Editing Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 5 Chapter3 (section)

===Part 4===

Hotel, room 303, [Aster].

In the living room slightly lit up by sunlight, the high-pitched sound of a flute cut through the air without dying out and reverberated around.

“──Hah!”

He reverse gripped the dual swords shining in deep purple.

Standing upright in the center of the carpet, Sheltis drew out the blades.

From the shoulder to the elbow.

From the elbow to the wrist.

From the wrist to the fingertips.

His arm was using the least amount of strength required and his upper body bent like a whip, using the recoil to lash out with the swords. The blades severed the air creating a vacuum in empty space.

Lash out, sweep, thrust, turn……lash out once again.

He repeated the same process. At first, it was slow enough that a butterfly could sit at the tip of the blade and then the speed had risen little by little until the ‘''dance''‘ was sharpened to the point that it was invisible to human eyes───

“''Okay, stop.''“

The blade that was moving came to a complete halt. That was also at the same time as {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} voice or perhaps even an instant sooner.

“……Who is it?”

He could feel a presence outside the room.

From there, a little while was passed ── ring, came the door bell’s ringer.

“Sheltis, could I have a moment?”

The girl with the sakura-colored hair’s face peeked out from the door.

“Monica? I don’t mind but……huh.”

Sheathing his dual swords in his belt holders, he stared intently at the side of the girl who was getting closer’s face.

“Wh-what is it?”

“I might be asking something weird but, umm, did you already take a bath?”

The assembly with the Governmental Sector had just ended not too long ago. Continuing on from yesterday, today she had also made an appointment to meet Ymy and Kagura at the large baths ── he had heard such a thing.

“You just entered the bath not too long ago. I think it’d be fine if you take your time.”

She had returned too fast for having gone to the bath. Looking at her, there were no traces of Monica’s hair having been wet and it didn’t feel like she’d taken in any heat from the water either.

“Yeah, truthfully, I’m also talking about that matter.”

“Mm?”

“The matter about the appointment at the large baths is as you said but no matter how long Kagura and I wait, Ymy wasn’t coming so……when I went to her room……it felt like she was talking with Cadres Guard Ishtar about something. It was hard to call out to her, so I was just on my way back.”

The Priestess and her {{furigana|private escort|partner}}, the Cadres Guard.

If it was like usual, it’d be obvious to at least talk but what caught his interest was──

“Did it feel serious?”

“Cadres Guard Ishtar was the same as usual. It’s just that that child’s expression was a little……it felt like she was brooding over something. Also, the secretary, I think she was serious too.”

……Ishtar was the same.

……But the secretary was serious and Ymy had a brooding expression?

“''Excuse me. It may seem like I’m rushing the conversation, but why did you come to Sheltis for this?''“

“It’s because Cadres Guard Ishtar said something that caught my interest. She stopped Kagura and I when we were heading back and said, ‘Ishtar might suddenly command you tomorrow night so be prepared, okay.’”

“……Tomorrow? There shouldn’t be anything special tomorrow though.”

He hadn’t heard anything about a special event tomorrow from Yuragi either. If anything, the second day of the four day assembly was all that came to mind.

───Be prepared, that line also interests me.

“I also tried thinking about it but came up with nothing. I don’t think it’s a joke either so I came to tell you what she said just like that. I think Kagura should also be telling Vaiel at this point.”

“……I see. Yeah, understood.”

In front of Monica who had a half-hearted expression, he nodded more largely than necessary.

“I was told to be prepared so I’ll be prepared. It’ll be fine if there’s nothing but I’ll also be able to prepare myself in case we get saddled with an impossible-level order.”

“Yeah, sorry but please do that. Well then, I’ll return to my room.”

She turned around and started to head out.

“…………”

Without even advancing three steps, she came to a stop.

“What’s up?”

“Ah……n-no……well, it’s nothing major but……yesterday when I went to the large baths with Ymy and Kagura……there was something that caught my interest──”

While rubbing her hands together, she whispered with a cherry red face.

“U-um. From a man’s point of view, being a skinny girl like me……does it diminish their appeal?”

“……Heh?”

“N-no! It’s about the common opinion! I wanted to know as general common knowledge……for example, Cadres Guard Ishtar or Priestess Meimel-sama are both slim but I think they’re both womanly enough……so I wondered how I was as an example for my type, and so you don’t take this the wrong way──”

He idly stared at her as she spoke quickly in a rush.

“Yeah, well, I haven’t thought about Monica like that?”

“H-haven’t thought about me like that……you mean!?”

“That I don’t think your appeal is diminished or that you’re not womanly enough. That’s what I mean. I haven’t really looked at anyone that way though so I don’t have confidence in my opinion.”

“I-is that so?……Is it fine to consider that your own thoughts rather than common opinion?”

“Yeah. Sorry I couldn’t give you much to think about.”

“N-no! Rather, I was more interested in that so it’s favorable──”

Monica froze over in a posture with her hands balled into fists.

“Favorable?”

“──Ahem.”

The unit captain cleared her throat with a strangely transparent serious expression.

“Sorry for disturbing you; we’ll be getting up early tomorrow as well so go to sleep early for that. See you.”

“Eh……ah, r-right.”

She hurriedly opened the door and disappeared into the corridor.

A little while after, from the hallway that was separated by the door, he felt like he heard a monologue like ‘……Y-yeah, yeah! I’m glad!’

“''Sheltis, that just now was the shout of a maiden’s heart. Please pretend that you didn’t hear it.''“

“What just now?”

“''Yes, yes, this conversation is over already! Come on now, we’re resuming training so grab your swords!''“

“……Y-yeah.”

Being admonished by {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} with a harsh tone for some reason, Sheltis once again gripped his swords.

.