Editing Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 4 Final Chapter (section)

===Part 3===

The land corrupted by mateki gave off smoke as it decayed. That smoke became a path, showing where the Yuugenshu had escaped to.

“Monica, this is about Yuugenshu.”

He ran alongside Monica who leaped over a rock that was sticking out of the ground. Sheltis informed her while confirming her facial expression from the side.

“Keep careful watch on your surroundings while fighting. There might not be just one Yuugenshu.”

“……What did you say?”

Her grey eyes narrowed like a crescent moon.

“But there are only tracks for one Yuugenshu?”

“I know. But '''that area was very unnatural'''.”

Monica had been focused on Nash’s recovery and I’sa was checking out the Yuugenshu’s pursuit trail. Kagura and Vaiel had been focusing their attention on keeping vigilance of the surroundings.

On the other hand, he had been concerned with the blade marks and bullet traces gouged in the large trees and ground.

“Did you realize? The surrounding trees and ground where Nash’s unit collapsed had indiscriminate blade marks and bullet holes. If the opponent was a single Yuugenshu, they wouldn’t leave such large traces behind.”

The swords that had failed to strike the target and bullets that had missed the mark were too numerous.

“It was too unnaturally scattered. As far as I know, those kinds of battle traces are only left during times of a Yuugenshu’s mental control with mateki.”

Mental destruction ─── by breaking down reason, it would drive people to one form of rampage. It was like having an ally turn into an enemy. It was the most troublesome thing outside of immediate death.

“Those under mental control will rage without distinction of their enemies and allies so it’s easy for there to be blade marks and bullet traces like that.”

“You’re saying Nash’s group was subjected to that?”

“───No.”

Keeping his vision on I’sa to the front and staying vigilant of the sides and behind, he shook his head.

“The only one who received mateki this time was Nash. Then the one who was under mental control should also be Nash. Thinking along that line, I looked at the tools of the other three but amongst those three’s wounds, there were none inflicted by Nash’s weapon. If he had fallen into a panic after being mentally controlled, it wouldn’t be strange for at least one of them to have a wound from Nash’s weapon.”

There were none. That is to say, he hadn’t been mentally controlled.

“Then what are you saying?”

“I don’t know either. But we need to be prepared. ……I’sa.”

“───You meddler. If you talk in such a loud voice, I’ll hear it whether I want to or not.”

The Regular Guard who lightly jumped from branch to branch turned towards him.

“That’s for the best.”

“Hmph, I had no intention of letting my guard down from the beginning. Rather than that ─── we’re close.”

Letting out a small breath, I’sa came to an emergency halt.

“……I’ll praise you for not running or hiding.”

A fearless smile rose up on her face.

About ten metres ahead in the gap between two especially large evergreen trees.

Just like a king sitting in his throne, the Yuugenshu glared at them boldly. It was as large as a lion. Within its body formed of dark purple mist, its crimson eyes shined fierily.

─── [Deploy • Emission] ───

In the direction I’sa indicated, the super heavy steel ball drew in on the Yuugenshu. It was a “puppet” granted her shinryoku so if it directly hit, it would crush the Yuugenshu’s crystal.

But.

The steel ball passed through the Yuugenshu and simply formed a depression in the ground on the other side.

“Ehh……!?”

I’sa and Monica let out voices of shock at the same time.

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■ ■ …… ■, ■ ■ ■ …… ■, ■ …… ■, ■ ■ ■, ■ ■ …… ■ ■, …… ■ …… ■ ■

Oe/ Dia = U elfa clar, deus mille phes thes, deus mille hypn noa thes.

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Little by little, the Yuugenshu’s body began to tremble. The mist shrouding that body let off an eerie light and gradually spread to the surroundings. ───No, it was expanding.

“The Yuugenshu’s mist is increasing……it’s getting larger!?”

“That's wrong. This is”

Staring at the strange beast from the front, Sheltis muttered softly.

The dark purple mist shimmered like a heat haze and formed an image like a mirage. Another mist was born from within the mist, forming another body.

“It’s '''multiplication'''.”

Seven monsters’ crimson eyes shined. No,

“I’sa, there’s another one to the rear!”

Crish. The sound of the Yuugenshu’s claw ripping something to shreds echoed vividly.

“……Don’t underestimate me, you monster!”

Bearing a wound on her back, I’sa manipulated her puppets. Two shining steel balls closed in from directly to the side and crushed the Yuugenshu that had just injured her into little pieces from the left and right.

The annihilated Yuugenshu became a dark purple mist. ───There was no effect on the remaining seven.

“Illusions that also have physical properties……you sure can do it.”

The puppeteer girl stood up while grimacing from the wound on her back. Rather than being from the wound on her back, it was more an expression of irritation that a single attack from her puppet didn’t work.

“''It is a Yuugenshu that I have little data on as well. Be careful.''“

“───It doesn’t change what we do.”

The twin blades reverse-gripped in his hands let off light in the forest that was dyed deep red. The mysterious purple of the blades was formed by having mateki permeate the azure Hyouketsu crystals, resulting in a wondrous color.

Bathed in Monica’s shinryoku, her {{furigana|crossed rods|Rosario}} were wrapped in a silvery white layer of crystal.

I’sa steel balls once again flew high.

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Then the three people and eight beasts collided head-on.

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“───Haa!”

Ahead of anyone, Sheltis took aim at and ran towards the eight Yuugenshu.

Two from the flanks and two from the center, a total of four of them were approaching him. From within the dark purple mist, eerie limbs and claws extended───

From the front, directly to the side, underneath, above, behind; many claws were aimed and launched at every blind spot. He dodged, parried and blocked every one of them.

Djidii. He dodged the Yuugenshu’s claw that grazed his bangs by jumping.

A sword flash.

Not letting the opportunity to strike slip, the dual swords mowed down the surrounding two Yuugenshu.

“───Two down.”

“''Not yet.''“

Not even allowing time to breath, {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} shone.

───Shinggg!

In the next instant, Sheltis stopped three Yuugenshu coming from the sides with his sword. At a separate location, I’sa was engaging two of them and Monica was taking on two at the same time……seven? There were nine Yuugenshu if he counted the two he’d just defeated. They had increased from before.

“''At the same time Sheltis defeated them, two new illusions appeared. If you put together the main body with the illusions, it seems the max is eight bodies but I think the illusions can spawn indefinitely.''” <ref>[T/N: That is to say that Sheltis thought there were nine without actually counting. He just added the ones he defeated in, but those re-spawned already. In case that was confusing.]</ref>

“No way but to defeat the main body, huh.”

……Zuu……zuzuu……zuzuzu……

Decaying the ground and flowers, the misty beasts pushed on towards him at a crawling pace. Two of them were circling around to his sides and the two that had just formed jumped into the air.

───Which one is real?

The four bodies were just like reflections in a mirror. Moreover, the movements of the four were different from each other so it was troublesome. It would be easy to single one out if it was the only one taking separate action but there was no other way but crushing them one by one if all of them were irregular.

However, it was pointless to destroy an illusion because it would just come back.

“……There’s no end to this.”

“It means there’s no point in beating the small fry.”

Monica yelled from the rocks at the far back and I’sa yelled while leaping up to a large tree’s branch. It seemed the two of them had also realized it. He could sense nervousness and impatience that wasn’t there before.

“Monica, I’sa, ignore the illusions and go for the real one!”

Shouting to the two, he leaped backwards. Kicking off a large tree’s trunk, he lept towards another large tree then kicked off that, staying afloat. In the blink of an eye, he had ascended to a height of roughly ten metres.

A bird’s-eye view.

He looked down on them from a location where he could see all eight Yuugenshu.

“……As I thought.”

He confirmed it once again after comparing the eight bodies. No matter how much their units were unmatched, the eight of them were attacking as if in competition.

───Strange.

If the real one was amongst the eight, then it would be over if they defeated that. If Sheltis was in the Yuugenshu’s position, then he would station the real body at the innermost of the formation in order to avoid the one in ten thousand chance that it would take a hit. But there was completely no semblance of that amongst these monsters.

It was almost as if they were saying it didn’t matter even if it the real one was taken out.

“Ilis, what’s the possibility that the real one isn’t amongst them?”

“''Zero. The real one is certainly amongst these eight.''“

{{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} flat out denied it.

“My calculation area is certainly sensing the Yuugenshu’s mateki. I can’t confirm the exact location because of the illusions but the real one isn’t a separate body.”

“Then───”

……Zuu……zuzuu……zuzuzu……!

Two Yuugenshu were climbing their way up the large tree. There was no time to collect his thoughts. Feeling the quickly approaching killing intent, Sheltis jumped down to the ground.

“You’re in my way!”

Deflecting the awaiting two’s claws with his sword, he sprinted to open up distance with the Yuugenshu again.

───There are seven illusions. There’s one real body.

───But none of them are moving like the real body. As if they’re all the real body.

“That’s possible, huh.”

One. A completely outrageous hypothesis came to mind.

“Ilis, what if the Yuugenshu’s core crystal is transferring!?”

“''……That’s a bold hypothesis. All eight are real but the core crystal controlling them is just one.''“

The theory was just like I’sa’s “puppetry”.

Manipulating the illusions created from its own mateki. If it was a human, this would be settled by attacking the real one but the Yuugenshu were mist-form creatures to begin with. If they were destroyed without breaking the core crystal within, they would just dissolve in light. It might not affect the concept of the real body.

In other words, the box containing the core crystal was the real body and it didn’t matter which box that was.

“''If it looks like the core crystal is going to be destroyed, then that core crystal will transfer to another illusion. After that, that one will act as the real spawn and spawn illusions───''“

“What’s the probability?”

“''There’s enough value to be worth confirming. But it’s a hassle.''“

That’s right, if his conjecture was correct, then the only way to defeat this Yuugenshu would be before the core crystal transferred ─── all escape routes would have to be sealed.

In other words, the destruction of all eight bodies at the same time.

“……It won’t be easy.”

He naturally put power into his hands that gripped the dual swords. The range of his weapon was this at most this short. Three……no, he had the confidence to take out four at the same time. More than that was a bet. That’s why he abandoned the notion of protecting himself and went for a suicidal attack for six.

“───Kuu!”

Monica was being pressed into a defensive battle by two bodies.

Due to the blessing of the shinryoku silvery white crystals on her {{furigana|crossed rods|Rosario}}, her weapon held great offensive power against Yuugenshu. But the problem was her technical ability to handle that as a Guard. Even if she could handle apprentice Priestess’ spells, even Monica was still a Cadet Guard.

“There’s no end to this……”

Passing through the space between large trees, I’sa skillfully widened the gap with the Yuugenshu by flitting through the branches.

It was possible to control up to four steel balls at once with her puppetry, but the weakness was that their movements would become monotonous. In her previous two-man cell, that was the reason Sheltis could cleave the steel balls regardless of it being the first time he’d seen them. By the same token, the Yuugenshu were gradually getting used to the steel balls’ movements.

“……It’s no good.”

He gave up on the idea of taking out eight bodies with three people. Right now, the communication required to match up their timings would be difficult. The two who were in a defensive battle didn’t have that leeway.

……Think; isn’t this something you decided yourself.

……What I can do for the unit.

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“''Those with the leeway to observe their surroundings during battle probably consists of only you. ……It’s a shameless thing to ask but I’d like you to decide the commands for everyone to respond well. I would like you to give orders.''“

.

The thing he had thought up with Kagura and resolved himself to.

He would support Monica, who was embracing her responsibility as unit leader, on the battlefield.

“Ilis, how many ways can you think of to dispatch the illusions?”

“''……Only one conventional method. As you know, a shinryoku barrier’s territory is confining.''“

Barrier spells, in other words, the widespread release of shinryoku. Like Hyouketsu Kyoukai ─── it could weaken the mateki of the Yuugenshu within.

“''However, Sheltis, '''for that, you'''───''“

{{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} said something but held back.

“I won’t do that.”

Raising a laugh with traces of self-mockery, Sheltis directed his gaze at the other two.

There were numerous cuts carved into their formal wear. Being continually pushed by the Yuugenshu’s fierce offensive, these were the wounds from that harsh battle. Amongst those were some considerably deep lacerations.

Both of them were also tired.

I can’t let them push themselves. ……That’s why it’s best if I’m decisive.

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“''You are not used to battles where you receive support.''“

“''But I would like you to adapt to it. We require your support and you will make the best of our support ─── that kind of battle style.''“

.

……Kagura also spoke trivially of it.

……But if that is my role.

“I’sa, Monica! Enclose the Yuugenshu in a barrier after forty seconds!”

Erasing his slight self-deprecating smile, Sheltis looked at his two comrades and shouted. The two girls and even the Yuugenshu paused for a moment at the sudden loud voice. Using that opening.

“Monica, how wide can you open a barrier spell!?”

“Eh, ah……? W-what do you───”

“Never mind that, just hurry!”

“I-if it’s a circular shape, up to a radius of twenty-two with a height of seven metres! I can reliably expand it to twenty metres with a height of nine metres!”

Monica yelled with a slightly red face. Beating only the approximation of twenty metres into his head, Sheltis continued to yell.

“First, Monica, erect a shinryoku barrier with me as the center. It’s enough if it’s twenty metres!”

And to the puppeteer girl.

“I’sa, deploy all four of your puppets at the same time! Set them up at the four corners of the barrier and obstruct the Yuugenshu that try to escape.”

“Wha!?”

The two shinryoku practitioner girls widened their eyes in tandem.

“Wh-what are you saying! Sending away all of my puppets……it’s the same as being naked to a puppeteer! It’d be the same as being defenseless!”

“The same for me. I’d have my hands full just erecting a large-scale barrier……”

Deploying a shinryoku barrier and even setting out a net to prevent escape. However, for the girls, focusing on only that was a thought close to being defenseless.

But he once again conveyed his idea with renewed conviction.

“I want to limit the Yuugenshu’s illusions. Within the shinryoku barrier, even those illusions can be obliterated and its movements restricted. That’s something only you two can do.” <ref>[T/N: "only you two can do" has "something I can't do" written beside it.]</ref>

“……Wait, we can’t defeat the Yuugenshu by just enclosing it in a barrier.”

Taking on I’sa’s piercing identification head-on, he slowly nodded.

“I’ll take over after that.”

The ones who would wipe out the illusions after restricting them in the barrier would be Monica and I’sa.

Sheltis would have a direct showdown with the Yuugenshu within that barrier.

“……Okay. It doesn’t look like there’s any other way.”

The first assent came from the direction of the girl who was allowing her sakura-colored hair to flutter.

“……Being ordered by a Cadet Guard……but it’s fine.”

Seeing Monica returning her {{furigana|crossed rods|Rosario}} to their holders, I’sa also once again let a smile rise onto her face.

“I’ll return the debt from Maha. I’ll owe you nothing with this.”

Then the three moved without a word.

─── [Deploy • Emission] ───

I’sa who deployed her puppets in four directions and Monica who was forming the spell jumped back. This was because they would otherwise be drawn into the battle that would be limited to within the barrier after its deployment.

Then───

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[Sia Sec elis arc......Is io miel]

[That day's dream, once more......for the sake of that.]
[[image:Eden04_277.jpg|thumb]]

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Within the sea of trees dyed crimson, an azure shinryoku barrier was soundlessly erected.

The glittering particles of light danced in the air.

The azure shinryoku barrier. The light fragments that resembled Hyouketsu Kyoukai’s crystals each had the power to oppose the Garden of {{furigana|Corrupted Song|Eden}}’s curse.

───Those two are already outside of the barrier.

Zaa……zaa……

Without hiding the sound of his footfalls, he prepared the swords in his hands and drew in.

“''────────────!''“

The mist beast howled in a strange voice. The seven illusions were negated by the shinryoku barrier and its body gave off sputters of black mist.

“……Are you taking damage from the shinryoku barrier?”

The beast did not answer.

But the strength within its eyes that had been there until now was gone and its movements were clearly lacking.

“……I see.”

Looking at that, Sheltis weakly shook his head.

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“Me too.”

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The dark purple smoke was also coming off the boy’s body.

That body which housed mateki from falling into the Garden of {{furigana|Corrupted Song|Eden}}. In exchange for nullifying the mateki of Yuugenshu, this body would take damage from the shinryoku that people were supposed to possess.

……I knew that I would take damage within a shinryoku barrier.

But he had had Monica and I’sa erect the barrier while prepared for that. That was his role. Without that resolution, he would not be able to be a member of the unit.

“Perhaps there’s not a single difference between you and me. ……I might not have the qualifications to speak on what people are. However”

On his back and neck and his entire body, every spot was inflicted with burn wounds. As if to show that, the boy drew near the beast step by step.

“……Even so, I wish to return to the place of those waiting for me.”

He raised the shining blades that were facing each other.

Then───

The boy’s dual swords shattered the Yuugenshu’s core crystal this time.

“…………”

From outside the barrier shining with azure light, Monica was staring fixedly at its interior.

……What’s going on right now?

With the barrier shining and the sea of trees and thickets added in, she completely couldn’t tell what was happening inside. She wondered if Sheltis who was left there was alright.

She knew his skills but his opponent was still a Yuugenshu.

Immediately after, the vague shadow of a person wavered from within the barrier.

“Sheltis!?”

She ran with her breathing in a mess to the boy who walked out of the barrier.

“! Those burns……were you bathed in mateki!?”

“Ah, no, I’m fine.”

The boy acted bashfully.

“These burns are……from yesterday’s dinner when I messed up the strength of the gas burner.”

She wondered if something like that happened during yesterday’s dinner. Putting that aside, his expression as he slightly averted his face seemed somehow very……lonesome.

───I don’t want to see Sheltis with that kind of expression.

The moment she thought that, her chest tightened painfully.

“Idiot.”

Monica placed her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to see that bitter expression. If he was safe, then she wanted him to be lively.

“Don’t make……that face.”

“Eh?”

“……Don’t make the captain……worry so much, you scoundrel.”

Was it because she was relieved Sheltis was safe?

What was this. The heat within her chest was irrepressible. As long as she couldn’t put it into words, she entrusted herself to his shoulder───

“Unit captain Monica? Indiscreet relations within the unit is the largest demerit.”

Having I’sa whisper into her ear, Monica sharply returned to her senses.

“Y-you’re wrong! You’re wrong, examiner, th-this isn’t”

“Hr──m?”

Even if she was the examiner, she was just gazing over with a deeply meaningful look.

“Well, whatever, at present we’ve defeated the Yuugenshu. Next, we’ll go to Nash”

“''No, please wait.''“

The gem attached to a pendant at Sheltis’ chest ─── {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} twinkled.

“''It’s strange. Even though we should have defeated the Yuugenshu, the mateki response hasn’t disappeared.''“

“……What did you say?”

“''I’m currently in the middle of observation but……this is……dangerous. It is approaching the two from our unit and those of the injured unit at a high speed.''“

He doubted his ears at {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}}’ words. That couldn’t be since Sheltis had defeated the real body and as proof, the illusions had disappeared.

“''There were two Yuugenshu from the beginning……we’ve been had; the Yuugenshu was possessed by another Yuugenshu. You could even call it parasitism.''“

───If that was so, then another part also became understandable.

Those seven illusions were not simply the result of the Yuugenshu’s battle-use mateki. It had been a disguise to hide that there were multiple mateki responses. ……But in that case.

“The Yuugenshu is heading towards Kagura and Vaiel!?”

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