Baka-Tsuki - User contributions [en]

Chrome Shelled Regios:Volume1 Chapter2

2009-05-14T07:37:09Z

Vissermatt:

===Chapter 2: Life as a student===

How are you? I’m quite good here.

How’s life at the new school? Have you made friends? I’m experiencing new things everyday. As long as there are new people around me, the levels of experiences are different and very surprising.

I hold a curious and refreshing view of my new life. Everything’s so new and different that sometimes I think back to the past. Recently, I remembered what it was like when I first started my training.

Perhaps it’s too early to call that the past, but I can’t change the things that have already happened. Maybe it’s better to call them the past.

I’ve begun a new life here. Things didn’t go well at first, but I think they’ll become better.

I’ve made new friends here. A senior senpai really looks after me.

How’re you over there? I shouldn’t have to worry because it’s you. You must have made more friends than me, since you’re better at interacting with people.

Oh yes, I’m now working while studying. I am a janitor in the Central Mechanism Chamber. It’s tiring, but it’s surprisingly interesting. This was my first time seeing the real form of the city. I never thought it was like that. Perhaps Grendan’s real form is like that too? Maybe Grendan’s……It’s quite fun to imagine what it’s like.

Reading up to here, you must be throwing a tantrum. But I’m not telling. Are you angry? If you want to know, wait till we meet again.

May we meet somewhere other than Grendan.

To my dear Leerin Marfes.

Layfon Alseif

<center>◇</center>

Layfon chose a sword from the assorted weapons hanging on the wall. It was a sword with a long, wide blade.

“I can’t change the setting as it’s a practice sword. Is that ok?” the boy in the working suit said.

Layfon nodded.

“But I feel that a sword doesn’t suit your body build.”

To the dissatisfaction uttered by the other boy, Layfon felt the grip of the sword and didn’t pay much attention to what was said.

“Harley, that guy said it’s ok. You’re such a nag.”

Sharnid stopped Harley with a flippant tone. Even so, Layfon could still hear Harley mumbling.

Layfon swung the sword with one hand, his body moving slightly, pulled by the point of the sword. He moved back and forth in the platoon’s training room.

“Have you had enough warm up?” Nina asked as Layfon stopped his movements.

Layfon nodded wordlessly.

“Right, then……”

“Restoration,” Nina whispered. The two rods in her hands transformed, becoming bigger and reflecting the light of the ceiling as if their black surface was absorbing the light of the room. The handles changed to fit Nina’s hands. A number of ring-like things had expanded along the part of the weapon used for attack. Nina’s wrists lowered naturally.

It looked totally different from what it was before.

It was a weapon called Iron Whips.

The changes to the weapon came from the combination of the voice and the memories of the Dite. The alloy used in alchemy could restore even the original weight of the item.

“I won’t hold back.”

Nina flicked the iron whip in her right hand and the sound of air being torn apart rang out in the room. She pointed the whip at Layfon’s forehead.

Feeling the non-existent pain on his forehead, Layfon nodded wordlessly.

He readied his fighting stance.

And what happened next was fast as lightning.

Nina rushed over, giving Layfon no time to calculate the distance between them.

She attacked with her right iron whip. Layfon turned aside to avoid the attack aimed at his chest, but Nina’s left iron whip was already pounding down towards his exposed back. He raised his sword-arm and turned his wrist, placing the blade against his back to counter Nina’s whip. His wrist could have dislocated in between receiving the pressure of the attack and recovering, after having spent all the strength on countering the whip. Not with Layfon. He guided the heavy pressure down the wavering blade, relaxing his grip on the handle and letting the flat side of the blade hit his own back. At the same time, he used that momentum to turn around and escape through the opening between the two whips.

Layfon opened up the distance between him and Nina, and resumed his fighting stance.

He heard a short whistle.

"Haha! This is my first time seeing someone stop Nina’s first move,” Sharnid said.

To Layfon, Nina didn’t care anything for Sharnid’s comment. Her sharp gaze, so like that of a beast pinning its prey, never moved away from Layfon’s body.

This time, Nina cautiously weighed their distance. Layfon’s stance changed in response to Nina’s, who was slowly changing her position.

The hard build of the iron whip made it clear that it was an offensive weapon. For the sake of convenience, its length wasn’t too long. One didn’t have to worry about an iron whip being damaged in battle, unlike a sword. An iron whip could be swung at will and would not break. It could also receive a direct attack. Grendan’s police force used the iron whip as a standard weapon because of its convenience. However, normal police were only equipped with light iron whips. Layfon’s sword-arm was slightly numb. After receiving the attack, he could tell that this pair of iron whips was as heavy as it looked.

She could use the iron whips however she liked. Her strength and her familiarity with her weapons made Layfon speechless.

The two of them circled each other.

Tension built up in the room. The air felt thick, and on Layfon’s forehead were more beads of sweat.

Again, Nina was the one to close the gap. She rushed over as Layfon’s foot left the floor, moving in reaction to her. Layfon tried to avoid the sudden and straightforward attack by pulling back and opening more distance between them, but she kept closing in. He had no choice but to use his sword. He dipped the sword point low to bring it up in an attack, but it was knocked aside by Nina’s whip. In lightning seconds, he flicked his wrist to adjust the track of his sword.

Layfon’s attack changed from low to high, chopping down towards Nina. She blocked it with her right iron whip and counterattacked from the left with her other iron whip. Layfon quickly stepped to her right and once again, pulled open the distance between them.

He wanted to keep fighting with more distance, but Nina seemed unsatisfied.

“Can you use external-type burst Kei?”

Her unexpected question made Layfon lose the rhythm of the plan he already had in mind.

“Can you use external-type burst Kei?” she repeated.
He nodded.

Nina smiled. “Good.”

She crossed the iron whips before her chest.

A huge noise and vibration that could have toppled a giant ran through the floor.

“Take this!”

When he had collected himself, Nina’s happy and cruel smile was right before him.

In the next moment, Layfon had fainted.

<center>◇</center>

Layfon lifted his sword. He slashed out with the blade without any sense of confusion, and his heart was calm and unruffled. He slashed out without any sense of confusion, but what about the thing that had been slashed?

There was no questioning it.

Of course it was a problem.

So long as one lived, one would encounter all sorts of problems. How to solve a problem? In the end, “living” was in itself the cause of all problems.

When one problem was solved, the next would surface.

The end was never in sight. One continued to remove one’s problems, only to have more closing in.

The light filtering down from the ceiling bounded off the blade of the white alloy Dite.

“Do you desire the Heaven's Blade? You can have it.”

Layfon mumbled the words in the arena that was so quiet that even a fallen needle could be heard. The blade fell from his hand. The irritating metallic sound of it hitting the ground echoed in the arena and the lonely blade lay on the floor.

The problem that’s been cut away now lay beside the blade.

Layfon uttered an “Ah” at the scene. It wasn’t a sound of surprise and joy, but just a simple response at reality.

Numerous hands appeared to point at Layfon. The people surrounding him were faceless and formless. They were only there to repudiate him.

This is unprecedented!
Traitor!
What a shameful guy!

All kinds of denouncements were turned into those fingers pointing at Layfon.

Layfon didn’t care. He looked at them coldly.

So what?

Could they solve the problem like that?

Did they want to write the wrong answer in the space reserved for the answer to the question?

He was only striding forward on the path to the right answer. Who’d know that the Heaven's Blade would fall onto the ground because of that.

His gaze put fear into the people pointing at him. Subconsciously, he looked at the solution which had rolled close to his feet.

Beside the fallen blade was a body.

A body that looked like Nina.

No, it was Nina. The tracks of Layfon’s sword were clearly carved into her body. She lay on the floor, shocked and speechless.

“Is this the answer?” somebody asked.

“It’s a dream.”

One single phrase solved it all.

<center>◇</center>

The first feeling he had after waking up was extreme self-hatred.

“Wuaah, that’s impossible!”

His body curled up, Layfon held his head.

The metal frame of the bed squeaked. A cabinet filled with medicine leaned against the modest, white wall. He smelled faint disinfectant and realised he was in the clinic. He wasn’t surprised about it. In the second when he was about to faint, he knew Nina’s attack would make him lose consciousness.

Compared to this, that dream was even more serious.

“I actually dreamt of revenge. That's not possible. I’m so disgusting…So disgusting!”

He rolled back and forth on the bed and finally fell off it. He moaned as his side hit the floor.

He lay on the cold floor and moaned, all the while murmuring “so disgusting” and allowing the temperature of the floor to cool down the heat in his face.

“What’re you doing?”

“……I’m just shocked for being so useless.”

Layfon stopped moaning at the sound above him, but he didn’t get up.

Wait a bit more……He couldn’t stand up before his reddened face had completely cooled down.

“If it’s all right, I want you to stand up.”

The voice was from the girl who came to the coffee shop and took him to the platoon.

“If it’s all right, give me more time.”

“Why?”

“Please say yes.”

“Must I?”

“Yes.”

The girl seemed to understand more from his repeated request. Layfon didn’t know what she had understood, but she didn’t persist in questioning in, and she didn’t force him to stand up. He could feel the tip of her toes beside his head, staying there, immobile.

The two of them fell silent.

Silent.

Silent.

Silent.

Losing to the silence in the room, Layfon said, “I still don’t know your name. Can you tell me?”

“Oh, yes. I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Felli Loss, second year in Military Arts.”

(Loss?)

Nasty memories surfaced in his mind.

“Hello. Uh, I’m sorry if I got that wrong……”

“You’re not wrong. Karian Loss is my older brother,” Felli cut him off to confirm his unease. Layfon felt weak.

“Is that so……”

“Yes. Do you hate my brother?”

She got ahead of him again.

“Isn’t it about time to get up?”

Layfon picked himself up slowly from the floor. As expected from a clinic. The environment was clean and tidy, even rolling on the floor didn’t dirty his uniform.

Layfon observed the girl’s appearance and found her eyes a bit like Karian’s. They had a beautiful look about them. They must be related.

A light sigh from Felli, then her rigid expression relaxed.

“It really is better to see the face of the person I’m talking to.”

“Uh……Sorry?”

“Not really. I didn’t come at a good time.”

It wasn’t easy to forget that she’d seen him rolling and moaning on the floor. His face reddened again.

“Do you hate my brother forcing you to transfer into Military Arts?”

Felli returned back to the previous topic, indifferent to Layfon’s current expression.

“…… I think it’s a bit too extreme to describe it as ‘hate’.”

He couldn’t find any other word to say.

“I hate my brother,” Felli said while Layfon was hesitating.

“What?”

He couldn’t understand what she meant by that.

(She hates……her own brother?)

From Felli’s pale lips came the words, “I didn’t want to study Military Arts, but he forced me into it.”

“Why……”

“For victory,” Felli concluded without hesitating.

“He’d do all he could to reach his goal, no matter the means. Our will means nothing to him.”

“No, but……”

Felli watched Layfon while judging her own brother. No sadness and anger could be detected from her neutral expression. Even the smile she had before was gone.

So Layfon couldn’t sense any sort of reflections from her in her previous words.

He was confounded.

“He’d perform any foul acts in order to win. It’s ridiculous that we have to work for such a person.”

“Then what do you want me to do?” Layfon asked in confusion.

For a delicate senpai with a short stature, her doll-like perfect face contained no traces of perplexity. Once again, she concluded, “You only need to remain as you are.”

“What?”

“Remain as you are with that attitude you had when you fought Nina.”

“What do you mean……”

Felli had already turned her back and opened her schoolbag on the long bench.

She took out something from it and left it on the chair.

“Uh, excuse me……”

“This is your badge and the permit to be armed. Please pin the badge on your uniform. Tomorrow, go with Harley to the Weapon Fitting Department and take the permit with you. Harley’ll help with your weapon settings.”

Having quickly told him that, Felli nodded lightly and left the clinic.

He had lost his conversation partner. Layfon’s words lolled in his mouth. His outstretched hand had lost its purpose, and could only wave weakly in the air.

What came through first was a sense of debilitation, then a long sigh.

Felli complained heavily about Karian, but she left immediately after leaving Layfon with the instructions she was told to deliver, whereas Karian had dismissed him from the room. Felli’s manner was exactly the same as her brother’s.

“Just what now?”

Layfon bent down on the long bench. He couldn’t think of any good strategies. Beside him were the silver badge and a piece of paper.

It seemed that the reality of his entering the platoon won’t be changed.

“Ah—gee……Why did it turn out like this!?” Layfon sighed.

<center>◇</center>

The next day after school.

Just when Layfon was about to escape, not knowing where Harley’s classroom lay, Harley himself appeared in the same oil-stained working suit that he wore yesterday.

“After watching the fight yesterday, I don’t feel that the sword fits you. Nina holds heavy weapons that don’t suit her either, but she knows how to handle the weight and has been fighting through in her own way,” he said to Layfon, who was following behind with a fed-up expression in his eyes.

Harley never once noticed it.

He continued with enthusiasm. “But your situation is different. Your body movements with the sword just weren’t smooth. Your fighting style is more focused on speed, right? That’s how you were trained, isn’t it?”

“No. I only learned little at the Dojo. I don’t know the details that well. The weapon I used was about the same as yesterday’s practice sword.”

“Really?” Harley said, looking confused.

“You don’t look like an amateur from the fight with Nina yesterday. I thought you’ve gone through professional training.”

“Not really. In Grendan……I was born in Grendan. Dojos of that level are everywhere. I went to train a bit because there was a dojo near my home.”

“Military Arts is really popular in Grendan. Well, I see. So that means in Grendan, there’re lots of highly skilled fighters like you?”

“Well, how should I put it? I haven’t fought much with others, so I’m not sure.”

“Whatever it is, you still have some confidence with your real strength?”

“Not at all.”

A smile appeared on the kind and friendly senpai. They came to a building with a sign “Weapon Fitting Department” on the wall, and entered it.

Harley handed the document through the window, took a wooden box from the window and carried it back to the waiting Layfon.

“Come to my research lab.”

Harley thrust the box to him and led the way out of the department.

“Uh, to put it correctly, it’s my class’s lab.”

Students of Alchemy were assigned to groups and each group had its own research lab. In there, they could perform personal experiment.

“You can get your own research lab if you regularly take the top place or you publish some pretty good thesis. In here, I can’t really do what I want to do.”

“What is senpai specializing in?”

“Weapon adjustment. Sure, I need to invent, but I prefer to adjust weapons so they best fit their owners.”

Layfon now understood why Harley was so stubborn and determined about his weapon being unsuitable.

“That’s a bit different from trainers. How should I put it?”

“In Grendan, we call them the Dite engineers.”

“Ah, I see. That’s a good title.”

The research lab was messy.

No, the lab itself was the manifestation of messiness.

After opening the door, Layfon saw something in the colour of charcoal sticking tightly to the floor. Near the wall beside the door was a pile of magazines and papers with difficult names. A thin layer of dust covered it. There was also a mug with a dirtied edge and a piece of half eaten bread thrown aside.

The life of a single male……and its worst stereotype had become reality here. The provoking smell in the air made Layfon dizzy.

Harley looked to be practical, but that seemed to be only limited to what he was interested in.

Three tables sat in the spacious room. On each desk was the exact same situation, so Layfon couldn’t tell the difference between them. Harley pushed aside the things on one of the tables and got him to place the wooden box there.

In the box were several rod-like things. In a relaxed manner, Harley took out one of the rods that was dark as charcoal. He took out a long electrical terminal from the gear box on the table and inserted it into the rod. The terminal slid in easily.

“Let’s first adjust the handle of the sword. You’re one-handed, right? Do you want to set it for two hands?”

“Please do.”

Layfon said so, knowing that Harley wouldn’t have listened if he said he could adjust whatever settings he wanted.

“Roger. Hold this.”

Harley handed something over that he took out from the small mountain on the desk. It was a half-transparent item with a bluish tinge to it. At one end was a wire linking it to a machine.

“Hold it just like how you hold a sword.”

Layfon thought of the feeling he had when holding a sword, then he tightened his grip on the icy cold rod-like thing. The thing had its own resistance and didn’t get squashed. Compared with its soft appearance, it was surprisingly hard.

“Wow, your grip is quite strong. Even if you fight with your bare fists, it’s gonna hurt.”

Harley nodded while looking at the number appearing on the display. He pulled out the keyboard to enter the number.

Sudden changes appeared at the end of the rod where the terminal was inserted. The rod extended and expanded, its appearance adjusting continuously, eventually becoming what was shown on the display.

“Try again.”

Layfon did so.

“How does it feel?”

“……Pretty good.”

Nothing felt out of place. Layfon’s every finger held the handle closely.

“I’ll do more adjustments once the entire weight’s been decided. Well, then the handle’s ok now. Next is the material. How do you want it? What Nina uses is black Dite. It’s got good density but with decreasing conductive rate. If we’re talking about speed, it’s better to use white or green Dite. I’d recommend the white. If you don’t get it, I’ve got a sample here. Wanna give it a go?”

Without waiting for a reply, Harley had entered the experimental lab and brought back a pile of rods.

Layfon’s worked up a cold sweat just by looking at the pile of rods on the floor.

“Well, let’s begin testing.”

Smiling, Harley handed a rod to Layfon.

It seemed he’d spend a lot time here.

<center>◇</center>

When Harley let him go, the sun had already sunk down in the west.

Layfon returned to the dormitory in a flurry and jumped onto the bed. He slept for a few hours and was called awake by the alarm clock. He fixed up his messy hair, dressed himself in his work clothes and rushed out of the dormitory.

This was Layfon’s first work day.

Holding the map in one hand, Layfon arrived at an underground entrance outside the residential district. He handed his work permit to the police student for check up and entered the interior. Right before him was a lift. Layfon sat inside the simple lift that was encircled with metal fence, and headed down into the depth of the city.

Just when the indescribable smell of oil and liquid became stronger and stronger, the lift stopped, sending a great jolt up Layfon’s body.

The dim light lit up a scene before him. Numerous tubes and wires crossed each other. A gear wheel was moving up and down in its own rhythm. Selenium flowed like blood in one direction inside the glass-like tubes, whereas liquid in the colour of murky sediment flowed in the opposite direction.

This place was underneath the city – the Central Mechanism Chamber.
The scene of Regio’s heart lay open before Layfon.

“How shocking……”

A young man who looked to be also a half-studying and half-working student walked past and greeted Layfon as he stared speechlessly at the sight before him. Layfon followed the young man to the person in charge, and then started his job of cleaning.

As he was a beginner, he was sent to clean the corridors.

Grouped with the other newbie, Layfon went to work in the maze-like corridors. About one hour later, both of them started to get the hang of how to remove the mixed liquid from the wall, so they divided the work between them. It was easier this way to finish their target.

When Layfon went to discharge the dirty water in his bucket and get some more clean water, his partner was resting on the floor, totally exhausted.

“Are you resting?”

“Yeah,” came the powerless reply.

“How to put it…it’s tough. I picked this job coz I needed money, but I never thought it was such hard work to just clean the floor!”

“That’s because you used too much unnecessary strength. What if you don’t use the muscles of your wrist but the weight of your entire body? That’d save some strength,” Layfon advised, but his partner was so exhausted that he only made some noise as a response.

Never mind, Layfon thought. He continued cleaning with the clean water and the cleaning liquid.

He didn’t resent the repetitiveness of the work, since he could leave his mind blank and not think of anything. He only needed to concentrate on moving his body, his consciousness swallowed in the flow inside him. That was the blood running in his veins, which was the flow needed to open up the flow of Kei. If he focused more, blood and Kei would flow to the antibodies inside him.

Layfon kept on brushing while enjoying that feeling.

When the water in the bucket turned dark, he was brought back to reality.

“I have to change the water,” he murmured, and unexpectedly got a reply.

“Then please change mine too.”

Startled, Layfon lifted his gaze to the source of the voice.

And got another shock.

“In exchange, let me treat you to supper…Uh, what’s wrong?”

“Senpai, why are you here?”

It was Nina. She wore the same work clothes as Layfon. A bucket filled with dirty water sat beside her feet, and she was holding a brush missing a handle. Oil stained her nose, cheeks and even her hair.

“I’m half studying and half working too. Is that so strange? With that, I’m leaving the water to you. I’ll buy some food. Meet up here later.”

Nina left Layfon at a loss.

When Layfon came back with clean water after a few minutes, Nina also managed to make it back in time.

“Thanks.”

It didn’t seem he was dreaming. Nina was looking at the wide-mouthed Layfon disapprovingly. Both of his hands were occupied with the buckets.

“How do you plan to eat? Put down the buckets. You should rest when it’s time to rest.”

“Ah, yes!”

He placed the buckets on the floor and hurried away to join her. They sat down on a tube.

Nina handed over a sandwich.

He took a large bite. The delicious taste of chicken, vegetables and spicy sauce seeped into his tired body.

“Very delicious.”

“This is the most popular bento. It’s always sold out. If you don’t time it right, you’ll never get to have it.”

Nina’s lips relaxed slowly. She handed Layfon a paper cup filled with red tea.

It was red tea with ice. The sugar level wasn’t too high. The drink tasted nice.

“Did you buy this too?”

“No, I made it,” she shook her head and put the lid on her water bottle.

“I wasn’t planning to share. Didn’t know you were here, so I went to get some water just then.”

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

“No worries, and just a warning. Prepare your own drink from now on, the water here tastes horrible.”

Layfon left his mouth open, then looked at the side of Nina’s face. A Nina happily eating her sandwich while her beautiful golden locks were oil-stained just didn’t match each other.

“What’s it? I can’t eat with you staring.”

“Sorry. I’m just surprised.”

“Yeah?”

“Very surprised. Like how I can’t imagine senpai’s working here, and also……”

She looked very cute, taking huge bites of her sandwich, but knowing he’d get quite a beating if he let those words out, Layfon quickly swallowed them.

“Well, in terms of health, this is the worst environment you can imagine.”

Luckily she didn’t notice him struggling with his words.

“But it’s true that the pay is good. For someone as poor as me, I’m grateful to get such high pay.”

Poor?

“Are you that surprised?”

“Ah, no, not really……”

It was true that he was surprised about it.

When he first met Nina, he felt an elegant higher-class bearing from her on top of the standing straight and centre way that passionate Military Arts people preferred.

“Frankly, my family isn’t poor.”

Nina washed down her last bite of sandwich with red tea. Looking at the Nina now, it was hard to imagine she was of the upper class.

“Then……”

“Didn’t I say my family? My parents were against me studying here, so I ran away from home. They don’t send me any allowance.”

“And for what?”

“Why did you come here?”

”The only scholarship qualification that I passed was this academy city’s, so I’m here.”

Disappointment appeared on Nina. No, what she tried to cover underneath was the anger in her eyes.

“And I’m an orphan, so I haven’t got any money.”

After quickly adding that line, he could see the apology in her eyes.

“…… Is that so. I’m sorry.”

“No, that’s ok.”

Layfon found her funny. Although she always appeared stubborn and calm, when he talked with her at such a close distance, her expressions were like the images of a kaleidoscope. In particular, it was funny of her trying to cover her own expression and still act cool.

“I’ve always wanted to go outside,” Nina said softly and took another sandwich. “For us born in a Regios, the majority of people spend their entire lifetime in the same city. Because of the filth monsters outside, we’re trapped like birds in a cage…… but, there are also people who travel on roaming buses in between cities. They can look at many different worlds, as opposed to many who only see one world. I’m envious of them.”

Receiving Nina’s glare again for staring at her, Layfon hastily took a bite of his sandwich.

“I couldn’t become a traveler, but I still wanted to see the outside world, so I was determined to come to the Academy City. I found that a reasonable choice, but my parents were very against it.”

Nina’s eyes narrow in enjoyment. Perhaps she was recalling the scene of her defying her parents.

“That was my first time arguing with dad to such an extreme end. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but I was happy.”

“Is that why you don’t get any allowance?”

“Yeah. They found out that I took the exam behind their backs. They locked me in the room when I was about to leave. I only managed to escape and board the bus in the last minute. I sent home a letter after arriving here. I wrote what I thought was right. The return letter was extremely short. It included a return bus ticket and a piece of paper saying “Besides this, we won’t give you any help.””

“So I’m like this now,” she concluded and fell silent, eating her sandwich. Layfon also focused on eating.

Nina finished the last sandwich and poured some red tea into the paper cup.

“I’m only good at Military Arts, so that’s why I’m in this case. But you seem different.”

According to the Student President, Layfon was forced to transfer.

“Not at all,” he shook his head, lowered his head to gaze at the red tea in his cup. The coldness of the iced red tea seeped through the paper and into his palm.

“I still haven’t decided what to do, but, I want to do something.”

“Um, what about Military Arts? Frankly, I think you’re strong in it.”

“Not Military Arts. I failed it already.”

“Failed? What happened?”

Nina was the type to say what was hard to talk about. Layfon shook his head bitterly.

Just when he was searching for words to confuse the topic……

Gla, Gla, Gla. Footsteps of someone running in the corridor sounded, then that someone appeared, coming close to whether Layfon and Nina rested.

It was an older man wearing the same clothes as them. A beard adorned his chin. Machine oil filled his fingernails. Layfon guessed he must be a senpai in the Mechanical Engineering course.

“Hey, did you see it here?”

“See what?” Layfon said but Nina got ahead of him.

“Here again?”

“Again. Sorry! I’m counting on you!” the man ran away.

“This is troublesome.”

Nina drained her red tea and stood up.

“What happened?”

“Come and help. We don’t have to clean today.”

“What?”

Nina smiled. “The consciousness of the city has escaped.”

Even so, he didn’t understand it. He could only say “what?”

This time, Nina laughed. “Never mind that, just come.”

Layfon followed.

Amongst the regular noises of gears turning were erratic footsteps stamping on metallic floors, but Nina was strolling in the busy atmosphere.

“Is this urgent?”

“For the Mechanical Engineering students that look after this place, it’s serious enough for them to have their marks taken off.”

“Oh……”

The city’s consciousness?

She said that the city’s consciousness had escaped, but what was the city’s consciousness? Layfon didn’t get it.

Since it was a self-governing city, the city would move according to its own will. No one knew where a city would go, and the people living in it couldn’t control it. People lived in cities that floated, lost on the barren surface of the earth. Rumour had it that in the time when humans didn’t have to rely on Regios, they had maps mapping the entire world. But these maps had lost their value. No one ever read them anymore.

For humans living in this age, what happened outside a city was a mystery. At the same time, the city that they couldn’t control was also in itself a mystery.

He wouldn’t have not known what it meant by the city’s consciousness.

But what it was like to have the city’s consciousness escaping was hard to fathom.

Nina didn’t hesitate when coming across any forked corridors. Layfon watched her back, confused.

“Aren’t we looking for it?”

“There’s no need.”

“Why?”

Layfon was more confused. He caught up with Nina to look at her face, and only saw excitement on her gentle countenance. She didn’t look around. She was just walking straight in the direction she knew.

“The city’s consciousness has a strong sense of curiosity,” Nina said suddenly. “So it likes to run around. That serves to avoid the filth monsters, but what’s more important is its bottomless curiosity to explore the world. It runs here and there…… that’s how Harley puts it.”

Nina halted her steps, blocked by the railing. From here, they could look into the depth of the city’s heart, layered by machineries, the air vibrating with the sound of machines at work.

And above that was something.

Something that pulsated with golden light.

“And because of that, it’s also curious about new things inside itself. It’s curious like you, a new student.”

“Zuellni!” Nina called. The ball of light flew through the air in circles.

“The workers are agitated,” she said.

The ball of light flew straight at Nina. Without giving Layfon the chance to shout “watch out”, the ball of light was in Nina’s arms.

“Haha, aren’t you full of spirit?” Nina smiled, carrying the ball of light.

Layfon took a closer look at it and was speechless.

The ball of light was a small child.

“But you gotta work properly. If you get lazy, the workers have to run around and adjust a great deal of things.”

It was about the size of an infant, but the ratio of its limbs looked normal. Her hair was long enough to touch her toes. She gazed at Nina cheerfully with big and animated eyes.

(This……is the city’s consciousness?)

Layfon stared at the light-emitting girl without a word.

The girl looked past Nina’s shoulder and caught his eyes.

“Ah, he’s new. Let me introduce. He’s Layfon, Layfon Alseif. He’s very strong. Layfon, she’s Zuellni.”

Layfon’s gaze flickered between Nina and the girl.

“That is……uh, the same as the city’s name……”

“Isn’t that a given? The city is this child’s real form.”

Perhaps this was a given, but it was hard to associate this little girl with the huge city he was in.

“Oh, I’m Layfon Alseif. Nice to meet you,” Layfon extended his hand to shake hers.

Zuellni had already jumped from Nina’s arm to her shoulder, then onto Layfon’s chest.

Layfon held her in haste. She was weightless, but he could feel her body heat through his thick working suit.

Zuellni held tightly to his clothes, hugging him. She was gazing up at him with pure and polished eyes, making him feel a bit embarrassed.

“Oh, she seems to like you,” Nina said, trying to suppress her laughter.

“What?”

“Zuellni won’t let anyone she hates touches her. If I explain it in Harley’s words, Zuellni is the Electronic Fairy, the consolidated form of the city’s particles. Once the form loosens, the electronic particles will shoot through the other’s body, just like a lightning strike.”

Hearing that explanation, Layfon wasn’t sure what to say. He couldn’t believe such a cute little girl would harm humans.

“The workers are all so worked up about Zuellni missing because of that too, on top of the gears not moving properly; but I don’t think this gentle girl can harm others.”

Nina patted Zuellni’s head. Zuellni squinted.

But even Layfon himself didn’t know how he’d have reacted when he first knew of this. Nina’s easy and relaxing manner enabled him to hug Zuellni so naturally.

“Senpai is incredible.”

“Why so sudden?”

“That’s what I think.”

“You’re weird!”

Nina took Zuellni from him.

While she turned her back to Layfon, he saw her cheeks reddening. Was she too sensitive?

Nina talked to Zuellni as she walked back to the corridor.

“Ok, have you seen enough? Then return to your place. Even you dislike the workers adjusting things when nothing’s out of place.”

Layfon ran to catch up with her.

“We have to train tomorrow for the platoon match. Don’t bring your exhaustion with you,” Nina said to him.

Layfon halted his footsteps, his jaunty mood disappearing.

<noinclude>
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|-
| Back to [[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Chrome_Shelled_Regios|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Chrome Shelled Regios:Volume1 Chapter2

2009-05-14T07:36:15Z

Vissermatt:

===Chapter 2: Life as a student===

How are you? I’m quite good here.

How’s life at the new school? Have you made friends? I’m experiencing new things everyday. As long as there are new people around me, the levels of experiences are different and very surprising.

I hold a curious and refreshing view of my new life. Everything’s so new and different that sometimes I think back to the past. Recently, I remembered what it was like when I first started my training.

Perhaps it’s too early to call that the past, but I can’t change the things that have already happened. Maybe it’s better to call them the past.

I’ve begun a new life here. Things didn’t go well at first, but I think they’ll become better.

I’ve made new friends here. A senior senpai really looks after me.

How’re you over there? I shouldn’t have to worry because it’s you. You must have made more friends than me, since you’re better at interacting with people.

Oh yes, I’m now working while studying. I am a janitor in the Central Mechanism Chamber. It’s tiring, but it’s surprisingly interesting. This was my first time seeing the real form of the city. I never thought it was like that. Perhaps Grendan’s real form is like that too? Maybe Grendan’s……It’s quite fun to imagine what it’s like.

Reading up to here, you must be throwing a tantrum. But I’m not telling. Are you angry? If you want to know, wait till we meet again.

May we meet somewhere other than Grendan.

To my dear Leerin Marfes.

Layfon Alseif

<center>◇</center>

Layfon chose a sword from the assorted weapons hanging on the wall. It was a sword with a long, wide blade.

“I can’t change the setting as it’s a practice sword. Is that ok?” the boy in the working suit said.

Layfon nodded.

“But I feel that a sword doesn’t suit your body build”

To the dissatisfaction uttered by the other boy, Layfon felt the grip of the sword and didn’t pay much attention to what was said.

“Harley, that guy said it’s ok. You’re such a nag.”

Sharnid stopped Harley with a flippant tone. Even so, Layfon could still hear Harley mumbling.

Layfon swung the sword with one hand, his body moving slightly, pulled by the point of the sword. He moved back and forth in the platoon’s training room.

“Have you had enough warm up?” Nina asked as Layfon stopped his movements.

Layfon nodded wordlessly.

“Right, then……”

“Restoration,” Nina whispered. The two rods in her hands transformed, becoming bigger and reflecting the light of the ceiling as if their black surface was absorbing the light of the room. The handles changed to fit Nina’s hands. A number of ring-like things had expanded along the part of the weapon used for attack. Nina’s wrists lowered naturally.

It looked totally different from what it was before.

It was a weapon called Iron Whips.

The changes to the weapon came from the combination of the voice and the memories of the Dite. The alloy used in alchemy could restore even the original weight of the item.

“I won’t hold back.”

Nina flicked the iron whip in her right hand and the sound of air being torn apart rang out in the room. She pointed the whip at Layfon’s forehead.

Feeling the non-existent pain on his forehead, Layfon nodded wordlessly.

He readied his fighting stance.

And what happened next was fast as lightning.

Nina rushed over, giving Layfon no time to calculate the distance between them.

She attacked with her right iron whip. Layfon turned aside to avoid the attack aimed at his chest, but Nina’s left iron whip was already pounding down towards his exposed back. He raised his sword-arm and turned his wrist, placing the blade against his back to counter Nina’s whip. His wrist could have dislocated in between receiving the pressure of the attack and recovering, after having spent all the strength on countering the whip. Not with Layfon. He guided the heavy pressure down the wavering blade, relaxing his grip on the handle and letting the flat side of the blade hit his own back. At the same time, he used that momentum to turn around and escape through the opening between the two whips.

Layfon opened up the distance between him and Nina, and resumed his fighting stance.

He heard a short whistle.

"Haha! This is my first time seeing someone stop Nina’s first move,” Sharnid said.

To Layfon, Nina didn’t care anything for Sharnid’s comment. Her sharp gaze, so like that of a beast pinning its prey, never moved away from Layfon’s body.

This time, Nina cautiously weighed their distance. Layfon’s stance changed in response to Nina’s, who was slowly changing her position.

The hard build of the iron whip made it clear that it was an offensive weapon. For the sake of convenience, its length wasn’t too long. One didn’t have to worry about an iron whip being damaged in battle, unlike a sword. An iron whip could be swung at will and would not break. It could also receive a direct attack. Grendan’s police force used the iron whip as a standard weapon because of its convenience. However, normal police were only equipped with light iron whips. Layfon’s sword-arm was slightly numb. After receiving the attack, he could tell that this pair of iron whips was as heavy as it looked.

She could use the iron whips however she liked. Her strength and her familiarity with her weapons made Layfon speechless.

The two of them circled each other.

Tension built up in the room. The air felt thick, and on Layfon’s forehead were more beads of sweat.

Again, Nina was the one to close the gap. She rushed over as Layfon’s foot left the floor, moving in reaction to her. Layfon tried to avoid the sudden and straightforward attack by pulling back and opening more distance between them, but she kept closing in. He had no choice but to use his sword. He dipped the sword point low to bring it up in an attack, but it was knocked aside by Nina’s whip. In lightning seconds, he flicked his wrist to adjust the track of his sword.

Layfon’s attack changed from low to high, chopping down towards Nina. She blocked it with her right iron whip and counterattacked from the left with her other iron whip. Layfon quickly stepped to her right and once again, pulled open the distance between them.

He wanted to keep fighting with more distance, but Nina seemed unsatisfied.

“Can you use external-type burst Kei?”

Her unexpected question made Layfon lose the rhythm of the plan he already had in mind.

“Can you use external-type burst Kei?” she repeated.
He nodded.

Nina smiled. “Good.”

She crossed the iron whips before her chest.

A huge noise and vibration that could have toppled a giant ran through the floor.

“Take this!”

When he had collected himself, Nina’s happy and cruel smile was right before him.

In the next moment, Layfon had fainted.

<center>◇</center>

Layfon lifted his sword. He slashed out with the blade without any sense of confusion, and his heart was calm and unruffled. He slashed out without any sense of confusion, but what about the thing that had been slashed?

There was no questioning it.

Of course it was a problem.

So long as one lived, one would encounter all sorts of problems. How to solve a problem? In the end, “living” was in itself the cause of all problems.

When one problem was solved, the next would surface.

The end was never in sight. One continued to remove one’s problems, only to have more closing in.

The light filtering down from the ceiling bounded off the blade of the white alloy Dite.

“Do you desire the Heaven's Blade? You can have it.”

Layfon mumbled the words in the arena that was so quiet that even a fallen needle could be heard. The blade fell from his hand. The irritating metallic sound of it hitting the ground echoed in the arena and the lonely blade lay on the floor.

The problem that’s been cut away now lay beside the blade.

Layfon uttered an “Ah” at the scene. It wasn’t a sound of surprise and joy, but just a simple response at reality.

Numerous hands appeared to point at Layfon. The people surrounding him were faceless and formless. They were only there to repudiate him.

This is unprecedented!
Traitor!
What a shameful guy!

All kinds of denouncements were turned into those fingers pointing at Layfon.

Layfon didn’t care. He looked at them coldly.

So what?

Could they solve the problem like that?

Did they want to write the wrong answer in the space reserved for the answer to the question?

He was only striding forward on the path to the right answer. Who’d know that the Heaven's Blade would fall onto the ground because of that.

His gaze put fear into the people pointing at him. Subconsciously, he looked at the solution which had rolled close to his feet.

Beside the fallen blade was a body.

A body that looked like Nina.

No, it was Nina. The tracks of Layfon’s sword were clearly carved into her body. She lay on the floor, shocked and speechless.

“Is this the answer?” somebody asked.

“It’s a dream.”

One single phrase solved it all.

<center>◇</center>

The first feeling he had after waking up was extreme self-hatred.

“Wuaah, that’s impossible!”

His body curled up, Layfon held his head.

The metal frame of the bed squeaked. A cabinet filled with medicine leaned against the modest, white wall. He smelled faint disinfectant and realised he was in the clinic. He wasn’t surprised about it. In the second when he was about to faint, he knew Nina’s attack would make him lose consciousness.

Compared to this, that dream was even more serious.

“I actually dreamt of revenge. That's not possible. I’m so disgusting…So disgusting!”

He rolled back and forth on the bed and finally fell off it. He moaned as his side hit the floor.

He lay on the cold floor and moaned, all the while murmuring “so disgusting” and allowing the temperature of the floor to cool down the heat in his face.

“What’re you doing?”

“……I’m just shocked for being so useless.”

Layfon stopped moaning at the sound above him, but he didn’t get up.

Wait a bit more……He couldn’t stand up before his reddened face had completely cooled down.

“If it’s all right, I want you to stand up.”

The voice was from the girl who came to the coffee shop and took him to the platoon.

“If it’s all right, give me more time.”

“Why?”

“Please say yes.”

“Must I?”

“Yes.”

The girl seemed to understand more from his repeated request. Layfon didn’t know what she had understood, but she didn’t persist in questioning in, and she didn’t force him to stand up. He could feel the tip of her toes beside his head, staying there, immobile.

The two of them fell silent.

Silent.

Silent.

Silent.

Losing to the silence in the room, Layfon said, “I still don’t know your name. Can you tell me?”

“Oh, yes. I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Felli Loss, second year in Military Arts.”

(Loss?)

Nasty memories surfaced in his mind.

“Hello. Uh, I’m sorry if I got that wrong……”

“You’re not wrong. Karian Loss is my older brother,” Felli cut him off to confirm his unease. Layfon felt weak.

“Is that so……”

“Yes. Do you hate my brother?”

She got ahead of him again.

“Isn’t it about time to get up?”

Layfon picked himself up slowly from the floor. As expected from a clinic. The environment was clean and tidy, even rolling on the floor didn’t dirty his uniform.

Layfon observed the girl’s appearance and found her eyes a bit like Karian’s. They had a beautiful look about them. They must be related.

A light sigh from Felli, then her rigid expression relaxed.

“It really is better to see the face of the person I’m talking to.”

“Uh……Sorry?”

“Not really. I didn’t come at a good time.”

It wasn’t easy to forget that she’d seen him rolling and moaning on the floor. His face reddened again.

“Do you hate my brother forcing you to transfer into Military Arts?”

Felli returned back to the previous topic, indifferent to Layfon’s current expression.

“…… I think it’s a bit too extreme to describe it as ‘hate’.”

He couldn’t find any other word to say.

“I hate my brother,” Felli said while Layfon was hesitating.

“What?”

He couldn’t understand what she meant by that.

(She hates……her own brother?)

From Felli’s pale lips came the words, “I didn’t want to study Military Arts, but he forced me into it.”

“Why……”

“For victory,” Felli concluded without hesitating.

“He’d do all he could to reach his goal, no matter the means. Our will means nothing to him.”

“No, but……”

Felli watched Layfon while judging her own brother. No sadness and anger could be detected from her neutral expression. Even the smile she had before was gone.

So Layfon couldn’t sense any sort of reflections from her in her previous words.

He was confounded.

“He’d perform any foul acts in order to win. It’s ridiculous that we have to work for such a person.”

“Then what do you want me to do?” Layfon asked in confusion.

For a delicate senpai with a short stature, her doll-like perfect face contained no traces of perplexity. Once again, she concluded, “You only need to remain as you are.”

“What?”

“Remain as you are with that attitude you had when you fought Nina.”

“What do you mean……”

Felli had already turned her back and opened her schoolbag on the long bench.

She took out something from it and left it on the chair.

“Uh, excuse me……”

“This is your badge and the permit to be armed. Please pin the badge on your uniform. Tomorrow, go with Harley to the Weapon Fitting Department and take the permit with you. Harley’ll help with your weapon settings.”

Having quickly told him that, Felli nodded lightly and left the clinic.

He had lost his conversation partner. Layfon’s words lolled in his mouth. His outstretched hand had lost its purpose, and could only wave weakly in the air.

What came through first was a sense of debilitation, then a long sigh.

Felli complained heavily about Karian, but she left immediately after leaving Layfon with the instructions she was told to deliver, whereas Karian had dismissed him from the room. Felli’s manner was exactly the same as her brother’s.

“Just what now?”

Layfon bent down on the long bench. He couldn’t think of any good strategies. Beside him were the silver badge and a piece of paper.

It seemed that the reality of his entering the platoon won’t be changed.

“Ah—gee……Why did it turn out like this!?” Layfon sighed.

<center>◇</center>

The next day after school.

Just when Layfon was about to escape, not knowing where Harley’s classroom lay, Harley himself appeared in the same oil-stained working suit that he wore yesterday.

“After watching the fight yesterday, I don’t feel that the sword fits you. Nina holds heavy weapons that don’t suit her either, but she knows how to handle the weight and has been fighting through in her own way,” he said to Layfon, who was following behind with a fed-up expression in his eyes.

Harley never once noticed it.

He continued with enthusiasm. “But your situation is different. Your body movements with the sword just weren’t smooth. Your fighting style is more focused on speed, right? That’s how you were trained, isn’t it?”

“No. I only learned little at the Dojo. I don’t know the details that well. The weapon I used was about the same as yesterday’s practice sword.”

“Really?” Harley said, looking confused.

“You don’t look like an amateur from the fight with Nina yesterday. I thought you’ve gone through professional training.”

“Not really. In Grendan……I was born in Grendan. Dojos of that level are everywhere. I went to train a bit because there was a dojo near my home.”

“Military Arts is really popular in Grendan. Well, I see. So that means in Grendan, there’re lots of highly skilled fighters like you?”

“Well, how should I put it? I haven’t fought much with others, so I’m not sure.”

“Whatever it is, you still have some confidence with your real strength?”

“Not at all.”

A smile appeared on the kind and friendly senpai. They came to a building with a sign “Weapon Fitting Department” on the wall, and entered it.

Harley handed the document through the window, took a wooden box from the window and carried it back to the waiting Layfon.

“Come to my research lab.”

Harley thrust the box to him and led the way out of the department.

“Uh, to put it correctly, it’s my class’s lab.”

Students of Alchemy were assigned to groups and each group had its own research lab. In there, they could perform personal experiment.

“You can get your own research lab if you regularly take the top place or you publish some pretty good thesis. In here, I can’t really do what I want to do.”

“What is senpai specializing in?”

“Weapon adjustment. Sure, I need to invent, but I prefer to adjust weapons so they best fit their owners.”

Layfon now understood why Harley was so stubborn and determined about his weapon being unsuitable.

“That’s a bit different from trainers. How should I put it?”

“In Grendan, we call them the Dite engineers.”

“Ah, I see. That’s a good title.”

The research lab was messy.

No, the lab itself was the manifestation of messiness.

After opening the door, Layfon saw something in the colour of charcoal sticking tightly to the floor. Near the wall beside the door was a pile of magazines and papers with difficult names. A thin layer of dust covered it. There was also a mug with a dirtied edge and a piece of half eaten bread thrown aside.

The life of a single male……and its worst stereotype had become reality here. The provoking smell in the air made Layfon dizzy.

Harley looked to be practical, but that seemed to be only limited to what he was interested in.

Three tables sat in the spacious room. On each desk was the exact same situation, so Layfon couldn’t tell the difference between them. Harley pushed aside the things on one of the tables and got him to place the wooden box there.

In the box were several rod-like things. In a relaxed manner, Harley took out one of the rods that was dark as charcoal. He took out a long electrical terminal from the gear box on the table and inserted it into the rod. The terminal slid in easily.

“Let’s first adjust the handle of the sword. You’re one-handed, right? Do you want to set it for two hands?”

“Please do.”

Layfon said so, knowing that Harley wouldn’t have listened if he said he could adjust whatever settings he wanted.

“Roger. Hold this.”

Harley handed something over that he took out from the small mountain on the desk. It was a half-transparent item with a bluish tinge to it. At one end was a wire linking it to a machine.

“Hold it just like how you hold a sword.”

Layfon thought of the feeling he had when holding a sword, then he tightened his grip on the icy cold rod-like thing. The thing had its own resistance and didn’t get squashed. Compared with its soft appearance, it was surprisingly hard.

“Wow, your grip is quite strong. Even if you fight with your bare fists, it’s gonna hurt.”

Harley nodded while looking at the number appearing on the display. He pulled out the keyboard to enter the number.

Sudden changes appeared at the end of the rod where the terminal was inserted. The rod extended and expanded, its appearance adjusting continuously, eventually becoming what was shown on the display.

“Try again.”

Layfon did so.

“How does it feel?”

“……Pretty good.”

Nothing felt out of place. Layfon’s every finger held the handle closely.

“I’ll do more adjustments once the entire weight’s been decided. Well, then the handle’s ok now. Next is the material. How do you want it? What Nina uses is black Dite. It’s got good density but with decreasing conductive rate. If we’re talking about speed, it’s better to use white or green Dite. I’d recommend the white. If you don’t get it, I’ve got a sample here. Wanna give it a go?”

Without waiting for a reply, Harley had entered the experimental lab and brought back a pile of rods.

Layfon’s worked up a cold sweat just by looking at the pile of rods on the floor.

“Well, let’s begin testing.”

Smiling, Harley handed a rod to Layfon.

It seemed he’d spend a lot time here.

<center>◇</center>

When Harley let him go, the sun had already sunk down in the west.

Layfon returned to the dormitory in a flurry and jumped onto the bed. He slept for a few hours and was called awake by the alarm clock. He fixed up his messy hair, dressed himself in his work clothes and rushed out of the dormitory.

This was Layfon’s first work day.

Holding the map in one hand, Layfon arrived at an underground entrance outside the residential district. He handed his work permit to the police student for check up and entered the interior. Right before him was a lift. Layfon sat inside the simple lift that was encircled with metal fence, and headed down into the depth of the city.

Just when the indescribable smell of oil and liquid became stronger and stronger, the lift stopped, sending a great jolt up Layfon’s body.

The dim light lit up a scene before him. Numerous tubes and wires crossed each other. A gear wheel was moving up and down in its own rhythm. Selenium flowed like blood in one direction inside the glass-like tubes, whereas liquid in the colour of murky sediment flowed in the opposite direction.

This place was underneath the city – the Central Mechanism Chamber.
The scene of Regio’s heart lay open before Layfon.

“How shocking……”

A young man who looked to be also a half-studying and half-working student walked past and greeted Layfon as he stared speechlessly at the sight before him. Layfon followed the young man to the person in charge, and then started his job of cleaning.

As he was a beginner, he was sent to clean the corridors.

Grouped with the other newbie, Layfon went to work in the maze-like corridors. About one hour later, both of them started to get the hang of how to remove the mixed liquid from the wall, so they divided the work between them. It was easier this way to finish their target.

When Layfon went to discharge the dirty water in his bucket and get some more clean water, his partner was resting on the floor, totally exhausted.

“Are you resting?”

“Yeah,” came the powerless reply.

“How to put it…it’s tough. I picked this job coz I needed money, but I never thought it was such hard work to just clean the floor!”

“That’s because you used too much unnecessary strength. What if you don’t use the muscles of your wrist but the weight of your entire body? That’d save some strength,” Layfon advised, but his partner was so exhausted that he only made some noise as a response.

Never mind, Layfon thought. He continued cleaning with the clean water and the cleaning liquid.

He didn’t resent the repetitiveness of the work, since he could leave his mind blank and not think of anything. He only needed to concentrate on moving his body, his consciousness swallowed in the flow inside him. That was the blood running in his veins, which was the flow needed to open up the flow of Kei. If he focused more, blood and Kei would flow to the antibodies inside him.

Layfon kept on brushing while enjoying that feeling.

When the water in the bucket turned dark, he was brought back to reality.

“I have to change the water,” he murmured, and unexpectedly got a reply.

“Then please change mine too.”

Startled, Layfon lifted his gaze to the source of the voice.

And got another shock.

“In exchange, let me treat you to supper…Uh, what’s wrong?”

“Senpai, why are you here?”

It was Nina. She wore the same work clothes as Layfon. A bucket filled with dirty water sat beside her feet, and she was holding a brush missing a handle. Oil stained her nose, cheeks and even her hair.

“I’m half studying and half working too. Is that so strange? With that, I’m leaving the water to you. I’ll buy some food. Meet up here later.”

Nina left Layfon at a loss.

When Layfon came back with clean water after a few minutes, Nina also managed to make it back in time.

“Thanks.”

It didn’t seem he was dreaming. Nina was looking at the wide-mouthed Layfon disapprovingly. Both of his hands were occupied with the buckets.

“How do you plan to eat? Put down the buckets. You should rest when it’s time to rest.”

“Ah, yes!”

He placed the buckets on the floor and hurried away to join her. They sat down on a tube.

Nina handed over a sandwich.

He took a large bite. The delicious taste of chicken, vegetables and spicy sauce seeped into his tired body.

“Very delicious.”

“This is the most popular bento. It’s always sold out. If you don’t time it right, you’ll never get to have it.”

Nina’s lips relaxed slowly. She handed Layfon a paper cup filled with red tea.

It was red tea with ice. The sugar level wasn’t too high. The drink tasted nice.

“Did you buy this too?”

“No, I made it,” she shook her head and put the lid on her water bottle.

“I wasn’t planning to share. Didn’t know you were here, so I went to get some water just then.”

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

“No worries, and just a warning. Prepare your own drink from now on, the water here tastes horrible.”

Layfon left his mouth open, then looked at the side of Nina’s face. A Nina happily eating her sandwich while her beautiful golden locks were oil-stained just didn’t match each other.

“What’s it? I can’t eat with you staring.”

“Sorry. I’m just surprised.”

“Yeah?”

“Very surprised. Like how I can’t imagine senpai’s working here, and also……”

She looked very cute, taking huge bites of her sandwich, but knowing he’d get quite a beating if he let those words out, Layfon quickly swallowed them.

“Well, in terms of health, this is the worst environment you can imagine.”

Luckily she didn’t notice him struggling with his words.

“But it’s true that the pay is good. For someone as poor as me, I’m grateful to get such high pay.”

Poor?

“Are you that surprised?”

“Ah, no, not really……”

It was true that he was surprised about it.

When he first met Nina, he felt an elegant higher-class bearing from her on top of the standing straight and centre way that passionate Military Arts people preferred.

“Frankly, my family isn’t poor.”

Nina washed down her last bite of sandwich with red tea. Looking at the Nina now, it was hard to imagine she was of the upper class.

“Then……”

“Didn’t I say my family? My parents were against me studying here, so I ran away from home. They don’t send me any allowance.”

“And for what?”

“Why did you come here?”

”The only scholarship qualification that I passed was this academy city’s, so I’m here.”

Disappointment appeared on Nina. No, what she tried to cover underneath was the anger in her eyes.

“And I’m an orphan, so I haven’t got any money.”

After quickly adding that line, he could see the apology in her eyes.

“…… Is that so. I’m sorry.”

“No, that’s ok.”

Layfon found her funny. Although she always appeared stubborn and calm, when he talked with her at such a close distance, her expressions were like the images of a kaleidoscope. In particular, it was funny of her trying to cover her own expression and still act cool.

“I’ve always wanted to go outside,” Nina said softly and took another sandwich. “For us born in a Regios, the majority of people spend their entire lifetime in the same city. Because of the filth monsters outside, we’re trapped like birds in a cage…… but, there are also people who travel on roaming buses in between cities. They can look at many different worlds, as opposed to many who only see one world. I’m envious of them.”

Receiving Nina’s glare again for staring at her, Layfon hastily took a bite of his sandwich.

“I couldn’t become a traveler, but I still wanted to see the outside world, so I was determined to come to the Academy City. I found that a reasonable choice, but my parents were very against it.”

Nina’s eyes narrow in enjoyment. Perhaps she was recalling the scene of her defying her parents.

“That was my first time arguing with dad to such an extreme end. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but I was happy.”

“Is that why you don’t get any allowance?”

“Yeah. They found out that I took the exam behind their backs. They locked me in the room when I was about to leave. I only managed to escape and board the bus in the last minute. I sent home a letter after arriving here. I wrote what I thought was right. The return letter was extremely short. It included a return bus ticket and a piece of paper saying “Besides this, we won’t give you any help.””

“So I’m like this now,” she concluded and fell silent, eating her sandwich. Layfon also focused on eating.

Nina finished the last sandwich and poured some red tea into the paper cup.

“I’m only good at Military Arts, so that’s why I’m in this case. But you seem different.”

According to the Student President, Layfon was forced to transfer.

“Not at all,” he shook his head, lowered his head to gaze at the red tea in his cup. The coldness of the iced red tea seeped through the paper and into his palm.

“I still haven’t decided what to do, but, I want to do something.”

“Um, what about Military Arts? Frankly, I think you’re strong in it.”

“Not Military Arts. I failed it already.”

“Failed? What happened?”

Nina was the type to say what was hard to talk about. Layfon shook his head bitterly.

Just when he was searching for words to confuse the topic……

Gla, Gla, Gla. Footsteps of someone running in the corridor sounded, then that someone appeared, coming close to whether Layfon and Nina rested.

It was an older man wearing the same clothes as them. A beard adorned his chin. Machine oil filled his fingernails. Layfon guessed he must be a senpai in the Mechanical Engineering course.

“Hey, did you see it here?”

“See what?” Layfon said but Nina got ahead of him.

“Here again?”

“Again. Sorry! I’m counting on you!” the man ran away.

“This is troublesome.”

Nina drained her red tea and stood up.

“What happened?”

“Come and help. We don’t have to clean today.”

“What?”

Nina smiled. “The consciousness of the city has escaped.”

Even so, he didn’t understand it. He could only say “what?”

This time, Nina laughed. “Never mind that, just come.”

Layfon followed.

Amongst the regular noises of gears turning were erratic footsteps stamping on metallic floors, but Nina was strolling in the busy atmosphere.

“Is this urgent?”

“For the Mechanical Engineering students that look after this place, it’s serious enough for them to have their marks taken off.”

“Oh……”

The city’s consciousness?

She said that the city’s consciousness had escaped, but what was the city’s consciousness? Layfon didn’t get it.

Since it was a self-governing city, the city would move according to its own will. No one knew where a city would go, and the people living in it couldn’t control it. People lived in cities that floated, lost on the barren surface of the earth. Rumour had it that in the time when humans didn’t have to rely on Regios, they had maps mapping the entire world. But these maps had lost their value. No one ever read them anymore.

For humans living in this age, what happened outside a city was a mystery. At the same time, the city that they couldn’t control was also in itself a mystery.

He wouldn’t have not known what it meant by the city’s consciousness.

But what it was like to have the city’s consciousness escaping was hard to fathom.

Nina didn’t hesitate when coming across any forked corridors. Layfon watched her back, confused.

“Aren’t we looking for it?”

“There’s no need.”

“Why?”

Layfon was more confused. He caught up with Nina to look at her face, and only saw excitement on her gentle countenance. She didn’t look around. She was just walking straight in the direction she knew.

“The city’s consciousness has a strong sense of curiosity,” Nina said suddenly. “So it likes to run around. That serves to avoid the filth monsters, but what’s more important is its bottomless curiosity to explore the world. It runs here and there…… that’s how Harley puts it.”

Nina halted her steps, blocked by the railing. From here, they could look into the depth of the city’s heart, layered by machineries, the air vibrating with the sound of machines at work.

And above that was something.

Something that pulsated with golden light.

“And because of that, it’s also curious about new things inside itself. It’s curious like you, a new student.”

“Zuellni!” Nina called. The ball of light flew through the air in circles.

“The workers are agitated,” she said.

The ball of light flew straight at Nina. Without giving Layfon the chance to shout “watch out”, the ball of light was in Nina’s arms.

“Haha, aren’t you full of spirit?” Nina smiled, carrying the ball of light.

Layfon took a closer look at it and was speechless.

The ball of light was a small child.

“But you gotta work properly. If you get lazy, the workers have to run around and adjust a great deal of things.”

It was about the size of an infant, but the ratio of its limbs looked normal. Her hair was long enough to touch her toes. She gazed at Nina cheerfully with big and animated eyes.

(This……is the city’s consciousness?)

Layfon stared at the light-emitting girl without a word.

The girl looked past Nina’s shoulder and caught his eyes.

“Ah, he’s new. Let me introduce. He’s Layfon, Layfon Alseif. He’s very strong. Layfon, she’s Zuellni.”

Layfon’s gaze flickered between Nina and the girl.

“That is……uh, the same as the city’s name……”

“Isn’t that a given? The city is this child’s real form.”

Perhaps this was a given, but it was hard to associate this little girl with the huge city he was in.

“Oh, I’m Layfon Alseif. Nice to meet you,” Layfon extended his hand to shake hers.

Zuellni had already jumped from Nina’s arm to her shoulder, then onto Layfon’s chest.

Layfon held her in haste. She was weightless, but he could feel her body heat through his thick working suit.

Zuellni held tightly to his clothes, hugging him. She was gazing up at him with pure and polished eyes, making him feel a bit embarrassed.

“Oh, she seems to like you,” Nina said, trying to suppress her laughter.

“What?”

“Zuellni won’t let anyone she hates touches her. If I explain it in Harley’s words, Zuellni is the Electronic Fairy, the consolidated form of the city’s particles. Once the form loosens, the electronic particles will shoot through the other’s body, just like a lightning strike.”

Hearing that explanation, Layfon wasn’t sure what to say. He couldn’t believe such a cute little girl would harm humans.

“The workers are all so worked up about Zuellni missing because of that too, on top of the gears not moving properly; but I don’t think this gentle girl can harm others.”

Nina patted Zuellni’s head. Zuellni squinted.

But even Layfon himself didn’t know how he’d have reacted when he first knew of this. Nina’s easy and relaxing manner enabled him to hug Zuellni so naturally.

“Senpai is incredible.”

“Why so sudden?”

“That’s what I think.”

“You’re weird!”

Nina took Zuellni from him.

While she turned her back to Layfon, he saw her cheeks reddening. Was she too sensitive?

Nina talked to Zuellni as she walked back to the corridor.

“Ok, have you seen enough? Then return to your place. Even you dislike the workers adjusting things when nothing’s out of place.”

Layfon ran to catch up with her.

“We have to train tomorrow for the platoon match. Don’t bring your exhaustion with you,” Nina said to him.

Layfon halted his footsteps, his jaunty mood disappearing.

<noinclude>
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|-
| Back to [[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume1_Chapter1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Chrome_Shelled_Regios|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Chrome_Shelled_Regios:Volume1_Chapter3|Chapter 3]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Chrome Shelled Regios:Volume1 Chapter4

2009-05-08T17:31:19Z

Vissermatt: /* Chapter 4: Platoon match */

===Chapter 4: Platoon match===

It’s been a while since I wrote my last letter. A lot’s happened over here, so I’m a bit tired. It’s about the cleaning work at the Mechanical Department and school life.

I still haven’t received your letter. I wonder whether my letter’s arrived safely?

I deeply find it difficult to look for my future goal.

In Grendan, I was fortunate to have the ability and it didn’t take me long to choose the road of Katana. But now I feel that I need huge courage to determine my own future.

Every time I look at these people who strive forward for their goals, I think they’ve lots of courage, yet I feel stupid and ridiculous for thinking that. I know there’s no need to admire them. It’s enough to look at my own goal.

Haha, how weak I am. Uh, I know that too. I’ve come to Zuellni, but I still haven’t found my goal.

My school life is smooth.

It’d be great if I can find what I want to do in these six years. I can’t be too lazy about it, but there’s no point panicking.

How’re you over there? I’m sure you’re doing fine.

May you have a happy future.

To dear Leerin Marfes.

Layfon Alseif.

<center>◇</center>

He wanted money.

He didn’t really care for the reputation that came with the Heaven Blade. He thought learning the katana was the fastest way to earn money, as his Master praised that he had the talent for the katana.

Lance Shelled Grendan. It was fortunate he was born in this city that prospered on Military Arts. He didn’t know his parents, but he was thankful of them for giving him the talent in the katana.

He had to use this power to make money.

He lived for fifteen years for that purpose alone.

The luckiest thing was that he became a successor of the Heaven Blade at age 10.

But he was still troubled by money.

The air of commotion stretched out from the Resting Room to the narrow corridor.

Layfon walked silently in the corridor. He let out a light sigh and tried to relieve the illusive pressure that was bearing down on him from the air.

But he couldn’t do it.

He thought he had let it all out, but the irritated feeling rushed back into his chest. He felt his stomach, the pressure refusing to go away.

“Wuwu……”

“Are you all right?” Nina asked beside him.

“…… It’s you, senpai. You don’t look well.”

“Stop your nonsense. I’m very calm.”

Despite her reply, it was clear that she didn’t feel as calm. Her eyes were darting around, and her footsteps were less firm.

“Anyway, the 16th platoon is good at formation, but once a formation becomes shaky, there’ll be an opening.”

“You said that three times already.”

Nina glared at him. He wasn’t afraid of her getting mad. The light pink on the edge of her cheeks meant she was only covering up her embarrassment. Even so, he moved his gaze away from her.

“Listen. I’m sorry, but we can’t expect much on Sharnid’s support. I need him to move alone today. And Felli’s progress in tracing the enemies hasn’t improved,” she said with a sour expression.

Although they had been training from that day on, Sharnid’s long distance shot failed to coordinate with the team’s movement, and Felli’s search on the enemies hadn’t been good.

(Uh, of course.)

He didn’t know what the deal was with Sharnid, but it was expected of Felli. She was determined not to work her best so her brother could let her go.

(About that point, I’m the same.)

“This time we’re on the offensive. As long as I don’t fall, we won’t lose. We’ll respond depending on the situation today and win the match. Thank goodness my coordination with you has improved.”

She lashed out a fist at Layfon’s chest. It was a light strike, but he still coughed at the contact.

After platoon training, he always trained alone with Nina. Because of that, he could perfectly get the hang of Nina’s attack pattern, and she also seemed to understand how Layfon would react.

Nina mumbled as she looked at the map in her hand. This must be her strategic plan. She was thinking hard on how to win with the current strength of the team.

From her red eyes and eye bags, it was clear she was determined to win this match.

Yes, today, they had a platoon match.

Match. Just thinking of that word made his stomach hurt.

“I’m sorry. I need to get to the bathroom,” Layfon apologized.

“Got it. I’ll go ahead then,” Nina said, still deeply absorbed in the map.

In the Men’s bathroom, Layfon splashed tap water onto his face. The coldness of the water cleared his head.

“Uh, it’s still not working.”

The pain in his stomach hadn’t subsided, and he could also feel the pressure in his chest.

“Damn.”

“What’s wrong? You don’t look well,” a voice floated over as when he was about to wash his face again. He didn’t turn to address the owner of the voice, but he saw the other person’s face in the mirror.

Felli would never have thought such a gentle smile could adorn Karian’s face.

“…… What do you want?”

“There’s no need to be on guard. I’m just here to give the new platoon some encouragement. I just saw you on the way here. You don’t look well?”

“I’m tense because it’s almost time for the match.”

Layfon didn’t detect any pressure from Karian, the pressure he felt when he first met the Student President. But there was a certain dissatisfaction mixed up with the pain in Layfon’s stomach. His gaze reflected in the mirror also looked worse.

“How could that be? This is child’s play to you, Wolfstein.”

“…… It’s meaningless no matter how many times you repeat that title. It doesn’t belong to me anymore. I was expelled from Grendan and I don’t have the Heaven Blade.”

His disapproval of Karian…… could be because of Felli’s words. He resisted Karian who even used his own sister to reach his goal.

“And why is that? Are you not satisfied with my waiving your school fees? Speaking of which, you’re still cleaning at the Mechanical Department. Do you still need money? If so……”

“…… That isn’t the problem.”

“Then what’s the issue? Layfon Alseif. The Heaven Blade wielder Wolfstein I know cares about money more than reputation.”

Karian didn’t change his expression, but his words cut straight to the core. Layfon only recollected himself at the huge noise sounded from the floor tiles when he had stomped on it.

Karian’s reflection on the mirror maintained his smile.

“I don’t know where you got that information from…… but it’s incomplete.”

“Um, just what’s going on? Can you explain to me what kind of a person Wolfstein is?”

“No. That’s something you don’t have to know.”

“It’s fine if you don’t tell me. I just want you to perform well in the fight.”

Karian ended the conversation one-sidedly and headed out into the corridor.

Layfon watched his back, having no desire to chase after him.

“Yes, yes……” Karian suddenly halted his steps.

“I hope you can stop your naïve thinking that playing around in the match can get you back into General Studies. I’ve said so already. I’ll do anything for the survival of the city. As long as a thing is useful to me, I’ll use it.”

“Even if it’s your sister?”

“Even if it’s my sister. Well, I’m going now.”

Karian moved out of Layfon’s sight. He must be heading for the Resting Room of the 17th platoon. Layfon stayed rooted to the spot. He didn’t want to see Karian again in the Resting Room.

He sat on the edge of the sink, lifted his head to watch the ceiling with his hand covering his wet face.

“Ah ~~ …… Damn it!”

Letting out his emotion failed to alleviate the pain in his stomach.

<center>◇</center>

Mei-Shen looked at the basket resentfully on her knees.

“You can’t help it. They said non-related personnel can’t enter before the match,” Mifi comforted her in the audience seat.

“…… but.”

Mei-Shen gazed at the basket regretfully. She got up early today just to make this bento.

“…… Lay…… ton lives alone. He might not have had breakfast.”

“Perhaps, but we didn’t ask him to come out. Just forget it,” Mifi said, pretending not to have heard the pause between “Lay” and “ton”.

(Layfon? Layfon-kun? Just which one is it? Hum, with Mei-Shen’s personality, it probably is Layfon-kun…… I don’t think she’d want to call him “Lay”?)

Mifi thought so.

She knew Mei-Shen greatly admired Layfon – and that was why they became friends, but she never thought Mei-Shen would have made him bento with her own two hands.

(Is there a chance? Layton seems pretty slow with this kind of thing.)

She looked at Mei-Shen. Mei-Shen was delicate and small. She was about the same height as Felli. Her face? It would be Felli’s overwhelming win in that area. The two girls were of different types, but the girl in the 17th platoon was exactly like an exquisite doll. She gave off an illusive and dangerous seductive charm from head to toe. Compared to her, Mei-Shen wasn’t at all not cute, but she always had this about-to-cry look in between her eyebrows.

What about body build? Mei-Shen had the advantage in this area. She was the most physically matured out of them three. Although her small stature didn’t quite match, her body was so grown up that even Mifi herself felt inferior.

Even now, the surrounding males were boldly staring at the curve of her chest.

About matured chest, the order went: Mei-Shen, Mifi, and lastly Naruki. The order was reversed when it came to height.

(I’m always in the middle. It feels like I’m losing out.)

Mei-Shen didn’t let any boys come close to her because of her shyness, but at the same time, she was protected by many guys. Naruki’s brave and bold personality was also hard to attract anyone close, but everyone agreed she was beautiful.

(Only I am not liked. I haven’t received a love letter either.)

“What’s it? Still sulking?” Naruki came back with some juice.

Naruki’s short hair danced in the wind. She frowned at it. Both her hands were occupied with snacks and three paper cups of juice, so she couldn’t press down on her hair.

That pose suited her.

“It’s unexpectedly crowded. I waited a long time in the queue…… What’s up?”

“…… Nothing.”

Mifi snatched up her own juice and snack, and lifted her gaze to watch the arena.

The uneven ground of the war field, dotted here and there with trees, was fenced in. Above was the camera of the Alchemy course, controlled by a psychokinesist. Must be doing some testing? The big screens facing the audience seats cycled through different areas of the field.

“Isn’t it about time? When is Layton’s match?”

Mei-Shen should know, but why was Mifi angry? Naruki didn’t get it.

“There’re four matches today and Layton’s is the third. How is the unknown 17th platoon gonna react to the speed of the 16th platoon? Everyone’s interested in that, but it doesn’t look good with the bet. Layton’s team falls way behind.”

“People are gambling on this?”

Sharp light shot from Naruki’s eyes. Gambling over a platoon match was illegal. In Naruki’s harness was a Dite with the symbol of the City Police on it.

“I didn’t place a bet.”

“Of course.”

“Besides, it’s useless for you to stop it. It hasn’t received official permission, but it’s mutually acknowledged. As long as they don’t make a mess, the City Police won’t do anything about it,” Mifi said.

Naruki grunted, looking around with outrage in her eyes.

Mifi sighed.

“Really…… Why are all Military Artists obsessed? It’s just an entertainment.”

“Stop the nonsense! Military Arts is heaven’s best gift to humanity. To dirty it through one’s own desire……”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. What do you think of Layton’s situation?” Mifi changed the subject.

Naruki thought for a moment. “Well…” she said with a different feeling from before and touched her chin.

“I’m not sure how good his comrades are, but I think he’s strong. Yes, that’s what I think……”

“What’s it?” Mifi said, noticing her hesitation.

“I’ve only trained with internal type Kei, but Layton’s External type burst Kei isn’t too bad. But I feel that…. He himself isn’t too keen on the match.”

“Yes.”

“…… Layton, he wouldn’t get hurt, would he?” Mei-Shen said, a deep frown sat in between her eyebrows as if she was about to cry.

Naruki smiled and shook her head. “They’re blunted weapons. We don’t have to worry about him sustaining any injuries.”

“Besides, every year, the average number of people getting injured in Military Arts is around 300. It’s three times more than other courses and it’s mostly caused in training and matches.”

Mifi’s words made the tears fall from Mei-Shen’s eyes.

Naruki’s fist connected with Mifi’s head.

<center>◇</center>

His stomach had stopped hurting, but now his brain felt dull and listless. Layfon wasn’t keen on the match at all.

The team walked into the corridor, leaving the Resting Room for the match. Sunlight replaced the artificial light. The fervent atmosphere surrounded them.

“Ah!” Layfon voiced his annoyance at the unusual scene in the battlefield.

Numerous students sat in the audience section and a camera hovered in the air. One of the big screens showed the members of platoon 17.

“Not bad!”

Sharnid waved at the camera. Some students in the audience section shouted in shrill excitement. Sharnid’s smile widened.

“This atmosphere suits me the best. I think I can perform three times better than usual!”

“I hope so,” Nina said, coldly glancing at him, disapproving his flippant attitude. She then scanned the field.

“Except for the area we’re now in, everything else is about the same as usual.”

As Nina said, the terrain wasn’t that different from usual.

“We can’t be careless. The defense team might have set traps. Felli, search for the enemies and traps when the match begins. Can you handle both?”

“Who knows,” Felli replied, supporting herself on her staff. Nina’s expression turned harsh.

The atmosphere made Layfon feel weak on his shoulders.

The Emcee of the match spoke through the loudspeaker, his voice full of energy. The match was about to begin. Layfon restored his Dite.

He held a greenish blue sword.

In the past, he held it because of money.

But now?

The light from the green Dite didn’t have Kei in it. It was simply reflecting the ray of the sun. The beautiful and empty light weighed down on Layfon.

It was all because of his recklessness at the opening ceremony. He was hassled by the riot. Before he knew what was happening, he had suppressed the culprits of the riot.

Why did he do that? He regretted his action.

“Really.”

“Hum? What’s it?”

His voice was small, but Nina heard it.

“Nothing.”

The siren signaling the beginning of the match drowned out his reply.

“Time to go,” Nina said.

Layfon followed behind her.

<center>◇</center>

Inside the Student President’s room, Karian watched the screen. Both camps in the match had moved out after the siren sounded. Karian’s gaze followed the attacker who was dragging his greenish blue sword behind and clumsily chasing after his captain.

“Is this the guy that the Student President admires?”

The owner of the voice was a Military Student, standing before the office desk. With an awe-inspiring countenance, the muscular man patted the beard on his chin, watching the screen.

“His movements are clumsy and his flow of Kei is really bad. Did he really suppress the riot in the opening ceremony?”

“The very same, Vance Military Arts commander.”

“Ha?”

Vance Haldi, Commander of Military Arts – the representative of the Military Arts course leaned on the office desk, watching the screen with incomprehension.

“Well then, he lacks enthusiasm. What a useless guy. This includes the one who transferred him into Military Arts.”

Karian shrugged and avoided eye contact.

“I can guarantee for his true ability. No one in Zuellni can be his opponent if he’s serious. This is only a gathering for a group of novices, an amateurish organization. To him who’s immersed himself so many years in the professional world, this match is only child’s play.”

“We’re betting our lives on this game.”

“Yes, even if it’s a game , the ideal we hold to keep the city alive is the same, but he doesn’t seem to understand that.”

“And there’s also your sister.”

“Have you a different opinion, commander?”

“Of course. The two who lack enthusiasm and the Sharnid with real power but not cooperation. As the Military Arts commander and one who is responsible for the city’s defense, I’ve a lot to complain for giving Nina a platoon with so many issues. It makes more sense to put her in another platoon and nurture her that way.”

“Wasn’t she the one who refused this proposal?”

Vance shut his mouth.

“Two years ago, everyone held huge expectation for her. She was accepted into a platoon when she was only in first year. But she’d changed her mind since we failed in the Military Arts competition. She formed her own team because of that. She chose Sharnid herself. I gave her the other two, but I did it with the belief that she could use them well.”

“I’m against her forming a platoon.”

“Unfortunately, I’ve the final say.”

“…… Are you planning to destroy the future of an excellent student?” Vance roared and struck the desk with his fist. The air vibrated. He was twice as muscular as Karian, but the Student President remained calm.

“Only if this city can survive,” Karian waved away the vibrating air. “Can you guarantee we’ll win in the next competition?”

The gentle smiled disappeared. Karian challenged Vance with a gaze sharp as the blade of a knife. The commander lifted his thick eyebrows and accepted the challenge.

“There’s nothing definite in war,” Vance said.

“Yes, but I still want absolute guarantee. We can only win to guarantee the survival of this city. Humans can’t live without the city. This cold world rejects us. I think you should know the meaning of losing a city?”

What was outside the city – The few plants that managed to survive on this polluted earth were poisonous. The survivors were only the filth monsters that had overcome the poison.

Unable to survive in this harsh world, humans could only live in an artificial world – in a mobile city.

“Of course I understand that. But this is an Academy. It’s an Education department. I won’t abandon good students!”

“I’m nurturing them.”

“How so?”

“You can obtain something by failing. Humans grow through failures. The greatest proof of maturity is what one obtains through enormous suffering. My sister and Layfon Alseif haven’t yet understood this point, so I’ve thrown them over there.”

“Meaning this platoon is full of abandoned students?”

“They aren’t abandoned. You can only conclude after the result.”

“In the end, even you can’t guarantee the result.”

Karian nodded as if this was natural. “There’s nothing absolute about people. If it exists, I’ll become a mad believer.”

He moved his gaze back to the screen.

The camera controlled by psychokinesis was filming a certain area of the war field.

Layfon’s desperate expression, his face stuck with sweat and dust, appeared on the screen.

“In this life and death situation, you’ll be suspected. Have you truly given up? Or have you not?” Karian’s murmuring turned Vance’s gaze to the screen too.

The 17th platoon was losing.

<center>◇</center>

A platoon must have at least four fighting members.

Yes, that was written in the Military Arts handbook. The 17th platoon had four people, so it fulfilled the minimal number. Harley wasn’t in the count as he wasn’t a fighter.

Then what about the maximum number?

Seven people.

The 16th platoon had five fighting members. This was already counted as a small platoon. Usually, a platoon had seven fighting members.

Preparing the fighting strength of the team was an absolute must to win and survive, but the 17th platoon lacked this.

The excuse of not having enough time made no difference in the field. The excuse of the losing team was just a dog’s barking, not worth listening to. Besides, Nina had no intention of giving voice to it.

The 17th platoon lacked the strength of one more member.

He couldn’t help but think that the result could be overturned.

Truly, that was what Layfon was thinking, even though he didn’t plan to win.

How naïve of him.

When the siren sounded, he and Nina rushed forward to the enemy camp. They had to eliminate the entire enemy team to win, or make them lose their fighting capability and destroy the flag they were protecting. On the other hand, the defense team had to either defeat the captain of the enemy team or protect their flag within the time limit. The defense team could set traps in the field before the match, so they had the advantage if they were to just keep on the defensive side.

Because the winning conditions in a real Military Arts competition were the suppression of the enemy’s camp or the destruction of the city’s Mechanical Department, which was the represented by the flag.

“The other team will probably choose to defend. All they need is to protect their flag within the time limit,” Nina said in the Resting Room.

“Me and Layfon will act as baits. During that time, Sharnid is to snipe the flag. It’s an old-fashioned but realistic plan.”

“Layfon, the first problem we’ll face is to get through the traps as fast as we can. The 16th platoon can’t easily detect Sharnid’s Kei, but we’ll have to attract the psychokinesist’s attention with our speed. Our mission is to confuse the other team.”

That was why the two of them were running on the uneven ground and heading straight for the frontline of the opposing team. They moved with highest speed while running through bushes and staying alert for traps.

Something felt wrong.

“Layfon, be careful,” Nina said from behind. She felt it too.

There weren’t any trap.

On the ground could be simple traps like pits, nets, conductive wires…… and bundles of grass to trip one’s feet…… They didn’t find any mines controlled by psychokinesis. Except for the changes made to the terrain for the match, nothing else looked different.

On Nina’s gesture, Layfon stopped running and hid inside the shadow of the bush.

“Felli, have you found the enemy’s position?”

“Two reactions in the enemy camp, and three at the front. None of the targets are moving,” Felli answered lightly through the transmitter. The opponents didn’t plan to hide any of their moves.

“They plan to receive our attack without reducing our strength through traps? Are we being underestimated?” Nina mumbled.

Another voice came through the transmitter. “This is Sharnid. I’m in position. There’s something blocking my target, but this is the best position I could find. If there’s a better opening, I guarantee my shot will hit.”

So he planned to hit the obstacle before sniping the flag. But with that much time wasted, both psychokinesist and people who could use External Type Burst Kei could have detected Sharnid’s position. He’d become the target of the enemy’s sniper.

“Wait a minute. Just stay there and wait for your order.”

“Roger. I’ll shoot if a chance presents itself.”

“I’m counting on you.”

Nina’s gaze threw out a question at Layfon.

(What do we do?)

He knew they could only keep on moving. The 16th platoon couldn’t be unaware of the two of them. Even so, three members of the enemy team hadn’t made a move, meaning they planned to receive attacks head-on.

And if the 17th platoon didn’t take any action, the enemies would remain where they were till the time ran out. They would have won.

There was only one thing left to do.

Fight the enemy. In a 2 vs 5 fight, the 17th platoon had the disadvantage.

“Geez,” Layfon complained in a low voice. Although the situation was as predicted, this was exactly what the other team had planned.

(What do we do next?)

Layfon’s gaze reflected his question, and Nina wordlessly nodded. Now they had to rush the frontline, as just they had agreed. He didn’t understand why she was full of confidence. Her voice came through his transmitter.

“We’ll follow the original plan. We’ll draw the attackers into the front section of the field. Aim for the ground when we get there and use the smoke to confuse the enemy.”

“Just don’t mess up my shooting path!” Sharnid said.

Felli asked for Sharnid’s position, and Nina gave Layfon an order.

“Draw the enemy to the west.”

The two of them signaled through eye contact. Layfon emerged from the bush, followed closely by Nina. As he ran, he extended his Kei to his blade. The Kei flowed like blood. This was a Kei vein. It connected Layfon’s palm to the sword so the blade became a part of his body. The blade gave off a clear blue light that was unlike that of the sun’s. Layfon could feel the murky feeling from the blade.

Because he could feel the blade as if it had grown a nervous system overnight, he experienced the unnatural, numb and irritating feeling…… a novice might be satisfied at this stage, but not Layfon. He needed it to be more intense. The colour of his Kei could be more vivid, more exciting.

The colour of Kei on his blade looked so unsightly!

He clamped down his teeth to suppress his desire. He knew his best Kei wasn’t of this level. But what would it do to use his best Kei here? What did he want to do? Nothing. He couldn’t use his full power because he didn’t know what he wanted to do.

What he was searching for wasn’t the gem-like colour of his Kei.

“Layfon!”

The shrill voice came not from the transmitter. He realized his consciousness had drifted off. He gazed back at the scene before him, but his heart was not in it.

When he had recollected himself, he was in a sea of dust.

In the moment when they emerged from the bushes, the enemies had also arrived with high speed. And that speed had filled the air with dust and soil particles, blocking out the sun and dimming the surrounding area.

Layfon stopped running. He looked around, sensing Nina behind him.

“Look closely at the flow of the air!” Nina’s order came through his transmitter.

He was irritated.

How could she give him a search method of such low level?

Gritting his teeth, he watched the dust whirls before him.

Three dust whirls.

He slashed out with the sword, the pressure extending to his wrists. There were two pressures, canceling each other. One pressure flowed through Layfon’s body, causing him to kneel on the ground.

Nina kept silent.

She was directing her attack at another whirl.

“Whirl Kei……” he murmured, then rolled away from his current position to confirm the situation.

Three figures separated Layfon and Nina.

This was an internal type Kei technique. It could strengthen the legs tremendously and made possible high speed movement. These three must have gone through special training in Whirl Kei.

After confirming their positions, the enemies had used their attack to confuse their vision, then executed a speedy attack with Whirl Kei. Their execution was flawless. They must have had special training in it.

They didn’t need to set up traps at all. The simultaneous attack of the Whirl Kei was the biggest trap.

(But……)

That strategy had also given Layfon’s team a chance. He and Nina had completely attracted the enemy’s attention. Next, they only needed to make an opening for Sharnid……

And he realized his foolishness.

Three people had separated him and Nina. Once Nina fell, they’d have lost.

“Senpai!”

Layfon couldn’t get up because of the numbness in his knees. The pressure of the high speed attack remained in his body, making him unable to use his strength.

As when he was trying to get up, one of the opponents rushed him again with a high speed Whirl Kei attack. Dust filled the air. A presence that Layfon couldn’t see with his eyes was closing in. He blocked the attack with his sword. The instability of his legs caused him to fly through the air then to fall, rolling on the ground.

The pressure of the attack ran through his body. Sparks exploded in his vision. He had almost hit his head on the ground. Even so, he still had to get back up. He saw Nina defending from a Whirl Kei attack with her iron whips.

Rooted tightly on the spot, she held tight to her two irons whips, receiving the high speed strikes.

Compared to attacking, she was probably better at defense. She watched her two opponents calmly, and used her external type burst Kei to minimize the force of the strikes.

Which was different from the clumsy looking Layfon, rolling on the ground like a fool. In Nina’s eyes was an undefeatable light. The two iron whips spoke true of her determination.

That pose was like a firm iron fortress.

He had no time to be fascinated by the scene.

Again, he blocked an attack with his sword, and fell tumbling on the dusty ground.

“This is annoying!” Layfon’s attacker said. Layfon couldn’t see his opponent’s expression through the dust screen, but he understood the enemy was frustrated that Layfon could block the speedy attacks despite his clumsiness.

Another strike. Layfon once again tumbled across the earth. He was worse than a rolling stone. All he heard was the vibration deep in his ears. He couldn’t hear any outside noise properly. His head had been hit numerous times and his consciousness began to dull.

(Why am I doing this?)

He staggered to his feet and was still considering this question as he once again received another attack to fall rolling on the ground.

(It doesn’t matter if we lose, right?)

This wasn’t a fight to determine the fate of the city. This was just a school activity. It shouldn’t matter if they lost. The Academy City wouldn’t lose its Electronic Fairy because of it.

Even so, why was he letting the enemy attack him? For what purpose was he sustaining all these injuries? He couldn’t comprehend what he was doing.

(It shouldn’t matter if we lose?)

He confirmed once more.

(Yes. It doesn’t matter.)

It was all right to throw away his sword. It was all right to stay still and not get up. It was unnecessary to make himself more tired and muddy. He had a break today, but he got to clean at the Mechanical Department tomorrow. It wouldn’t do to waste his strength here. He might even fall ill.

It wasn’t good to damage his physical condition, otherwise he couldn’t make any money. He was an orphan without anyone to rely on, so he needed money. No one would mail him allowances. He could only rely on the scholarship. Sure, his school fees were waived, but if the Student President changed his mind, all the privileges would disappear. To save up for his future, he must make money.

Money, money, money……

All of a sudden, he subconsciously looked at the sword held tightly in his hand. Light still emitted from the green Dite.

(It’s always money on my lips in the past.)

He didn’t hate himself. In truth, money was necessary.

(Aren’t there other things?)

Only that he was more desperate in the past. Not for himself, but for the running of the orphanage. The Head of the orphanage, his adopted father, the person who first saw the potential of katana skill in Layfon, his Master, viewed money as trash. To put it in a worse light, he had no concept of money. So they were always troubled with finance. When Layfon found out he had the talent for the katana, he had decided to use this ability to earn money. For that purpose, he was determined to obtain a Heaven Blade and become the best fighter in Grendan. In Layfon’s heart, he didn’t hold any simple and innocent admiration for the strong. He was only realistically following the rules of the world and from there, chose his path.

And now, he only needed to make money for himself. Enough money to keep on living. This was in itself difficult, but he didn’t have to be as desperate as before.

(Don’t I have something more important?)

He contemplated while rolling on the ground, his brain almost empty by sustaining repeated hits.

For example, the opposite sex.

(How naïve.)

He was disappointed that this was the first thing that came to mind. But because of this thought, the face of his childhood friend, Leerin, surfaced. And lastly was the feeling of their lips touching.

(But what can I do for Leerin?)

Nothing. He wanted her to see him finding his purpose in this city – A Layfon who had succeeded in something other than the katana. But this felt different from what he wanted to do for Leerin. A gap forever separated people in different mobile cities, then perhaps, in his heart, he failed to look at Leerin as someone other than his childhood friend.

The touch of her lips made him realize she was female, but he still failed to look at her as someone of the opposite sex.

(We’re like siblings, even though we aren’t related by blood.)

It was a feeling nurtured through living in the same orphanage. That couldn’t be helped.

(Then……)

Then who? As he thought of that, only Nina was in his line of sight. She stood in the Military Arts world that Layfon had given up. He envied her bright and dazzling form.

And he remembered three other students. One of them was in Military Arts, but they were all striving for what they wanted to do. He was jealous of that bright form.

Felli’s experience was similar to his. A girl who believed she had no other choice but to follow the footsteps of her inborn ability. Although the road she had gone through to arrive here was different from his, he could understand her feeling on Naruki and her friends. They were too dazzling.

(Ahah, what a mess.)

What could he do for them? Nothing?

He thought, rolling again on the ground. His opponent continued to prattle off his reproofs under his breath. Things like “Hurry up and fall.” “This is so annoying.” “I don’t have time for this.”

What could he do? What did he want to do?

He couldn’t think up an answer.

Not even an answer as tiny as the tip of his finger nail.

How troublesome.

He finally looked around him. He hadn’t been counting, so he wasn’t sure how times he had been falling and climbing back to his feet. The dead end of his thoughts forced him back into the present.

“…… Senpai?” he muttered, toppling onto the ground from another attack.

The sight he then saw in that one single moment was vividly carved into his mind.

She was kneeling on one knee.

No matter how good she was at defense, there had to be a limit. The accumulated injuries had taken away the strength in her legs.

She had become less responsive. The Kei receiving the high speed attack was losing its strength. The light of her Kei flow in the iron whips had lost its vitality.

(No!)

Senpai will fall.

Senpai will fall.

The platoon will have failed.

Failed.

The team will be disbanded.

Senpai will never get back her spirit.

Such naïve thoughts surfaced one after another in Layfon’s head.

(This won’t do.)

And till now, the thought of losing had already disappeared. Layfon picked himself up.

“You’re so annoying!” his opponent howled and closed in for another high speed attack.

Layfon jumped aside. He already knew the position of his opponent. Since the movement was initiated from a Whirl Kei, what came next was just a straight path to Layfon. Once Layfon timed the moment of his enemy’s move, determining his opponent’s position wouldn’t a problem at all.

The important point was how to judge the timing.

Forgetting about the man who just sped past him, Layfon raised his sword.

“That’s a bit far.”

Because he’d been rolling on the ground, he now stood a fair bit of a distance from Nina. Even if he ran over now, he wouldn’t make it in time.

“In that case……”

He slashed out with his sword. He wasn’t even thinking of the Kei flowing through his blade. This was a natural movement for him. Changing the quality of the Kei on his Dite, the Kei shot out of his blade on the momentum of its slashing movement.

[[image:CSR vol01 191.jpg|thumb]]
It wasn’t the same as shooting out Kei. He focused his Kei on one point only.

This was one of the moves of the External Burst Type Kei – Needle Kei.

Kei sharp as needles struck one of the members of the 16th platoon and sent him sailing through the air.

While the other attacker was spacing out at his suddenly flying comrade, Layfon extended his Kei to his feet.

An internal type Kei -- whirl.

As he headed for Nina, he used his sword to send another attacker flying.

He stopped behind Nina and searched around for more enemies. The two people he had sent flying through the air had not returned to the field. He couldn’t feel any hostile Kei. Those two must have fainted.

“You…….”

Layfon didn’t understand Nina’s surprise. What was so surprising about that?

Just when he was confused over this, the siren rang.

“The flag’s destroyed! The 17th platoon wins!”

The emcee shouted excitedly. The audience roared in commotion.

“Hahaha! Did you see? I destroyed the flag with two shots as promised,” Sharnid’s excited voice came through the transmitter.

But it sounded far away to Layfon.

He toppled.

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