Editing City Series:Volume3a Chapter 5 (section)

===Interlude 2===

Tedious and deep darkness slipped past several metal beams and fell down through a giant pit.

On its way down to the bottom of the hole, the darkness was blocked by some faint light.

There was a small light source on Hong Kong Cave’s 163rd floor down.

It came from Hong Kong Cave’s reserve lights.

A comparatively large number of Nein Engels lived in that area.

The edge of the hole was used as the main pathway and some could be seen walking here and there even though morning had yet to arrive.

Among them, a Nein Engel rested her elbows on the railing and stared at the metal beams far overhead.

It was Genius.

She had been born on this level and seemed to be known around here. A passing Nein Engel would occasionally greet her and she would wave back.

It was a common scene.

“Today is the day of the second repatriation ceremony,” she muttered while looking up at the dimly-lit heavens.

She held her left hand toward those heavens and she wore a plain ring on that hand.

“That city connects heaven and earth, hm?”

She clenched that hand into a fist.

At that very moment, a voice replied to her previous comment.

“But you do not have anyone to smile with. And neither do I.”

She turned around to find Double Lee.

He gave a self-deprecating smile and said more.

“But reviving the destroyed heaven is still necessary.”

Genius put her guard up, hid her left hand by crossing her arms, and gave a deep sigh.

She replied while making sure Double Lee could not read her mind.

“Heaven was destroyed and returned to nothing during World War Two, but you’re going to revive it by destroying Hong Kong. …Which will take more lives? The past return to nothingness or the present destruction?”

“Instead of comparing the two, you must continue adding everything in the positive direction. That will lead you to the proper answer.”

“Are you turning this into a holy war?”

Double Lee smiled bitterly at that.

“Can you call it a holy war before the battle even begins? The distinction between holy and evil is decided by the outcome.”

“That may be true, but…”

“From here on, anyone but a Nein Engel will die if they are caught in the repatriation ceremony. The only ones who can withstand heaven’s air are us and the souls of the dead. …That is why I did the most I could to help. I broke up Archs RDC and matched the timing with Hong Kong’s return to China. Also…”

“Today’s second repatriation ceremony will blow away nearly half of Hong Kong?”

He nodded at her question.

“On the night of Hong Kong’s return in two weeks’ time, the final repatriation ceremony will take place and the entirety of Hong Kong will be destroyed. …This second repatriation ceremony is merely the prelude, but it will be enough of a demonstration that only the truly foolish or indecisive will not leave.”

“Are you sure?”

“?”

“I think the people who love this city will stay.”

“What a sentimental idea.” Double Lee seemed to cast aside the words. “Only the people with nowhere left to go will stay. Those people who have resigned themselves to death will be caught in the ceremony, but that is a net gain for the world.”

“Hong Kong’s greatest Tuner certainly sees things differently.”

“I simply know what is truly important.”

He spoke with a powerful tone and looked up into the sky.

“Once the four Earth Wyverns and the Earth Serpent guided by them reach heaven, that destroyed place will regain its land. The surface will simply lose one small city, but in exchange, the many angels, Nein Engels, and wandering souls will gain a home.”

Could he see the door to heaven in Hong Kong’s sky?

That door would vanish once England returned Hong Kong to China.

“We have no time. This will likely be called the Sixth Divine Punishment War, but it must be done. If J-Gun is resurrected today and he creates the Device in the next two weeks, we can hold the final repatriation ceremony on the night of Hong Kong’s return.”

He took a breath.

“We will only just barely make the time limit.”

“You’re right,” said Genius. “Double Lee, you’re resurrecting J-Gun with necromancy, aren’t you? Fei just left again.”

“Do you resent me?”

“Of course not. …Have you seen his past? A murderer’s soul could certainly never go to heaven. And…”

“And?”

“I was walking through Hong Kong for the first time in a while and I saw J-Gun’s brother.”

“Really?”

Double Lee gave an exaggerated look of surprise and she continued.

“He seems to know your sister.”

“!?”

“J-Gun’s younger brother and your younger sister. …Do you think we’ll end up fighting them?”

He pulled a report from his pocket and glanced at it.

“Yes, just as it says here, Master Huang said someone would oppose me if I tried to connect this city to heaven with Tuning.”

“I heard him say that, too. Whenever he said it, he would give this satisfied smile like he knew everything that was going to happen. …But was he referring to your sister?”

He did not answer her, but he did say something else.

“It seems we really do need the help of Hong Kong’s #1 Buster.”

His expression was as calm as ever and he gently tapped the bottom of his coat so she would see.

It produced a quiet metallic sound.

The ADs Device that J-Gun had created was there.

“He was immensely skilled, just like me.”

Genius had a feeling he was avoiding the previous subject, but she did not pursue it any further.

Meanwhile, he continued.

“Busting is the destruction of your opponent’s Live, but that requires more than simply slamming your own Live against them. To effectively strike their Live, you must have a thorough knowledge of it.”

“J-Gun could do that.”

Double Lee nodded.

“But he was not talented.”

“…? Then what about you, Double Lee? Do you claim to have inborn talent?”

He did not immediately answer.

He frowned and seemed to choose his words carefully for once.

“Do you know the difference between normal people and those known as talented or prodigies? Do you know why he left the formal Maldrick family and moved to this mixture of a city?”

“Well…”

“It is not a happy thing. …And I more or less understand it.”

He once again looked into the narrow sky.

“It is all known by the Flight Song, that single beautiful song passed down from the founding of Hong Kong Cave.”

“The Flight Song?”

“It is a wonderful song. …A wonderful song that’s meaning contains a great contradiction that only I know at present.”

His words were directed at someone other than Genius, but only he knew who that person was.

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