep doing that…I won’t end up like mom or dad.

To ensure that, she had to gain even more skill than she had now.

And if she did that…

…''I can send out a dragon, heal the city, and bring everyone together. And…

“Right.”

She remembered the night before last.

She remembered feeling the death of J-Gun’s Live as she held his hand.

His Word Color and Tempo had vanished and grown clear. It had all been replaced with death.

She had seen it with her eyes, heard it with her ears, and felt it in her heart.

It had felt like eliminating the refreshing side of water and being left with something heavy, flowing, and impossible to grab.

She subconsciously clenched her fist and felt that same sensation inside it.

…''If that happens again…will I be able to save them?

At that point, she felt a chill that seemed to sap her of all strength.

“No!”

She reflexively sat up to shake off that chill.

“…”

She was out of breath.

She started to sink deep into the Italian bed she had splurged on, but she let out a long sigh and restrained herself from going back to sleep.

She rested her head on her hand and faced forward.

She saw Gunmal there.

He was reading a newspaper that he must have bought on the roadside.

“Hi. Good morning.”

In place of a greeting, her reflexes threw a kick back at him.