Editing Hyouketsu Kyoukai no Eden:Volume 6 Chapter3 (section)

===Part 7===

The third Living District.

On {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}}, it was the section that boasted the largest area of those which were inhabitable. The first Living District had {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} at its center so the primary residents were Guards of the tower or clerks that worked there. The second Living District was a commercial area with many varieties of shops lined up. Compared with those, this was more of a quiet area with houses.

“It’s been a while since I walked down this road.”

The intersection was dyed with the brilliant yellow colors of autumn.

Laying here and there along the road were flower beds made with brick and even now, kindergarten children were enthusiastically tending to them.

“……Time flows differently here compared to the tower.”

The fragrance of the flowers made her want to stop without thinking. In that place.

Pressing down on her chest at the nostalgic scene that hadn’t changed one bit since she had been raised here, Horn smiled without realizing it.

“……I wonder if everyone’s doing well.”

In the third Living District, there was an orphanage near Minamitoori Park.

Children without relatives, children who had been entrusted to them by busy parents, children who could not open their hearts to the those around them in kindergarten or elementary school ── they were everywhere but this was a facility that gathered up those children who needed a helping hand. It was a place akin to her family’s residence.

“…………”

In response to her high spirits, her steps quickened.

Advancing straight through the intersection filled with summer breezes and immediately after cutting left at the corner with conspicuous giant fir trees lined up, a building whose special trait was its fully white triangular roof leapt into her line of sight.

“──That’s right. They’ll be frightened if I wear this.”

She put her hands behind her head and unfastened the tightly bound knot.

The blinder fell with a swishing sound.

“……On the other hand, it’s hard on me without this.”

She looked down at the blindfold that had fallen onto her palm and smiled wryly.

A blurred world.

The blinder, her palm, the surrounding trees, the building; everything had two images.

The territorial type shinryoku spell that the sisters, Horn and Viola, possessed inherently ── it was a side effect of the power called ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘.

That was the power to see just slightly into the future.

It made shooting after reading where the opponent would dodge to possible and could be called a Heavenly blessing for a gunner. However, at the same time, the fact that she couldn’t control it herself was a weakness. Because the world of the present she saw with her own eyes and the world of the future shown by ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘ would overlap and blur, if she continued to view both, her brain would be unable to keep up and she would experience dizziness.

……Since I was born.

……Because I’m different from nee-san.

Her older sister Viola had acquired the technique for controlling ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘ as she piled on training as an apprentice Priestess. For she who could not do that, she was still using this blinder. By blocking off the world seen by her eyes and viewing only the world of the future from ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘, she was somehow able to keep her brain’s fatigue to a minimum.

“Well, it can’t be helped.”

She could feel some dizziness from just removing the blinder but she was meeting with the children again for the first time in a while.

Still holding onto the blindfold, she walked closer to the orphanage’s gate──

“Ah, nee-chan!”

“Ain’t this Horn-nee-chan, hasn’t it been so long!?”

The kids who were in front of the orphanage’s fence opened the gate in high spirits and ran over.

“Hey, hey, where did you go this time? Did you fight with a dragon again?”

“The same place as always. I didn’t fight with an earth dragon but I did find a wyvern nest. See, I came here with pictures of it.”

“Hey, hey, Horn-nee-chan! I baked cookies yesterday. I’ll share some with you.”

“Thank you, Nachez, but you worked hard to make these cookies so you should share them with everyone.”

Even in the time she was petting the girl’s head, kids appeared one after the other.

Children that tugged on her clothes and children that hopped up on her back. There were likely more than thirty of them altogether and each of them was running over with a full smile.

“Oh my, I was wondering who it was with all these joyful shouts.”

Following the multitude of children, an elderly woman walked over slowly from inside the building.

“It has been a while since we last talked, Matron. You seem well.”

Standing up, she bowed.

──If somebody from {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} saw this, they’d doubt their eyes.

A Sennenshi who held a top position in the tower and moreover, that Horn Nova, taking such a low profile and even coming into contact with somebody with a smile was a scene that not a single one had seen.

“To be honest, I was worried. I heard that the Yuugenshu invasion had also reached here. Was there any damage done?”

The day all those living upon {{furigana|the floating continent|Orbie Clar}} feared.

The day Hyouketsu Kyoukai was broken and an unprecedented large-scale invasion was carried out by the Yuugenshu. She had heard that this orphanage had also been attacked and corroded by mateki.

“Of course we are all fine; we all evacuated to the shelters.”

“What about the mateki? Was the decaying okay?”

“……The decaying was horrible. The gate was broken and the interior was corroded by mateki to tatters. ……Just for that moment, I wondered if it was the end for this place.”

Perhaps she was remembering that time because the Matron’s expression turned rigid.

“……My apologies. {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s power was not enough.”

“It’s not your fault. And besides, now it’s back to as it was before. Hasn’t even the mateki been cleanly purified?”

The Matron of the orphanage’s reaction was slackened as she pointed with a cheerful gaze.

“Yes. It has been wonderfully purified.”

There would be traces leftover even after purification when corrosion occurred through powerful mateki. But no such traces were here in this park. The fence, gate and ground’s curses had been completely purified. The one who had performed the purification had done a good job.

“A good apprentice Priestess came here.”

“It was a Priestess.”<ref>[T/N: I'm dropping adding -sama to English words unless it's a name. I feel like it sounds retarded...]</ref>

“A Priestess spent the entire night going around this area and purifying it. Even though she was so young, she passed the night without taking a break. She even talked to each of the children.”

“……Who was this?”

“It was Ymy-sama. I hear that she’s known as the Baptism Priestess and she certainly lived up to it.”

“…………Is that so.”

A bitter taste was mixed into her mouth.

“Oh my, what’s wrong?”

“…………It’s nothing; I was just thinking that I’m glad you’re all safe.”

“Of course, and that’s all thanks to you sisters as well.”

The Matron hugged the children clinging to her.

“This orphanage……we might not have been able to rebuild it without your assistance. I truly am thankful.”

“I am glad if we could repay even a single portion of our gratitude for your raising us. Nee-san and I are both pupils of this orphanage, after all.”

“Amazing─! Horn-nee-chan’s like a man!? Nee-chan, aren’t you actually a guy!?”

“……Do you want to get dropped from there, Ragna-kun?”

“Uwaa, i-it was just a little joke, nee-chan. Hey, hey, if I enter ‘''Sophia''‘ like nee-chan and work hard, can I become strong?”

“Yeah, definitely───”

 

“''Do you corner somebody dear to you with that tone too?''“

 

An instant.

The words of the Cadet Guard that had criticized her at {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} ran through the back of her mind.

…………

……What was that? Why would I remember that at this time?

Even though normally she wouldn’t remember the words of a riffraff Cadet Guard like that, much less react to it.

“''Err……umm, I was fascinated by how amazing Captain Horn is.''“

“''I……If I practice, will I be able to become like the Captain──''“

……I see, that time.

It may have been because she had a similar conversation before that Cadet Guard said that to her. The conversation she had exchanged with the maintenance officer boy when she had entrusted him with the guns’ maintenance.

……What was my reply to Catria at that time?

“''Discard pointless thoughts.''“

“''I don’t need unskilled people in my unit. If you’re going to subject yourself to techniques unsuited for your height, leave my unit before the end of today.''“

“───”

“? Nee-chan, what’s wrong?”

“……No, I’m fine. Rather than that, you shouldn’t join {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} like me──”

“Ohh, that’s it! I also want to enter that biiig tower. Think I can do it? Can I also beat dragons and Yuugenshu going bang bang?”

“…………”

She couldn’t find words for the boy whose eyes were filled with hope as he asked.

 

“''Do you corner somebody dear to you with that tone too?''“

 

……That’s different; this is……something like a child’s simplistic dream.

It’s different from awakening somebody who was already a member of {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}} to the truth. This and yesterday are completely different matters.

“Nee-chan?”

“……You can. If it’s you, then definitely, Ragna.”

The words she spoke were quiet and clumsy to the point of being hoarse.

…………How annoying, really annoying.

…………Why am I being disturbed by that Cadet Guard's few words like this?

Was it because it hit the mark? No, like I……can accept that. {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}’s bunch are all useless. They always can’t do anything without grouping up with somebody.

I am……nee-san and I are different.

Her family and comrades were only the children born and raised in this orphanage. Believing that, she had lived without relying on anybody from {{furigana|Tenketsu Palace|Sophia}}.

“……Horn?”

“Ah, no, it’s nothing, Matron. ──That’s right, I brought souvenirs. In the second Living District, a former colleague is running an open-air cafe. It seems like the cakes there are somewhat famous. Over there.”

She pointed towards a large box sitting on the bench behind her.

“Oh my, I’m happy; we’ll eat it during snack time.”

“Okay. By the way……”

Just before she spoke, the transmissions device hidden at her chest vibrated. Mail? If it was a call, it’s set to vibrate more. If it’s this faint, then it’s probably mail.

“Excuse me, I think it’s probably from nee-sama.”

On the screen of the transmissions device was the brief label ‘''Tower''‘.

──A simultaneous transmission from the Guard Regulation Institute?……It can’t be an emergency response at this time.

 

“''Subjugation list match, in combat with the individual ‘''S Vector, Eighth Class''‘.''“

 

When she first saw that name written there, she didn’t believe it.

Her sworn enemy she had spent many years searching for. It was the name of the one who had sent a child of the orphanage to the hospital. That it would appear with this timing of all times.

“……The Biotope’s S Vector?”

It couldn’t be called anything but ironic.

That was where that Yuugenshu had first been witnessed.

……It appeared just after I returned to the tower.

……Does it intend to ridicule me?

“Matron, my apologies but urgent business has come up so I will be excusing myself.”

“Is that so? It must be hard on you; you always patrol a troublesome place, don’t you?”

“For next time, let’s see. I’ll come to play when I find enough time to leisurely eat candy with everyone.”

Then Horn turned her back on her large family. She once again covered her vision with the blinder that had been hidden and looked only at the future world bestowed by ‘''Celestial Map Drawing''‘.

“──Together with Tessha.”

Towards the tower that stood out high in the sky.

Without turning back, the Sennenshi walked off in the direction of the tower.




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