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

===Part 4===

“……I see, so that’s it.”

Sitting on the left side of a two-seater sofa, Sheltis lightly sighed.

“I’m sorry. About this. I’d only get confused on my own. My mind……is filled with a lot of things.”

“''It is not your fault. The circumstances are just entwined complexly.''“

{{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} blinked upon her lap while she hung her head.

“……Thank you too, Ilis. Listening to my complaints like this.”

“''However, Ymy, if you only look at the urgent situation right now, I can understand what that Cadres Guard wants to say as well. People are powerless against Yuugenshu after all.''“

“Yeah……”

Off-gold.

As the girl sitting quietly on the arm rest of the sofa nodded, her silky long hair shined.

“But……I’m a Priestess. A Priestess has a lot of Guards protecting her, right? Not just the Sennenshi and Regular Guards……it’s the same for the Cadet Guards as well. Even so……I’d be posing this towards those protectors? An order much like asking them to become a sacrifice to infiltrate the Governmental Sector……”

“''You came here because you don’t want to make that sacrifice, right?''“

{{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} flashed with a soft blue light as she spoke in a guiding tone.

“''This is my intuition but the one who was selected first was Monica, right? Clairvoyance and telepathy are suited skills for infiltration depending on their usage. Looking at it from the surface, she is the most suited to the secret orders this time.''“

The Priestess remained silent.

She didn’t answer and simply hung her head powerlessly.

“''I expect that hearing that made you uneasy? Even if you ignore her position as your senpai, you don’t know what treatment she would receive if she were to fail the infiltration. As a problem of responsibility, the truth is it would become impossible for her to remain as a Guard. ──That is why you came here.''“

“…………”

“''I believe that your choice is not wrong. If I were in the same position, I would undoubtedly do the same. Right, Sheltis?''“

At {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}}’ words, the downcast Ymy lifted her head.

Her jade eyes that shone like gems gazed ahead──

“Jeez……everything I wanted to say was taken by {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}}.”

Suddenly loosening his expression, Sheltis let out a deep sigh.

“So the point is we just have to go to that Holy Hall place and access that ‘''Mikuva’s Crimson Eye''‘ thing, right? Yuragi-san should know the way there.”

“Sheltis!”

His childhood friend sitting next to him shook a little.

“Tha……that’s not……it. I-I didn’t have that intention……I-I mean……”

Her lips were trembling.

“Because, you know? Sheltis, you didn’t have that intention at first either, right? Infiltrating Governmental Sector’s central division……you didn’t know about it……you haven’t prepared yourself either.”

“'''I heard about it.'''“

To convey it to Ymy who was rapidly speaking, he slowly shook his head.

“Sorry, the truth is Leon told me. But if I asked you, then you’d be surprised so I decided to keep that a secret. That’s why it’s fine, I’m already prepared──”

“'''Stop.'''“

That was the instant the voice of the girl beside him turned to a sob.

“Idiot……Sheltis, you idiot. There’s no way a Priestess wouldn’t be informed of something so important……to say Leon did that……don’t……use that kind of impossible lie……”

She tightly hugged the pillow at the corner of the sofa.

──Plop.

A small droplet wet the pillow that she was holding to her chest.

“Sorry……sorry, really……I’m really sorry. I can’t do anything on my own……and in the end, I have to rely on you, Sheltis……”

“That’s not the case at all. If we’re talking about that, to begin with, I can’t possibly maintain the barrier that protects the  {{furigana|floating continent|Orbie Clar}}. It’s just that this time, something that I can do has coincidentally shown up.”

“No……”

She hugged the pillow tightly, more tightly, to the point that its shape changed.

“Not something that I can do as a Priestess. It’s that I can’t do anything for you as a childhood friend……it’s frustrating.”

Covering her mouth with the pillow, she shook her head to hide her eyes which had grown red.

And.

{{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} which had been silent on her lap once again flashed blue.

“''Aren’t you glad, Ymy?''“

“……Eh?”

“''If you feel frustrated by that, then you still have room to grow. As a Priestess and as a woman. From the point of view of a machine crystal, that ‘frustration’ of yours is sorrowful but also something that I dearly envy. Right, Sheltis?''“

“That’s right, so it’s fine.”

……Besides.

……I’ve received more than enough from Ymy.

In this desperate setting, where failure was not an option even more so because of that desperation, Ymy had come this far by relying on herself. That was more gladdening than anything.

“……Sheltis.”

His childhood friend that had her face buried in the pillow suddenly looked up.

Her eyes wet with tears immediately drew close ── truly, to the point that their eyes were about to overlap, where their lips and hair could just about touch, she drew near.

“Thank you……I…………”

……Ymy?

With her cheeks flushed red as if feverish, her face drew even closer.

……We can’t.

……If we get any closer than this, Elbert Resonance will occur.

If his mateki and her shinryoku came into contact, a rejection reaction would occur and injure both of them. Even though he understood that, for some reason he couldn’t bring himself to stop her.

 

“I──────”

“''Eh─, ahem.''“

The stopped time finally began moving again with {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}}’ hem.

“''I’ll be jumping in while ignoring the mood but please save that for after the infiltration succeeds.''“

“Th-that, meaning what!? What do you mean!?”

Ymy’s eyes shot open with a gasp.

“I-I just wanted to say thank you is all!? B-because Sheltis and I have Elbert Resonance──”

“''……Yes, yes, I get it so calm down.''“

A strained laugh was mixed into {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}}’ voice.

“Now then, since the job of infiltrating the Governmental Sector has been decided, what will you do, Sheltis? You’re probably forgetting something important.”

“Something important?”

“''If the Governmental Sector’s giant crystal is a system that uses shinryoku, then its operation will most likely require the usage of shinryoku. But Sheltis’ body is carrying mateki and has lost its affinity to shinryoku. That means he cannot access the large crystal.''“

“Ah……”

Damn it. Because I was only focused on the risk of infiltrating the Governmental Sector’s central division, it completely slipped my mind about what to do after the infiltration succeeded.

“Huh? But Ymy entrusted it to me so that means”

“Ah……aha……haha. …………Sorry, I also forgot.”

Having calmed down, Ymy laughed.

“''……As expected of childhood friends, you’re identical down to the way you think. Well, putting that aside, that problem can be cleared. Well, to put it simply, I am the suited individual for ‘''Mikuva’s Crimson Eye''‘.''“

“Huh?”

“''Fufun, how’s that, Sheltis? Have you once again come to realize how outstanding I am?''“

“No, rather why?”

“''Our maker is the same.''“

{{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} cleared away the question smoothly.

“''That giant crystal and I were made by just one person. The ‘''Crimson Eye''‘ is also an observation system that was put in place a thousand years ago. It is the results of people trying to artificially create a ‘''certain existence''‘. No, perhaps I should say it is a shadow of that.''“

“……One thousand years ago.”

“''What’s wrong, Ymy?''“

“Eh? Ahh, no, it’s nothing! Keep going!”

“''Then I’ll continue. Or so I say, but that’s about all I had to tell you. The maker is the same so I also have the program specific to the ‘''Crimson Eye''‘. All this world’s events ── I can extract high quality scenes from the measuring of this year’s Priestesses not limited to just the images but even the conversations.''“

“……Ilis, I’d be really happy if you could read the serious atmosphere?”

Creak.

An unpleasant creaking sound came from the crystal portion of {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}} that Ymy was holding.

“''……Putting aside the jokes, even as a reproduction, that is a dangerous item. I thought it was lost during the war with the Yuugenshu but……I see, even if it wasn’t left on the floating continent, it was moved to the {{furigana|floating archipelago|Lagoon}}. If the Governmental Sector covered that up, it wouldn’t be found.''“

“Hey, Ilis, what’s this about a suitable individual for the ‘''Crimson Eye''‘?”

“''Think of it as an individual entrusted with a key. It’s a key that can open a door that holds lots of accumulated information. A fully suitable person can freely obtain that information and a partially suitable person……to say it in an easy to understand manner, they would obtain a mosaicked version of the information. By design, it should only open for a person with a special shinryoku so I don’t think any others with a mechanical body other than me could open it.''“

“Other than you……then isn’t that quite amazing?”

“It is amazing!”

Ymy’s excited voice shook the room’s air.

“Think about it, Sheltis. That kind of amazing system and the person who can operate it is also specific. In reality, the Governmental Sector hasn’t found a perfectly suitable person yet either. But this close by……above all, that the suitable individual is a machine crystal like Ilis.”

With flushed cheeks, Ymy peered at {{furigana|machine crystal|Ilis}}.

“Hey, Ilis, is that true? ……I don’t want to request something unreasonable but is it really fine to rely on you?”

“''There is no need for concern, Ymy.''“

{{furigana|Machine crystal|Ilis}} flashed blue.

“''You’ve already seen that appearance of mine, right? Then just leave it to me.''“

“──!”

Ymy’s gasp was perfectly conveyed.

……That appearance?

……I wonder what it is. I don’t understand what shocked Ymy.

“Mm, what is that, Ilis?”

“''We’ll talk about it eventually, Sheltis, but it’s not something to speak of here. Right now we need to discuss how we’re going to sneak into the Governmenetal Sector’s central division. ──Right, Ymy?''“

“Y-yes!”

Ymy nodded many times while flustered.

“''In that case, it would be best if we were to rest for today. Tomorrow’s conference will also take a long time and a lack of sleep is a girl’s worst enemy.''“

“…………”

“''Ymy?''“

“……Sheltis.”

Ymy fidgeted and held onto the corners of the pillow.

The tears upon her face had disappeared at some point and she was looking downward out of shyness for some reason.

“……Stay like this for just five minutes more.”

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