Editing Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 6 Final Chapter (section)

===Part 14===

{{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}, floor 22, internal hospital.

Horn ran through the hallway of D ward which was isolated by a giant door.

“Further ahead?”

“Th-That’s right! But……there still hasn’t been a report about Ymy-sama’s treatment ending.”

Running alongside Horn was a nurse.

……It’s been about two hours since we returned to the tower from the great salt lake.

……It’s normally unthinkable for a purification spell to last two hours.

“Ymy……is safe, right?”

“Monica, Kagura and Vaiel are undergoing post-battle diagnosis by a doctor. After that’s over, they’ll immediately head to D ward. So──“

“We’ll go there without telling them we’re going on ahead.”

A tinge of unease pressed down within his chest as Sheltis followed after the two before him.

“Purifying that mateki which has undergone a change because of the main body’s elimination……poses a risk of calling danger to the spell caster, Ymy.“

“……So the worst case scenario is a possibility.”

The effectiveness of a Baptism spell would change greatly depending on the shinryoku output. There were examples of using too much strength to purify mateki placing too heavy a strain on the spell caster’s mind and body, leaving them beyond recovery.

“If it were an apprentice Priestess’ purification, there would be a several people watching.“

Ymy was a Priestess. There was nobody who could stop her. Even if that were not the case, especially for this time, she would sacrifice anything to save the patient.

……Please be safe.

……The patient, and Ymy as well.

“───”

Clenching his fist solidly as he prayed, Sheltis followed after Horn.

“! Horn-sama……”

A voice of surprise came from the attending doctor standing in front of the door.

“How’s Ymy!? How is Tessha’s healing!?”

“Th-There’s still been no report. She should be able to come out when it’s finished……”

“──I understand the situation. I’m using my authority to open this door. Okay?”

Allowing the attending doctor to step aside, Horn pushed open the door.

Then.

Sheltis stepped into the room after Horn and doubted his eyes.

The room was pure white and the white curtains swayed with the wind from the window. The boy clothed in a white patients gown. And the figure of the girl holding that boy as seen from behind.

 

The girl’s crimson hair flowed in the wind.

 

……It’s not Ymy?

Even though his childhood friend with off-gold hair should be here, it was a different girl standing there.

“……You are?”

Horn wordlessly approached the lone girl.

The girl also turned to them.

“───Yesh?”

A befuddled voice unsuited to the location.

“Is that……you, Ymy Ele Soufflenictole?”

“Eh? Ah, y-yes. ……Wait, eh? Is something wrong?”

Ymy tilted her head while still holding onto the boy.

“No, but your hair──”

In front of Horn’s outstretched finger, the crimson from Ymy’s hair fluttered off into the sunlight. Those were particles of crimson that had adhered to her hair.

“……So that’s it. It was just Baptism shinryoku dyeing her hair. Ahh, that surprised me. You really resembled that.“

{{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} at his chest sighed in relief.

“! That’s right, how’s Tessha! Is the purification over!”

“…………”

The Priestess did not answer the Sennenshi who said several things at once.

Instead of an answer, she silently handed over the boy she was clutching.

“……Tessha.”

The boy’s artificial respirator had been removed. It was slight, but his chest was moving up and down. He was breathing with his own strength of his own will. After that.

“……………………”

Weak and fickle though it may have been, his eyes surely opened.

“……Nee……ch……a”

“────”

Horn went to her knees while holding the boy.

“……I’m glad. Truly……”

Droplets passed through the blinder.

“It has been a long time……I wondered if it was hopeless how many times……I’d almost given up.”

That was definitely the first time she had shown that at {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} ── those were the ‘complaints‘ that she had endured all this time.

“──Phew.”

Beside Horn who was hugging the boy, Ymy firmly puffed out her chest and turned to him.

“Well? Isn’t that amazing? It’s surprising, isn’t it, the purification of the mateki was done in one go!”

With a full-face smile that blew away the damp atmosphere, his childhood friend balled her fist.

“Now, now? Don’t you have something to say to me?”

“……Well, isn’t that amazing.”

“No, no! More like, like, you knowww.”

“Then, umm──”

Being looked at with eyes of expectation, Sheltis suddenly leaked out a wry smile.

“You did well; good work.”

“……Ehehe, thank you.”

The Priestess smiled with embarrassment and happiness.

“You’re simple, aren’t youuu.“

“I-Isn’t that fine! Anybody would be happy to receive praise. I-It’s not like……that’s why I’m a Priestess……”

Ymy’s face went red at {{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}}’ prodding.

“A-Anyway, this solves one problem. I need to report to Meimel and the others──”

 

“Hoo. Well then. Then it’ll be fine for you to tell our story too, Priestess?”
[[image:Eden06_317.jpg|thumb]]

 

That voice that he didn’t know came from directly behind in the direction of the door.

“Ahh, sorry, it looks like I’ve interrupted a fun mood. Since that’s how it is, let us in on it too. Right, Kuro?”

“……Huick-sama, even though I told you so much to read the atmosphere.”

A tall man was leaning casually up against the door frame.

And waiting behind him was one more person, a woman in a suit.

……Their presences.

……They got this close without me realizing it?

No matter how much his attention was drawn by talking with Ymy, even if a Regular Guard were to pay attention to masking their footsteps, he was confident he would notice. Even so.

“Who are you?”

Still holding Tessha, Horn drew out an automatic pistol.

“State your affiliation, name and purpose in coming here within fifteen seconds. If not──”

“Yes, yes. Not like I had any intention of hiding them.”

But the man who had a gun shoved up against his nose didn’t falter from his calm expression.

“First, my intention ── ahh, this isn’t really anything major. I came from quite a ways away so I thought I might as well observe. You guys are also observing us quite harshly, aren’t you?”

“A question. Who is us?”

“The Governmental Sector. Didn’t that Priestess over there and that Guard nii-chan over there come? That time, it seems like a muscle-headed idiot of ours was really in your care.”

“…………”

The suited woman wordlessly bowed.

“Next question. Who is this muscle-headed idiot?”

“Right, that nii-chan over there actually fought him so he should remember. About our ‘Number One‘.”

He said that with a cackle, enjoyment and resignation.

──The Governmental Sector. And the man who was known as the ‘Number One‘.

“Zeadoll of the Sanctuary Arts……?”

“Yeah, that guy, that guy. Nah, it’s because that muscle-headed idiot praised someone which is rare so we’d also very much like to meticulously adore them.”

The man drew near and straightened up.

Standing right beside the woman in a suit, the man pointed at himself and made a proclamation.

“‘Number Nine‘ Huick of the Governmental Sector secret military organization, ‘Heaven’s Wheel‘. I took all the time to come out here, so try being grateful?”




<noinclude>