Chrome Shelled Regios:Volume21

Novel Illustrations

These are the novel illustrations that were included in volume 21

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  Front Cover

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  Page 037

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  Page 049

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  Page 061

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  Page 093

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  Page 109

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  Page 129

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  Page 169

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  Page 235

Prologue

It had ended like that, but it wasn't something that he could decide on his own.

No, if he wanted to decide it himself, he could have. But, he feared that at that time, a doubt like 'is this really okay?' would have appeared.

If a state infinitely close to perfection wasn't expected, then it wasn't necessary for him to give one hundred percent of his strength, and moreover he wouldn't have to work completely till the end.

"......Hah."

Raising his head to look at the building he had just come out of, Karian sighed and a bit of sound leaked out.

After saying farewell to Haia Laia, Karian's journey in order to convey the menace of the world hadn't ended.

In the midst of that journey, today he was in a brand new city.

He had stayed for five days, using various means to finally meet the head of the city, but the reaction from the other party didn't satisfy him.

"We've been treated like idiots!"

It wasn't a satisfactory outcome, and it seemed like he wasn't the only one who saw it this way. Karian could only show a wry smile.

Stania was by his side.

"They definitely didn't hear the meaning of our words at all, only thinking 'that's impossible' - They have no sense of crisis at all!"

"But I feel that their response to that kind of fairy tale counts as normal."

"I understand that, it's indeed something that is difficult to make people understand."

Every time he saw Stania who often was unable to hold her anger and exploded, Karian was able to become calm.

To him, just relying on the words 'We can't do anything about this' and changing his feelings was a difficult thing.

"Thank you, you unexpectedly got angry for my sake."

Because she had gotten mad, Karian had been able to think things through calmly.

"T-that's not it, my job is only to assist Young Master in completing his mission, and guard you from the side."

"Completing my mission...... huh."

"Young Master......?"

"It's nothing, I was only thinking about what counts as my mission being complete."

"What does that mean?'

"Of course, though my final target is true world peace, in the end what I want to do is limited. Simply put, if the end requires certain force to resolve a problem, I will be of no use at all."

"I will not let Young Master fight."

"Thank you."

"......Young Master, are you thinking of fighting?"

"If I can."

As he said this, Karian showed a wry smile.

"But truthfully, there is nothing I can do on a battlefield of true Military Artists."

"That......"

"I'm not feeling inferior. Rather, other than this I am very clear on what I can do, and I am also very proud of myself regarding this."

"Then......"

"But I think that the one who pulls down the curtain in the end will not be me."

By telling one city after another of the crisis the world faced, even if it gave only a small sense of crisis to an undefended city, Karian's goal would have been achieved.

Afterwards, in order to face the crisis on the verge of arriving, if new power could be born...... Though this was the ideal situation, he feared that this was too wishful.

On his travels, he had always watched the exchanges between Haia and Stania, and even he already understood. Strong Military Artists existed, but their number was definitely not great.

If he spoke about the level of Heaven's Blade successors, then he feared that up to now he hadn't even met a single one.

Grendan had already spent immeasurable time to face the coming crisis, able to gather so many Military Artists, or perhaps able to become a hotbed of excellent Military Artists. Whenever he thought of this, Karian would feel that his target was far too distant.

But, to face the coming crisis, Karian had resolved not to only be a spectator.

After seeing with his own eyes the monster that had covered all of Grendan, Karian had felt this.

Only because of that, did he continue his journey.

"Well...... Young Master?"

"Nn? What is it?"

The scene from Grendan that day didn't stop appearing in Karian's mind, and Stania's voice pulled him back to reality.

Her expression showed that she had something uncomfortable to discuss.

"Young Master, well......"

"What is it? If you have something that you want to ask, it's alright, say it."

"Oh, then...... Young Master, do you want to complete everything by yourself?"

"I want to, if I can."

"Do you really think that way!?"

Stania opened her eyes wide, staring at Karian who had replied instantly.

"But that's impossible. Not only is it a problem of strength, but also one of mobility. In the end, the negotiations that I decided to do only obtained such an outcome, so I already understand the limits of what I can do myself."

What he could do had limits, and moreover even for the things that he could do, doing them was certainly difficult.

"......Could it be, you're feeling a bit down?"

"A bit. In the end, it has already been three times without getting a good response."

Every time Stania had gotten angry instead.

But, in front of the fact of successive defeats, it was expected for him to feel a bit down.

"There's still the next opportunity."

"Yes, it's a great help for you to say that."

His heart had already been weakened to the point where he would accept other people's comfort so easily. While Karian felt a bit comforted, at the same time he still held a definite sense of crisis.

"No, no no, no no...... Let me gather my thoughts for a moment!"

"Young Master?"

"In any case, I shouldn't be this low-spirited."

Seeing Karian seemingly talking to himself, Stania began panicking.

"Then, Young Master...... if you feel tired, let's first go rest a bit......"

"Ah, no, excuse me. I didn't mean to say anything to make you worry."

"Don't concern yourself about that! Let's first go rest! We should rest now."

It seemed that his actions had caused an unnecessary misunderstanding with Stania.

"If we rest, let's rest on the bus. Instead, because there's nothing else to do in this place......"

Let's go to the next city, Karian wanted to say.

Perhaps, he had a sort of premonition. The phrase 'The end' unexpectedly flashed through his mind.

Even if he felt tired there was nothing he could do about it, or perhaps this also held a different meaning.

A premonition, or perhaps it was just a simple feeling.

Was it caused by something like that?

Karian couldn't help but think.

There was definitely a reason that he would think that way.

Ignoring the proposition of Stania who wanted to go to the hotel to rest, the two of them walked to the bus, and just as they were about to enter an underground road, Karian saw a light.

It wasn't a light used to illuminate the ground underneath them, and of course it wasn't the emergency lights, either.

This white light was even closer, and its swaying pattern made him feel like it almost had its own consciousness.

The light swayed as if it were calling Karian.

"Young Master?"

Seeing Karian who had moved off the road, Stania made a surprised sound, but Karian still ignored her and continued after the light.

"Young Master? What's wrong?"

Stania chased after him, a poorly-veiled wavering in her voice as if saying 'Ah, as expected, Young Master is......', but hearing her words, Karian continued ignoring her and advancing.

It seemed that she couldn't see this light.

Then was this a hallucination that he was seeing?

Perhaps this was something that only Karian could see, a guiding light for him.

Karian was convinced that it was only the latter that was correct, so he advanced.

Following the light's guidance, Karian continued moving deep beneath the city.

Chapter 1: Grendan That Night

The place she dropped down upon was in front of the doors of Grendan's Royal Palace.

Most of the palace had been destroyed by the commotion last time, but now those scars could no longer be seen anymore. In the dark night, various guard units were waiting by the brand-new doors.

The guards were called the Rivanes Military Family, composed of the children of those who possessed the blood of the Grendan Three Royal Families. The palace guards and bodyguards of the Queen were all of this family.

Because of this, the guards standing in front of the door were all royalty to some degree. If someone not from Grendan heard this, many of them would feel that this was very strange.

Actually, though they were somewhat related to the royal families, they were only seen as normal Military Artists.

Because of this, other than the guards in front of the door and the two in a slightly elevated position, there were four more guards in total.

To the door guards, her appearance was sudden.

They were able to notice that this appearance was an abnormal situation. They were Military Artists, so if there was someone who could hide past their vision and appear in front of the door in a moment, then that person must be a Military Artist on the level of a Heaven's Blade.

Moreover, the one in front of them wasn't a Heaven's Blade successor.

"Who's there!?"

One of the guards asked.

The electric light made her body shine orange.

The figure who had appeared was a girl not yet twenty.

But, this much was insufficient to make them drop their guard, the door guards were clear on this.

"Who is it!?"

The girl didn't make a sound, and the door guards once again questioned her. The two guards who had been relatively distant also gathered. Before long, the guards patrolling other areas of the palace would also gather.

Alarm bells sounded in the minds of the guards, and the guard who had just asked the question also knew that he should wait for other guards to gather.

However, the opponent had no reason to wait it out with them.

"......Please move aside."

"What?"

"I want to complete my mission with the least amount of harm done. So please move aside."

"What kind of joke......"

Hearing the girl's words, the guards made angry shouts. They were already clear that the girl in front of them had some quite dastardly goal. The head guards quietly motioned to their companions, and a guard positioned farther back pressed the emergency alarm button.

With this, the others like the Heaven's Blade successors in the palace would definitely come quickly.

"I have no choice."

The girl spoke as if completely understanding the actions of the other side. This made the guards even more tense.

It might have been over before they realized.

"What......?"

The guards felt the abnormality surrounding them.

The orange light shining on the girl became slightly blurred.

"Damn, prepare yourselves!"

It was an instinctive yell, but it was already too late.

No, it should be said that starting from the moment the girl had appeared, Military Artists of the guards' level already had no means of fighting back.

The thing that seemed blurry...... was a portion of her body that had grown out, made of tiny objects called nanomachines. Countless nanomachines that were invisible to the eye spread out under the girl's command, and then gathered together...... forming a new shape.

The entire process was finished in a moment to the eyes of the guards.

"What!?"

The guards who had originally acted to suppress the girl were sent flying.

However, the girl wasn't the one who had moved.

Rather, it was the two arms that had appeared to her left and right.

"Ah!"

The guards who realized this fact didn't have any response other than surprise.

Until just now, there hadn't been anything to the left or right of the girl.

There shouldn't be anyone in this place, but people now stood there.

A girl who wore fighting clothes like a Military Artist, except slightly looser, stood there.

It made one feel as if it were that girl, grown up slightly.

The reason they only felt this was because the upper half of the girl's face had been covered with a colored sheet, and the lower face couldn't be seen too clearly.

Even more incredibly, one girl had appeared on either side of the maiden.

"What...... is this......"

Because of their surprise, the guards didn't even speak, the scene before them even making them forget that they were in a battle situation.

The girls who had appeared weren't only those two.

Rather, they formed a large group.

To the left and right of the girl as well as behind her, other girls appeared in a formation.

Their number exceeded a hundred.

The group of girls moved, knocking down the guards who were too surprised to speak.

Without even looking at the guards who had been felled in an instant, the girl passed through the doorway alone.

The girl's name was Lævateinn.

She, who had lived in Zuellni claiming to be Vati Len until recently, had suddenly appeared in Grendan with the identity of Lævateinn in order to complete her mission.

Her target was the palace in front of her, its underground.

"Please guard the outside, don't let anyone trespass."

At Lævateinn's words, the other girls - her copies - wordlessly indicated comprehension.

"............"

Though it was only a moment, Lævateinn turned her head to look at her copies, but she already knew that they had already begun moving to complete their mission. There wasn't a single one left to receive Lævateinn's gaze.

"............"

Turning her gaze back, Lævateinn advanced.

Lævateinn who wasn't a Military Artist couldn't see the light of Kei that had covered the entire palace, that strongly shining light.

The light broke through the clouds, burning the sky, but to Lævateinn, this wasn't any threat to her mission.

To Lævateinn, this was her target in order to complete her goal and for which she existed.

◇

The ones on duty that night were Reverse and Cauntia.

"!"

Reverse who had been dozing in the room given to the Heaven's Blades on duty suddenly opened his eyes. His Kei vein was also suddenly ignited. As he quickly left the sofa that he had been sleeping on, he quickly grabbed his Dite.

"Tia!"

"I know, Rever."

Cauntia replied while standing up from the sofa, her expression serious. While stroking her thigh where Reverse's touch still lingered, she chased behind him, running out of the palace.

The alarm that the guards pressed was after this.

At that time, the two of them jumped out of the nearest window, running to the entrance through the shortest distance.

That girl ignored the fallen guards and passed straight through the entrance.

"Restoration!"

A shout.

At the same time, not only his hands, but his whole body was illuminated.

The Dite responded to Reverse's activation keywords, and the changing Dite began forming into fighting gear covering his entire body.

When he landed before Lævateinn, Reverse's entire body was already covered with armor.

"Please wait."

It seemed like a chunk of metal falling from the sky...... Even if she was facing Reverse like this, Lævateinn didn't waver.

Though he felt a bit apprehensive, still, Reverse didn't know how to judge Lævateinn, who was a single girl however he looked.

"......No one unrelated is allowed to enter past this point."

Though it was a bland sentence, it was a warning that Reverse had worked hard to think up.

"If you put it like that, I have an even more ancient relationship, compared to you."

"Huh?"

The unexpected response made Reverse not know what to do for a moment.

"Please move aside. This way I can complete my goal without forcing you into a painful situation."

"What......"

Reverse stopped thinking before Lævateinn's words confused him even more.

(Though I don't know what she's talking about......)

She had a human form in front of him, but he couldn't feel Kei. Then she wasn't a Military Artist? But, Reverse was very clear about this kind of oppressive feeling.

"......I definitely won't let you pass."

This girl was very dangerous.

Even if his brain couldn't comprehend, his body still told him.

He had to get rid of the girl in front of him.

The time when he had still been indulgently sleeping on Cauntia's lap just now was already gone. He stood in front of the menace covered by the stiff armor, as if he were enduring his own timidity.

In battle, the first feeling that would appear in Reverse's heart was fear. The fear that his body felt towards battle, the fear that he felt towards filth monsters, the fear of being wounded, the fear of letting others be wounded. Pure terror and guilt at the results produced from his Military Artist actions - that was the kind of person Reverse was.

However, those feelings were the source of his strength. It was a saying that ‘one must overcome himself’. Reverse could be said to be the perfect interpretation of this saying.

Reverse, who had overcome the fear in his heart, had nothing else to be scared of when he stood on the battlefield.

The fear he had originally felt due to the girl was already gone.

However, this definitely didn't mean that he had relaxed his guard.

Underestimating the enemy was the result formed due to being overconfident in one's power. But this kind of thinking wouldn't exist in Reverse who had always fought with his timid heart.

"......Then I have no choice."

Compared to Reverse whose entire body was covered with armor and resembled a block of metal, Lævateinn wore some kind of student uniform that he had never seen before.

Fighting power didn't have any simple relation to clothing, and even if they didn't have the Queen as an example, everyone was still well aware of this. But the form of the girl in front of him and the oppressive feeling from her body were too different.

Pushing down the confusion in his heart. Reverse focused his concentration on the hand that Lævateinn raised.

Fury dropped from the sky.

A blade sliced through the wind.

It was Cauntia.

His lover descended from the sky.

"It's you! You people hindering us!"

As she said this, she brandished the weapon in her hand.

Her Dite had become a glaive, waving back and forth. The decorations on the blade stretched out, becoming light.

Destructive Kei was condensed, becoming a flashing blade assaulting Lævateinn.

The feeling was oppressive as if trying to cut the entire city into two, but Reverse wasn't panicked.

Cauntia was also very clear that the she definitely couldn't hold back with the strike before her.

Though it was only a moment, they felt as if this moment was extraordinarily drawn out.

Reverse didn't move from his location, only watching Lævateinn's movement.

The girl raised her head to look at the light that Cauntia had released, and opened her hand towards that light.

Was she preparing to endure that strike, or was this perhaps a means of counterattack?

Cauntia's attack wasn't that weak, Reverse naturally thought.

That light had been condensed, and the length was about the same as Reverse's height. Cauntia had purposefully controlled it because she had considered him being there.

The light that seemed as if it wanted to cut everything apart simply charged towards Lævateinn, and then......

Collided with the hand that the girl had raised.

The light swelled, and the destructive aftermath pushed Reverse back.

After the ground beneath his feet furrowed slightly, Reverse's body stopped.

His gaze was filled with dazzling light.

"Wha-!"

Though it was only a moment, it had been intense. He focused on something other than his vision in order to keep from losing track of Lævateinn.

In the end, the girl still stood in the same position as before.

She hadn't dodged?

No......

"Still alive?"

Because he couldn't feel the girl's Kei, he had to rely on other methods to confirm. His vision was still a bit blurry even now, and his ears were filled with the sounds of explosions.

Even if one wanted to feel the flow of the wind, the surrounding airflow was still in a chaotic state because of that attack.

But that was only the situation for normal Military Artists.

Even if it were an intense battle, Heaven's Blade successors could read all aspects of information at the same time.

Of course, Reverse was the same.

He realized that the figure standing in the midst of his blurry vision wasn't a distortion caused by the heatwave.

In the sounds of the explosions, his ears picked up a hard-to-understand sound like flowing sand.

His sense of touch felt the movement of the air, letting him know that in the center of the explosion there was something stopping the air from flowing in the correct direction.

She still lived.

"Tia!"

When he reached this conclusion, it was a moment after the attack had exploded.

Reverse leaped, arriving in a moment next to Cauntia who had dropped by the side because of the recoil of her technique. He took up a stance, using a shield that could cover his entire body to engage the things incoming.

Internal Kei variation - Kongoukei.

The iron will that could deflect any kind of object had been revealed.

Incoming.

He didn't know whether his body would be cut in two. He no longer knew how long it had been since he had this feeling...... Reverse realized that his concentration had disappeared for a moment.

"Rever!"

Cauntia called out from behind him.

"Tia, use all your strength."

Saying these short words already took all of his efforts.

"She isn't an opponent that can be defeated so easily."

It had been extremely thorny last time too, when the monster had attacked.

However, that time had only felt dangerous. On the other hand, the feeling this time slowly became anxiety due to fear and being unable to parry.

The returning feeling that had reappeared because of this girl made Reverse's back break out into a sweat.

"Understood!"

Cauntia replied. At that moment, the Kei behind him swelled up, pouring into an attack that seemed as if it could cut everything apart.

What was next? What was the enemy doing?

What was the girl doing?

Reverse's jump should have already scattered the dust in Lævateinn's surroundings.

However, there was something flowing around the girl.

Something similar to sand, or perhaps tiny particles even smaller than sand, were currently gathering around the girl.

The hand that Cauntia's attack had collided with was no longer there, and the portion all the way up to the arm had disappeared.

However, there wasn't a drop of blood leaking out, as if there hadn't been an arm there from the start. There were no splatters of blood at all.

"How......"

Reverse swallowed his words.

What was going on? There was no time for him to think about that.

However, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

But there really wasn't any time for him to continue thinking.

"Rever!"

"Nn!"

Reverse responded to Cauntia's shout.

The roaring, violent Kei bursting behind his back was condensed, collected into Cauntia's blade.

Reverse also refined the Kei inside his body, leading it into the form that he desired.

The great blade was swung.

The condensed external Kei was released in a flash.

Up to this, it was the same as before.

But what came afterwards was different.

The moment after the released Kei passed over Reverse's head, its shape changed.

The flash that had been scattered out suddenly became a point rushing towards Lævateinn.

Composite Kei art - Rending Diamond Mark.

Using the deflective abilities of Kongoukei, he further condensed Cauntia's external Kei.

The external Kei that had been compressed into a small sphere seemed as if it were being toyed around with by the wind, flying towards Lævateinn with an unstable trajectory.

"............"

As expected, the single-armed girl still didn't choose to evade it.

The girl only quietly raised her remaining arm towards the compressed Kei.

(What's going on!?)

Reverse shouted out in his heart, but he currently didn't have the leisure to go check it out.

He set his shield, once again spreading out Kongoukei.

He hadn't clearly seen the form of the attack just now. He was also rather concerned about the numerous abnormal dust-like things. Why didn't she bleed? Why was there a strange flow in the air?

Also, also......

There were too many things he couldn't understand.

Reverse was never negligent during battle. However, the battle this time required his attention more than any other battle before. Thinking of this, Reverse unfolded his power in front of him, spreading it out in front of Lævateinn.

It hit.

An explosion occurred.

The Kei bullet exploded the moment it came in contact with Lævateinn's hand, and light and dust swelled up in an instant, blurring out vision. The shock that could originally shake the entire city was annulled by Kongoukei.

Reverse had spread out Kongoukei with all his power, in order to wait for this moment.

Yes, he was waiting.

He didn't understand a single thing about Lævateinn. About why she had come here, or what she wanted to do next.

Or what she had done just now.

There were many other things he was concerned about.

What had Lævateinn done when she received Cauntia's first attacks?

Other people might not have noticed this, but Reverse had absolute confidence in this.

The technique of his beloved Cauntia, that explosion, that destructive power, couldn't only produce that much of an injury.

Because of this, he had used all of his power to spread Kongoukei.

There would definitely be some exchange after this.

This was all Reverse was able to do in order to protect Cauntia.

And his expectations were realized.

He had guessed correctly.

There was an abnormal flow in the airflow produced by the explosion. It wasn't scattering outwards, but it was as if it were being sucked inside.

"It's the same as before."

The moment Reverse was muttering this......

Incoming.

A dramatic impact.

"Urgh......!!"

His Kei was battered, and his body shook. The assault jarred his entire body and his consciousness. Reverse strongly clenched his teeth, withstanding the assault. The reflective ability of Kongoukei wasn't any use. Moreover, this wasn't the time to focus on counterattacking.

However, he couldn't cower at this.

Behind him was the woman he loved the most in this world, Cauntia.

He definitely couldn't shrink back......

"Re......Ver......."

From behind him came a voice that made him despair.

"........................Eh?"

The back of his head, his neck, had been touched by something, and it wasn't Cauntia's hands.

It was a warm, liquid feeling.

His astonishment made his entire body shake, and Reverse slowly turned around.

The air around him swirled intensely. The only place that maintained normalcy was the circle affected by Reverse's Kongoukei.

That was also where Cauntia behind him was.

And it was because of this, that the liquid dripped on Reverse's body.

It was Cauntia's blood.

"Tia?"

Greeting Reverse's eyes was blood endlessly flowing from Cauntia's body like water spraying from a burst pipe.

"Sor......ry......"

An inconceivable apology drilled into his ears.

Cauntia who had lost her strength slumped on his back.

As if to support her body, Reverse moved. In that moment, he had already completely forgotten to maintain Kongoukei.

And because of this, he was able to perceive everything.

Even if he wanted to turn his body around, his left arm wasn't able to move like he wanted to, he finally realized.

"Eh?"

When he looked carefully, his left arm was already gone.

Actually, Reverse's own blood had been mixed in with the blood spraying out that he had seen behind him.

"Eh?"

It was inconceivable. However, this was reality.

Reverse's Kongoukei had been broken.

It had been completely destroyed.

"......I see."

That moment, Reverse understood the situation in front of him.

The second attack that Reverse had received.

It was Cauntia's attack.

No wonder he had felt it strange. Even if Cauntia's technique had been deflected, the damage to Lævateinn's surroundings had been too small. It would be too unlike Cauntia for her to have considered that Reverse was there and held back.

Though he didn't know what had happened in the middle, the reality wouldn't change.

Cauntia's Kei technique had been sent back.

Both times were like this. The composite Kei art of Reverse and Cauntia had been completely reflected.

Because of this, things had become like this.

It had only penetrated Reverse's Kongoukei because it had been the combined technique of the two of them.

"Sorry......"

After Cauntia repeated the same word, she fell from Reverse's body.

The sound of breaking bones came from her strengthless, falling body. Hearing the noise from inside her body, Reverse searched for something in his blood-red vision. His body already didn't feel any pain, and in his hazy consciousness, he could only urge on his body, looking for the target he yearned for.

It was by his side.

"......Tia."

Cauntia didn't make the slightest response to his voice. Cauntia who had always reprimanded himself for being slow now lay silently by his side.

Cauntia's hand reached out, as if to echo her most instinctive desire.

Reaching out to Reverse.

They lay there silently, both reaching out, their strength weakened to a drop, but they still reached out to their desires.

When he gripped Cauntia's hand, a hard-to-describe feeling of tranquility came over Reverse. As his strength decreased with each breath, the scene dyed red with blood before him became more and more blurry.

As his vision was disappearing, Reverse's angled gaze caught Lævateinn who was scattering some sort of particles.

Though he no longer had any judgment ability, when he noticed the feet of some person appearing in front of him, Reverse raised his head.

Standing before him was Lævateinn, gazing at him.

Even in the tense situation just now, Reverse had always felt that she had a sort of indisposed attitude. But he hadn't been in time to ask, and he hadn't been able to defend against everything. Now he could only look at her. Regardless of whether it was fear of enemies or the courage he needed to overcome these fears, they were already all unnecessary. Everything had returned to nothing. All he needed to do now was grasp that hand, and everything else was meaningless.

As his vision almost disappeared, Reverse didn't know why Lævateinn still looked at him like that.

However, he had a feeling that made Reverse feel that Lævateinn was currently looking at his and Cauntia's hands that were clasped together.

"You......"

A weak voice.

The answer appeared in his mind in a moment, but he no longer had the strength to form words. His momentarily clear-headed thinking once again slowly became muddled.

His vision became even blurrier than before, so much that he couldn't even make out her figure anymore.

As everything became unbearably hazy, Reverse protected the feeling of grasping that hand until the end.

◇

(R, Reverse-sama and Cauntia-sama have been defeated.)

The voice that came brought an unconcealed tremble.

"Hmph."

That was a natural thing.

Alsheyra who was moving out of her room in the palace listened to the trembling voice ot Elsmau with a natural attitude.

"What about the others?"

(They have already taken action before contacting me.)

"Good, then tell them to take action in order. Ah, right, though I've only seen that guy fight from the side so far, if he wants to take action himself, then let him."

(Yes...... then what about Your Majesty?)

"I already know the goal of the one in opposing us, so I'll go make the final defensive line. Or should I get rid of everyone else and go become the frontline?"

(No, no, that's not the best choice.)

"Really...... has the evacuation of the city's residents been carried out smoothly?"

(Yes, In order to keep the commotion from spreading, we are currently leading the citizens to shelters smoothly.)

"Right, right, are there any other people there?"

(Military Artists other than the Heaven's Blades have stopped them. No, it would be more correct to say that we've been pinned down by them.)

"Is that so. Though I don't want to be too wordy, what really is going on? Ah, whatever. Tell the Heaven's Blades to ignore them, and charge straight to the palace for the enemy's original body."

(Understood, Your Majesty.)

"Ah, I fear that we'll be in a pinch for a while."

As soon as the conversation ended, Alsheyra spoke to herself. Elsmau might have also listened, but she didn't respond with anything.

Alsheyra didn't really care about her not responding.

Compared to that...... she gazed to the side.

As if it were chasing after her, there was a figure walking behind her with a slightly slower speed.

It was Leerin.

"How is it? Can you keep up?"

"Of course."

Leerin nodded her head with a persevering expression, and looking at her would really make one feel a sort of stabbing pain in the heart. Alsheyra's expression distorted for a moment, but it was only a moment, and in the next second her expression changed back.

By now, she couldn't tell Leerin to go back. that would only be an insult to her determination.

More relevantly, her strength was necessary.

"......Really..."

"Nn?"

"It's nothing."

Alsheyra used a strong smile to mask the words that she had almost let slip out.

She felt that this was another helpless thing.

She had always thought so.

It had been for all of this, for this day, that there was Alsheyra Almonise.

That there was the Almonise Family.

That there were the Three Royal Families of Grendan.

The Heaven's Blade successors as well, the Lance Shelled City as well......

They were all prepared for this day.

Alsheyra had been born for the coming of this day.

That was how it had originally been.

But actually, what was it?

Actually, the ultimate trump card hadn't fallen into her hands, it had crossed over her palms, and the purified blood had chosen an extremely mediocre girl.

If there was truly such a thing as fate, how much of a tease was it, or perhaps why did it like to pester people this much.

This fate was a kind of misfortune for the girl, and to Alsheyra it was a kind of insult.

"......It feels like I've been wearing the wrong shoes the whole time."

"Eh?"

She unconsciously spoke the words that she originally hadn't wanted to say.

However, in this situation, even if she let some words slip, Alsheyra didn't show a particularly regretful expression, and she still showed a smile like that past.

"......Ah."

Leerin felt it.

"Well......"

"It's alright, you haven't done anything wrong. If we want to talk about who made a mistake, it should be that fiancee without any patience."

But even with this, even if it were truly the case, it was still the situation of bad luck befalling one's own children.

It refused to gather at Alsheyra.

It refused to gather at the person who wanted to end everything.

Even if she thought about these questions time and again, it wouldn't have any effect on reality, and she couldn't find any ways that were enough to affect the current reality.

"Because I wasn't able to become a mother, really."

"......Nn."

Watching Leerin nodding her head as a response, Alsheyra manipulated the lift machine that they had arrived at, lowering them down to the ground.

The space that she saw underneath the lift was in darkness. A tense feeling had already been spread all over that black space. This darkness certainly also knew already, knew that the time destined to come was already close by.

The lift continued lowering.

Carrying Alsheyra and Leerin, it went to her side.

◇

Kalvan was a person who couldn't stand it when he wasn't clear on what had happened and how things were currently turning out.

He had noticed an abnormality and taken action before receiving Elsmau's report, and while he was moving he had heard her report.

But even with this it couldn't be said that he understood everything about the current situation.

The Queen hadn't explained anything regarding the core of the situation.

To one who had always lived in Grendan, though he could speculate a part of it, it was still only a speculation.

And even if he asked the Queen, the Queen's reply would only be 'the continuation of last time' or such an ambiguous explanation. He was very clear that the Queen had always been that kind of person.

Even so, he still couldn't help but ponder the situation.

But, it was also reality that as a Heaven's Blade successor, he was an extraordinary Military Artist at the same time.

To face the situation, what he had to do was decide by his own judgment.

Complying with directions, he ignored the battles of the monsters unfolding in the palace surroundings, and as he entered the inner palace, Kalvan saw it.

A man and woman overlapping each other.

"Reverse and Cauntia?"

The blood-red liquid covering the ground let him know that this wasn't a joke. Kalvan's expression became completely serious, and he watched the area behind them.

A few steps behind Reverse and Cauntia, she was there.

"You did this, huh!"

Though it was the appearance of a girl, Kalvan wouldn't be fooled by such a simple thing. The girl seemed to be preparing to begin moving once again, and then Kalvan had dropped in front of her.

"......Please move aside."

"You're the one that should move aside."

As he replied in a low voice, he took up his restored Dite.

Golden Kei surrounded Kalvan's entire body.

External Kei variant - Armed Sword.

An armor composed of countless swords formed from Golden Kei covered Kalvan's entire body.

The momentum made the air in the surroundings into a gale, blowing towards the girl's body.

At that time, a different presence dropped behind Kalvan's body.

"Kalvan!"

The owner of the voice was Kanaris.

"Don't come over here!"

Kanaris immediately restored her Heaven's Blade after dropping down and wanted to team up with Kalvan, but Kalvan stopped her.

"Go meet up with the others and prepare an attack with them."

"But......"

"Go, you must have seen it as well."

Kalvan only needed to look at the overlapping bodies of the two people behind the girl's back and in the center of his vision, and everything was already understood without having to be said.

"Um......"

"Go."

"Alright......"

Leaving this word, Kanaris once again leaped.

What had she been thinking of saying at the end? The moment he thought of this, Kalvan's expression changed.

It became a smile.

Had she wanted to tell him to make sure to take revenge for the two of them?

"Now I, Kalvan, will be the sacrifice."

His imposing Kei hadn't weakened at all, and this also showed that his heart didn't have the slightest haze.

Losing before a battle was impossible.

"Though I've always frowned at them, whatever I say, everyone is also a Heaven's Blade successor as I am, and it is up to me to avenge them."

His Armed Sword spread out, and golden Kei extended out of the Heaven's Blade, endlessly spreading its territory. As if a kind of viscous liquid, but with a speed that wasn't like a normal liquid. It was spread all over its surroundings in a moment, covering the girl, covering Lævateinn, entirely.

"Disappear before us!"

He yelled.

Brandishing his Heaven's Blade.

It was as if the surrounding golden Kei listened to his orders.

The golden Kei that had spread out assaulted Lævateinn all at once. The originally liquid substance became hard in a moment, changing into a group of blades or spears flying towards the girl.

There weren't any places to escape to. Kalvan wouldn't leave that kind of gap.

But Lævateinn seemed as if she didn't understand what was happening to her, simply standing in place.

The group of blades pierced Lævateinn.

Though they pierced her, this didn't mean that it had completely finished her.

If it were the kind of opponent who could be won against like this, then the two of them wouldn't have died.

"Hah!"

Kalvan had already taken the opportunity to advance to the next stage of Kei refinement.

The golden Kei became a sphere with Lævateinn as the center, as if to capture prey.

External-type Kei variant - Illusory Bestial Edge

Inside the sphere, the countless blades that had originally pierced Lævateinn's body once again began moving. The golden Kei that filled the surroundings produced pressure at the same time. Moreover, this pressure also produced heat, and along with the destructive energy that Kei already had, the heat increased further.

Cutting, crushing, and burning.

Three attacks assaulted Lævateinn.

As if the golden Kei was a monster feeding on its prey.

Even filth monsters that possessed extraordinarily strong regenerative capabilities would be ruined beyond recognition by this merciless Kei technique - that was Kalvan's Illusory Bestial Edge.

However......

"Tch!"

Kalvan didn't have the feeling of scoring a hit, so he could only click his tongue, and the Illusory Bestial Edge once again became a new Armed Sword to cover him again.

Nothing could be seen inside the thick Kei of the Illusory Bestial Edge.

It didn't feel like a hit. He had captured the enemy, released his Kei technique, and up until the blades began dancing he had been able to feel a definite contact. For the most part, he was able to feel the resistance of the prey through the Kei.

But currently there were no such feelings.

He wouldn't make rash judgments, that was who Kalvan was. He could capture whatever small changes happened inside his Kei technique, so because of this he wouldn't make any rash judgments.

The change in the feeling made him feel that at some point, his prey had suddenly been switched out.

Changing from a solid to something like flowing sand, that kind of incomprehensible situation had appeared inside the sphere.

(Did she escape?)

Had the girl escaped from Illusory Bestial Edge through some method that Kalvan hadn't noticed?

If that were the case, then even continuing to maintain Illusory Bestial Edge was a waste of effort......

"............"

Kalvan shut his eyes.

He didn't prepare to release Illusory Bestial Edge.

Rather, with his sword on his shoulder, he stood while waiting for the changes that would come next.

The sounds of battle from outside of the palace were continuously becoming intense, and the Kei that raged in all directions like a storm wasn't something of a normal Military Artist.

(Lintence?)

Kalvan obtained that answer from the nature of the Kei.

Though the Heaven's Blade successors should have already entered the palace because of their orders, Lintence had ignored them?

He shouldn't be the kind of person who would forget about the original to fight with small fry.

Then had something caught his attention?

He didn't have any time to let Elsmau explain. Kalvan once again focused his concentration, removing thoughts about unnecessary information from his mind.

The feeling that Illusory Bestial Edge transmitted definitely had some secret.

If he didn't unravel that secret......

"Hmm......"

With regards to time, he had only closed his eyes for a moment, but because of the speed of his senses, he felt that it had been quite a long time.

Kalvan opened his eyes.

"That's how it was!"

After shouting, he swung the sword on his shoulder.

The Armed Sword converged, becoming a huge sword.

External-type Kei variant - Golden Yaksha.

The swing would cut Illusory Bestial Edge into two in a flash, and Kalvan's strike would cut into the thing that he had seen through.

That was how it should have been.

"What!!"

He felt an unexpected feeling that wasn't the Kei technique.

There was something suppressing Kalvan's body.

His arms, feet, torso, there was something grabbing on to him, stopping him.

Looking closely, it was a hand, an arm.

It seemed from the exterior to be the arm of a young girl, but there were countless of these arms as if they grew out like weeds, continuously appearing from somewhere unknown, and then tightly grabbing Kalvan.

"Did I misstep!?"

He couldn't help from yell out.

No......

He couldn't have gotten it wrong.

That thing was such an organism.

He couldn't let himself be tricked by her outward appearance. He hadn't felt a bit of Kei from her, but she had killed two Heaven's Blade successors, and she who had escaped from Kalvan's Illusory Bestial Edge with some unknown methods definitely wasn't the being that her exterior suggested.

Then, Kalvan's understanding was correct, as expected.

The countless arms changed further. As if responding to the movements of Kalvan who was attempting to break free, the arms began becoming hard one after another.

Kalvan became as if he were trapped inside a great piece of stone.

"Damn......"

Even his strength couldn't break this stone.

And the next change began in a moment.

Kalvan felt the presence above his head.

He raised his head to look, and there were countless gun-shaped objects. All of the barrels were aimed at Kalvan.

"Shit......"

If he continued maintaining Illusory Bestial Edge, never mind breaking the stone around his body, he wouldn't even be able to clear away the guns above his head. Kalvan released his Kei technique, letting Kei flow for the purpose of defense.

The Kei produced a large explosion.

In the light of the explosion, when Kalvan escaped his manacles, and at the same time cleared away the mass of guns, he saw it.

A figure, coming closer to himself.

It had come from the direction of the released Illusory Bestial Edge.

"In that case!"

Kalvan shouted this out during the explosion. While flowing Kei through his sword, he swung at the girl who approached him.

There were no weapons in the girl's hands, but her slim fingers were filled with the presence of death.

The cut and the girl's hand clashed and grazed each other, sending off sparks, the attacks of both sides filled with killing intent.

Kalvan's sword cut into Lævateinn's arm.

Lævateinn's hand pierced Kalvan's throat.

"Ugh......"

After a short groan, Kalvan fell down.

◇

Kalvan had been defeated.

Before she had been informed of this fact by Elsmau, Kanaris had already felt this from the flow of the air.

Kanaris was now inside one of the passageways of the palace.

Behind here were the lifts that Alsheyra and Leerin had just used.

It was a passageway leading underground.

Though there were still other methods to go underground, since Lævateinn had already appeared, she only wanted to use this road.

Kanaris had the premonition that Lævateinn would destroy the palace, and then continue to here.

Kanaris' expression was extremely grave.

If it were the past, she would definitely have felt that that group was messing around and become furious because of it, but she currently wasn't that way.

Three had already been defeated.

This definitely wasn't a situation to joke around.

Those inside the palace had already succeeded in taking refuge. Other Military Artists were currently outside the palace dealing with the mysterious group of troublemakers.

It was up to the Heaven's Blades to deal with Lævateinn's original body.

It wasn't that she had received detailed commands from the Queen, but rather by the time she noticed, she was already doing this.

Because this was all she could do in the current situation.

Kanaris looked behind her.

The Heaven's Blade successors had already gathered.

Savaris, Troyatte, Ruimei, Barmelin, even Haia who hadn't even been a Heaven's Blade for long, along with one more person.

"Claribel-sama?"

Kanaris couldn't understand her appearance.

"Ahahaha, it's been a long time."

She who had run away from home to Zuellni, why had she appeared here?

"Though there was some cause in the middle that I'm not clear about, the battle here will become quite dangerous after this, so please deal with the enemies outside first......"

"Ahahaha...... actually, that's true."

Claribel showed a reluctant smile, holding her Dite out to show Kanaris.

Kanaris also had a similar thing to this Dite whose unrestored form was adorned with various patterns.

"A Heaven's Blade......"

"Nn, I don't know what's going on, but it's already like this anyway."

The last remaining Heaven's Blade should have been something of the dead Tigris.

The grandfather's item had been succeeded by the granddaughter. Nothing of the sort had happened in the records before. Moreover, the Queen wasn't the kind of person to care about interpersonal relationships like that.

Then, the Queen had to have approved her power to make this kind of decision.

There wasn't any time right now to think about why she who should have been in Zuellni had ignored the distance between cities and suddenly appeared here.

Even if she thought, the fact that she was here wouldn't change.

"I understand."

Kanaris said this as she straightened herself back up.

"What about Lintence-sama?"

Troyatte was the one who asked this.

"He's distracted outside."

Savaris had answered him. His voice had become hoarse since the time he had almost died from having his throat cut open. He could have gotten it completely treated, but Savaris had intentionally selected this kind of voice.

"Ah, judging from that guy's style, he might already be somewhere around here."

"That's true, if even we have arrived, then there's no way he hasn't."

"Then, what should we do? Do we use our full power to defend here?"

Ruimei also showed a laughable expression beside the two of them. He also felt that he wanted to fight individually if possible.

Of course, all of the people here probably thought that way.

"Reverse, Cauntia, and Kalvan have already been defeated before us. There's no meaning in attacking one by one."

Kanaris replied.

"What about battle strategy?"

"Leave it to me to decide."

She replied to Barmelin.

"Actually, it's already too late now to think about battle plans."

There was only one enemy.

But the fighting methods of the enemy weren't clear.

"In the situation where we don't have any information on the enemy, formulating a battle plan is impossible."

"In terms of teamwork, none of us can win against those two people who got wiped out."

Savaris said this. Naturally, the two people he was talking about were Reverse and Cauntia.

"This time might be quite the crisis."

Troyatte understated.

"Her Majesty said that there's no concern regardless of what you destroy."

"Is there anything now that she would care about if it got destroyed?"

Ruimei grumbled at Kanaris' words.

"......You guys only have those complaints because you're all too stubborn~"

An unfamiliar voice suddenly entered everyone's ears.

Though it was an unfamiliar voice, it definitely didn't belong to an outsider. Everyone instantly understood who had spoken.

It was Haia who was a bit further back.

"What did you say, kid?"

Ruimei glared at him, but Haia didn't care.

"I just wanted to say that because you guys always fought individually, you can't even fight together anymore~"

"That's true."

Haia's accurate analysis made Savaris laugh while making his reply.

"However, youngster. What about it? Could it be that we should start learning how to fight together now? We don't have the time for that now, though."

"I'm here. Regardless of what you say I was the leader of the Mercenary Gang, and I've fought strong enemies as many times as you all, and commanded an overwhelming number of group battles~"

"I see."

Savaris was also the person who agreed with him.

Kanaris had also thought this in her heart.

Because Heaven's Blade successors had such overwhelming strength, they all couldn't help but become loners in the end. Though there were times when they would fight together as two or three people, this would only happen during extremely infrequent situations, and in the end they still relied on their individual strength to complete missions.

As long as a single Heaven's Blade successor was there, most enemies could all be dealt with.

Because of this, Heaven's Blade successors weren't suited to group combat.

The battle last time was the same. In the end the Heaven's Blades had all fought supervising their own districts. That kind of method couldn't be called group combat.

At least the group combat that would be required for this battle wasn't the same.

So, one would think that Haia's proposal wasn't bad.

"Who would listen to the commands of a kid like you?"

Ruimei said this in a bad mood. Though she hadn't made any comments, Barmel also showed a disagreeing expression. The slightly contemptuous attitude on Savaris and Troyatte's faces also hadn't changed.

The situation was bad, they didn't have enough faith in Haia. Since the Heaven's Blade had been conferred to him, he hadn't even had an opportunity to display his own power. Also, even if he had the commanding ability and the corresponding performance, the people here wouldn't trust him unless they had seen it with their own eyes.

In other words, they weren't satisfied to entrust their lives to this unfamiliar person.

Claribel didn't even have the opportunity to speak because the presence of everyone else was too intense.

(This is bad)

The current situation was really bad, Kanaris thought.

She understood this very well.

However, they didn't have any time to improve the situation.

Because they could already hear the footsteps of that person.

◇

Hearing the sound of footsteps, Haia quickly grabbed the unrestored Heaven's Blade.

His palm was full of sweat.

He felt tense.

"......Hahh."

How long had this tense feeling been for? Thinking about this, he couldn't help but show a smile.

But, the faces of the Military Artists gathered in the surroundings who were even stronger than himself were also filled with tension.

It was impossible for Haia not to feel tense.

"Ah, maybe I'm too cowardly?"

Haia was a Heaven's Blade successor, so in other words, he was in the same position as the others standing around him.

He had no reason to fear them, nor did he have a reason to worry about what they thought.

Because of this, he had just spoken.

"Ah, this situation isn't so easy to get used to~"

The Heaven's Blade successors were Military Artists with various extraordinary fighting powers...... The atmosphere that could be felt from their bodies couldn't even be compared with others. When he had fought Layfon, the extremely abnormal competitive feeling he had managed to offset that atmosphere, but currently it was different.

More importantly, there were so many Heaven's Blades here.

Seeing the people surrounding him, each one made him feel safe, and it was only Claribel who stood there whom he felt a bit sorry for.

Because she also wore the same expression as Haia, but with even more embarrassment.

(It seems you've given an unwanted opinion.)

A sound floated quietly by his ears.

Just a sound.

Looking carefully, there was a Psychokinesis flake floating next to him.

It was Elsmau.

"Because I felt this was the best method at the time~"

Actually, this part wasn't a lie.

If this were an enemy that the Heaven's Blade successors who possessed extraordinary fighting power couldn't defeat alone, then the group combat that they were unfamiliar with, particularly fighting together, would become the key to victory or defeat.

Of course, this was also a result that things would have to go smoothly for.

"And you, what do you think?"

In order to coordinate with the other party, Haia lowered his voice.

(Eh?)

"My proposal."

(That...... I personally think it's worth a try.)

"Is that so~"

(But, I think that you won't be able to gain the agreement of the others quickly.)

"Why~?"

(Because you still don't have the trust of everyone.)

"It's really because of that~"

Haia understood this himself, and being told this by the third person, he was even more convinced.

After all, he still hadn't had any opportunity to display his power since he had become a Heaven's Blade.

Originally, he had thought that the opportunity for everyone to see his power had finally arrived, but he had quickly run into such a thorny situation.

Perhaps this battle was the one that Karian had spoken about before, the last battle betting on the fate of this world.

"That guy...... what is he doing~?"

(What?)

"It's nothing."

Karian was currently somewhere, and even thinking about it wouldn't make any results appear.

Regardless of whether the things he had done had bloomed or not, the current situation would be the same.

A battle had appeared in front of Haia and the others, and at this moment he couldn't expect others to come and do anything for him.

"Well, first I'll go work hard to be able to obtain their trust~"

The sound of footsteps didn't stop.

After entering the empty palace, it came straight for this place without a single pause.

The sound of footsteps was very orderly, without a trace of impatience.

As if waiting for this side to take stances.

The eyes of Military Artists could already make out the figure of the invader. Though they felt surprised at the exterior of a girl, they were even more surprised when they saw her familiar clothing.

That uniform made Haia think of something, making his mood become a bit poor.

"Zuellni's uniform."

That was the uniform that the female students of Zuellni wore.

Even at this kind of time, something that made him think of 'that guy' had appeared. Haia had never even thought of this, so he felt vexed.

However, since she had left from Zuellni, then that meant the current crisis had nothing to do with Zuellni. Even if it was related, there wasn't any time to resolve that puzzle.

"It'll be enough to do what we can."

What they should do now was fight with the girl in front of them.

Then......

"I'm already used to playing that kind of nasty role."

Haia had done many things as a mercenary.

In order to win, sometimes it was necessary to obtain the trust of those around him in a short time, and he knew such methods.

(Please be careful of your safety.)

"I know!"

Responding to the Psychokinesist who now called herself Elsmau, Haia charged at the girl, accompanied by the light of restoration.

Internal-type Kei variant - Whirl Kei Current.

This was Whirl Kei that Haia had improved himself, sending him in front of the girl in an instant.

"You!"

Ruimei made an angry roar.

"It's clearly you that were slow~"

Haia said this behind him as he grasped the Heaven's Blade that had just been restored and charged forth.

Psyharden Technique - Flame Cut.

The rapid sword wrapped with flame cut out, heading diagonally up towards Lævateinn.

"Ugh!"

Haia who had originally planned to turn the blade downwards and overlap the flame for the next strike suddenly changed his battle plan, retreating in the blink of an eye.

He hadn't felt contact at all.

The sensation that Flame Cut brought seemed as if he were cutting through air.

Fearing that it was an afterimage or a body copy technique, Haia quickly scanned the surroundings with his eyes open, but it didn't seem that way.

"So it's like that, no wonder three people have already been defeated."

Large drops of sweat appeared on Haia's forehead.

With only one strike, he understood Lævateinn's huge strength.

"Please retreat, I only want to visit a certain place."

"I can't respond to your expectations~"

Lævateinn who had received the strike just now seemed as if nothing had happened. Accepting that fact, Haia wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"Don't say that, play with me for a bit longer~"

"......Then I have no choice."

Though Haia didn't understand, at that time, Lævateinn took action for the first time.

A sword appeared instantly in the girl's hands that had originally hung down forcelessly, and it seemed as if it had grown out of the girl's hand.

"If you will all stop me anyway......"

"Uwah!"

Her intent had already been conveyed.

Haia yelped, holding his blade out in front of him to block.

A blow pushed back his entire body.

When he realized that Lævateinn who wore a cold expression had appeared in a place very close to him, it was already after this.

"Then I will rely on force to eliminate you."

"......Just try it!"

Haia yelled, shoving away the blow that had pushed him back.

He released a Kei technique.

Psyharden Technique - Gravel Ring

The Kei technique originally randomly shot out external Kei bullets to suppress the surroundings, and after his modifications, now only shot out in front of him, bathing Lævateinn in a rain of Kei bullets.

But by that time Lævateinn's figure had already disappeared.

Appearing behind him.

"Tch!"

Going with his instincts and experience, Haia flattened his body, and something in the shape of a sword flew over his head with killing intent and wind.

Combined Internal and External Kei variant - Ryuusenkei.

His body became a tornado, blowing back Lævateinn behind him.

Haia stopped spinning, pursued the girl flying in the air.

Ryuusenkei variant - Wind Scythe.

The Ryuusenkei that had appeared earlier was collected into Haia's blade, and then once again released. The spiraling blades of wind that had been compressed to their limits would definitely gouge Lævateinn's flesh severely.

But, that destiny was easily eliminated.

The spiraling wind touched Lævateinn.

However, the blades of wind weren't able to tear the girl's body.

The girl flew around.

"Impossible!"

Seeing that scene, Haia couldn't help but make an incredulous sound.

The girl was as if she were being pulled by something, whirling around the spiral, and then being cast away.

It wasn't like a human, but rather like something light and floaty being blown around. Haia could only feel stunned speechless towards this kind of physical phenomenon.

But, he couldn't just stay speechless like this.

Lævateinn who had been sent flying out hit the ceiling, and instantly prepared to jump back down from an upside-down posture.

In other words, she was trying to jump back towards Haia.

Haia who had recovered from his amazement had sufficient time to adjust his striking posture.

He was ready to face the next strike.

However, the observers weren't ready to continue as they were.

The figure of Lævateinn who had taken a jumping posture had already disappeared.

Of course, this didn't mean that she had moved, but rather was because a giant figure had swept away the entire place where she had been.

The sound appeared after that.

The destruction also came after that.

A giant piece of metal obliterated the girl's body, destroying the ceiling and flying outwards.

It was Ruimei's Heaven's Blade, an iron ball.

"You're rambling me to death."

Ruimei ignored the rubble that fell down along with the sound of the explosion, pulling back the chain of the iron ball. The other side of the chain was connected to the giant iron ball. It had a speed completely inconsistent with its mass, and also possessed a frightening destructive power. The iron ball had quietly returned to his feet.

"It should be enough to destroy her completely, right?"

Just as Ruimei had finished speaking......

A big red pillar appeared next to him, piercing through hole that the iron ball had created and continuing to extend.

It was a crimson blaze.

"Though you're right, it's probably better not to care too much about order right now."

The one who had released the flame was Troyatte.

"You mean you won't get a turn."

"I'm taking precautions because I'm afraid that you'll be too ashamed when you're defeated. It's only insurance."

"Ha."

Hearing Troyatte's silver tongue, Ruimei made an irritated face.

"Ah~ ......Really~"

Haia's sigh made the two of them shut their mouths.

"......Speaking of which, the two of you, isn't Her Majesty's private quarters above here?"

Savaris said this.

"Ha, you're still thinking about what kind of places will be destroyed in this kind of battle!"

"Her Majesty said that it doesn't matter regardless of what gets destroyed."

To restrain Ruimei, Kanaris began explaining solemnly.

"Though she did say so, even in this kind of occasion, Her Majesty's room should also be excluded, this kind of situation is very common."

"......If some of Her Majesty's personal items fall down, that won't be funny."

Hearing Savaris' explanation, Kanaris' face became ashen.

"If some diaries she wrote fell down, I fear that our doomsday would definitely come."

"That kind of thing is really scary in various ways."

Savaris couldn't help but laugh at Troyatte's thoughts.

"Then...... it's probably better if we don't concern ourselves too much."

Seeing the attitude of her elders, Claribel warily raised her hand and spoke.

"Of course, we're not going to care, former apprentice."

"Eh? Former apprentice?"

Claribel opened her eyes wide at Troyatte's reply.

"There's no longer a master-apprentice relationship between us who are both Heaven's Blades now~"

"Ah, yes."

"That's how it is. Of course, we can't relax our guard."

"Really?"

"Do you doubt me?"

"You're right."

"Ah, nothing can be done about that."

Seeing Troyatte who was laughing this leisurely, Claribel expressed her incomprehension.

Haia who hadn't participated in the conversation could not understand either.

"We haven't relaxed our guard. The reason it seems like we've relaxed is because......"

There were new movements behind the back of Troyatte who said this.

Neither Claribel nor Haia had missed those movements.

Savaris stood there, putting his thumb and middle fingers together, appearing as if he were going to snap his fingers.

Right after he suddenly put strength into them, a moment later a sound came from his fingers.

"Because everyone has decided what comes next."

The snap overlapped with the voice of Troyatte.

Afterwards.

The remainder of the ceiling exploded.

A heavy and intense shock shook the entire palace.

In the midst of their shaking vision, Lævateinn's figure had suddenly appeared from some unknown area.

"I already pretty much understand."

Savaris said this.

"Your tricks."

This time it was Savaris standing in front of Lævateinn who had dropped down.

Perhaps because she had been covered with the dust of the rubble, but Lævateinn's entire body had been smeared with some white sand-like thing.

"Very interesting. A filth monster with the outer appearance of a human."

"............"

"Ah, up through now I've seen quite a few parasites or other things, so by now seeing a humanoid filth monster shouldn't really be much of a surprise."

"......Your beliefs are incorrect."

"Really?"

"But, there is no meaning in explaining."

"Nn?"

Savaris who was a bit puzzled at Lævateinn's attitude quickly restored his past smile.

"Anyway there's not much difference. Though there was a bit of back and forth, last time I wasn't really able to have much fun."

Savaris said this while stroking the wound on his neck. If Lintence hadn't been there in time, he would have died from the wound that Layfon had cut open.

From that day onwards, due to recuperation, he almost hadn't been able to experience any fighting worthy of being called a battle.

"Let me have some fun."

Savaris who said this showed a smile on his face that would make one uncomfortable.

Afterwards, that smile disappeared.

No, his entire body had disappeared.

"............"

Lævateinn who remained silent waved an arm, and several projections instantly erupted from the ground around her.

In the next moment, Savaris' figure appeared.

Because of his speed, Savaris' body was as if he were planning to slam into one of those projections and hurt himself.

It seemed that way...... but before that tragedy happened, Savaris' figure disappeared again.

It was an afterimage.

Whether or not she had noticed this, Lævateinn's actions didn't have the slightest hesitation.

She looked upwards.

There was the figure of Savaris dropping down in a straight line.

Lævateinn threw out the sword in her hands.

When the sword reached the middle of the space between Lævateinn and Savaris, its exterior suddenly changed. It lengthened endlessly, continuously branching out, and in a while the form of the sword had disappeared, becoming a pincushion to spear the falling Savaris.

But this time, the pincushion still hit nothing.

It was another afterimage.

No, perhaps it was more accurate to call it a phantom.

Lævateinn's gaze didn't stop scanning the surroundings.

In one place after another......

Savaris' figures suddenly appeared one after another, and this time they didn't disappear, instead filling the ruined palace.

Combined Internal and External Kei variant - Thousand Man Rush.

"Come, let me try you."

The voices of countless Savaris' overlapped.

All of the Savarises who filled the entire area took the same actions. They crossed their hands, lowering them in front of their body.

The shape of the combined hands and fingers was like the gaping mouth of a wile beast.

External-type Kei variant - Roar Kei, Focused Demolition.

Savaris added on the Luckens secret skill to his ability.

A thousand Savarises surrounded Lævateinn, releasing vibrating waves at the same time.

Vibrations filled with destructive power made a frenzied attack with Lævateinn in the center.

The assault of the vibrations produced the sound of bursting metal.

"How is it?"

In this kind of situation, Savaris happily watched Lævateinn's posture.

Lævateinn had just created great walls of thorns in her surroundings, blocking the vibrations. Whether her special substance could endure the vibrations or not, nothing had changed in Lævateinn who was behind the thorns.

However, just this wasn't enough. Every short period of time, the exterior of the thorns would collapse a bit.

Using a thousand copies to surround the enemy and then release a Kei technique to attack was the Kei combination killing technique that Savaris was the most proud of. In the storm of vibrations, there was nowhere to run, and even the thorns that possessed an annoying regenerative ability were crumbling bit by bit.

"Come on!"

The rapid movement of Kei made Savaris' consciousness reach an excited state.

Savaris opened his flashing eyes to watch Lævateinn who was inside the slowly crumbling thorns, and because of this he wouldn't miss any changes that occurred.

"How unfortunate."

The moment he stopped his Kei technique, the situation was reversed.

Lævateinn attacked from a completely opposite direction.

The thorns that had appeared there in a moment covered Lævateinn who had been surrounded by the Savarises, and then exploded. The countless spikes that flew out of the explosions pierced the Savarises produced by Thousand Man Rush one by one.

"But, I still felt something."

Savaris who had released Thousand Man Rush fell in front of Ruimei. The burst of spikes had torn his clothes in various places, and bloodstains were everywhere.

"Vibrations?"

"Yeah."

Ruimei who had been waiting while watching the battle asked, and Savaris confirmed his question.

"On the surface it seems as if she can regenerate limitlessly, but even so, vibrations seem to be able to hinder her regeneration speed."

"It seems like it won't be enough if it's only that."

"Yes. To completely eliminate her, anything that uses heat should be alright, but she still hides quite a few secrets."

Lævateinn, who had escaped from Savaris' Kei technique, had more white color on her body than before.

And because she hadn't quickly pursued, it meant that it still could be affected by the actions of the Heaven's Blade successors if they cooperated.

"Speaking of which, it would be nice if you got rid of her directly."

At that time, Barmelin said this.

"No no no, it isn't that simple and easy to defeat. That defense is very hard."

"Useless thing, go die."

"Ahahaha......"

Savaris laughed at Barmelin's abuse.

"Then, is it enough to completely eliminate her defense?"

"From the situation before, it should be that way."

"Hm, in that case, Kanaris."

"What?"

"That teamwork the youngster spoke about just now, and speaking of vibrations, you should understand, right?"

"Ah, that's right."

Though the topic had suddenly been shifted to Kanaris, she already understood just from this much being said.

"That's true, then......"

"Ah?"

"The battle captain will be Haia Laia. No, Haia Wolfstein Laia."

"Haah~?"

"We'll leave all the planning to you. Weren't you the first one to make that proposal?"

"Hey, Kanaris!"

Ruimei roared at Kanaris' words.

"I don't know how to fight cooperatively either. If you think about that, then won't his knowledge definitely be useful?"

"......Tch."

"Is that alright? Haia Wolfstein Laia."

'Wolfstein' had been stressed twice.

This was because Kanaris already thought of Haia as a Heaven's Blade successor?

Or perhaps, did she want to judge whether his might was fitting of what being a Heaven's Blade successor expressed?

Regardless of which......

"Then, please allow me to command you~"

Haia responded.

There were several people with unhappy expressions.

However, Haia felt that this was very meaningful.

The fact that he felt it was meaningful showed that he still had power left.

The Heaven's Blade successors would listen to his commands, to fight with this difficult enemy.

"Things are really becoming more and more interesting."

Haia said this.

◇

Know yourself and know the enemy, and you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.

The origins of that saying were already unknown, and no one had been able to unravel the mystery.

Even so, that saying had always been passing through the autonomous moving cities, through this world, and through the battlefields, and it was used in many places other than this.

And now, Haia was also saying it.

"Our information on the enemy and friendly information are both insufficient, it's really the worst situation."

Haia had not been a Heaven's Blade successor for long, and after that he hadn't had the opportunity to observe the fights of other Heaven's Blade successors.

A few moments ago had been the first time he had seen them fight, so it could be said that they were people he was cooperating with for the first time.

Also, many mysteries revolving around the enemy's body hadn't yet been unraveled.

"In this kind of situation it's very difficult to customize battle plans~"

(But, you've already issued an order.)

Elsmau said this. Her Psychokinesis flake was by Haia's ear, quietly glowing with light.

The feeling of this position was very familiar. Though it was hard to put into words, it was a feeling that Haia felt was very familiar.

"Ah, it's not the first time I've been dragged into battle without any information."

Haia who was being toyed with by that kind of familiar sensation replied.

He didn't have any time now to care about other things.

So his orders were very vague.

However, he could only do this much.

"Anyway, those peoples' strengths are too great~"

The 'people' that he spoke about naturally meant the Heaven's Blade successors.

Even if they seemed like extremely refined Kei techniques, they would become large-scale Kei techniques when used by Heaven's Blade successors due to their massive strength, making the techniques look a bit rough.

Many of these 'people' had gathered together, and if it was very difficult for them to exchange opinions with each other, he could only give out a set of general orders.

"Ah, even so, in the end......"

As he said this, the first action began.

The enemy wouldn't wait, and their side wouldn't wait either.

"Really~"

Just as Haia shrugged his shoulders, the sound of a clash rang out.

A new round of attacks began by Ruimei's iron ball.

The iron ball that was interlaced with external Kei rushed towards Lævateinn in a simple straight line.

The situation didn't unfold the same way as the first time.

The iron ball made an intense sound, but it wasn't the sound of destroying the target.

The moment before it struck its target, a wall composed of thorns blocked the iron ball's path, receiving it.

"It's not over!"

Ruimei let out a majestic roar.

The thorns that had received the iron ball tried grabbing it.

In order to stop the thorns, the chain swung intensely.

The iron chain intertwined with Kei shook off the thorns like a fierce snake, moreover preparing to attack Lævateinn inside, but it was quickly obstructed by other thorns.

"Tch."

It was simply a defensive formation formed by thorns.

Ruimei who retrieved his iron ball retreated back just like that.

And a figure quickly stood on the flying iron ball.

It was Barmelin.

"......Let me break open your shithole."

Swearing like she had in the past, Barmelin stood up the cannon that her Heaven's Blade had restored into.

The Heaven's Blade cannon whose Kei strength had been set as high as possible absorbed Barmelin's Kei, which became a cannonball of light and was shot out.

The bullet that was shot out drew out a beautiful arc with its tail, becoming a line of light.

Though it was a sudden, single shot, Lævateinn responded to it.

More accurately, the thorns responded to it.

The thorns focused at the position of the incoming shot, becoming a shield.

A collision. The bullet split because of the explosion, destroying the surroundings.

"How annoying."

Barmelin wrinkled her face looking at the results, and then returned from on top of the iron ball to Ruimei's side.

The sudden attack wouldn't end like this.

"He, llo, there~"

There was someone who still spoke to Lævateinn with a cutesy voice even in this kind of situation.

It was Troyatte.

Troyatte who had sneaked behind Lævateinn's back held a staff in his hands that was his Heaven's Blade.

"I'm here to defeat you, miss."

He said this while he released a technique.

External-type Kei, Karen Kei variant - Seven Fangs.

In an instant, a snake with seven heads appeared in front of Troyatte.

Countless fangs were arranged in the mouths of the seven snake heads, and these fangs wanted to tear the body of the girl Lævateinn in front of them.

However, the thorns defended against the fangs.

In the opposite position they became a shield to block Barmelin's shell, and it was only right that a gap should have appeared where Troyatte was, but that gap was filled faster than the speed of the Heavens' Blades combination techniques.

"Eh? What an unexpectedly shy girl."

Other thorns attacked Troyatte. After fighting the thorns off with Seven Fangs, Troyatte also retreated.

Next was Claribel.

As if coming out from the shadow of Troyatte who was retreating, Claribel closed the distance between her and Lævateinn.

"Vati-san!"

Claribel shouted the name that the girl had used in Zuellni.

She had originally thought that this would make the girl waver, but it was evident that the girl had no response at all.

"Really!"

Though it was an outcome that had already been guessed, Claribel still couldn't help but exclaim that word. After that, she flowed Kei into the Heaven's Blade that she had received not too long ago. The Heaven's Blade became a shape exactly the same as Kochouenshiken , and it didn't even seem to have any different feelings when she used it, but right now there was no time for her to ponder about those doubts.

She released her Kei technique.

External-type Kei, Karen Kei variant - Gohachou.

Butterflies with wings of flame danced.

The flaming butterflies proliferated in instants, filling Lævateinn's gaze very quickly.

The speed at which this attack had proliferated would make normal people slip up in the timing of their counter, and what would Lævateinn do in this situation?

"............"

The thorns took what seemed to be an offensive defense, clearing away all of the flaming butterflies in the surroundings in a sweep.

"Umm."

Because of the racing Kei, Claribel who had finally escaped from tension made an unhappy expression and mumbled.

"In that case!"

Claribel got angry, manipulating the butterflies.

The butterflies flying towards the thorns exploded one by one.

The explosions and red flame filled the surroundings.

"Haha!"

The imposing manner of the swelling red flame made even Claribel herself stare.

At that time, someone pulled her clothes from behind.

"Guah?"

Her collar was grabbed.

"Idiot, get back."

It was Troyatte.

"The Kei flow of Heaven's Blades are different from ordinary Dites, remember that."

"It...... It was my first time."

Troyatte, who was pulling Claribel while looking at the explosions, smiled.

"Really......"

"Ahahaha."

Claribel sat down in front of the sighing Troyatte.

At that time, a figure passed over their heads.

It was Haia.

He was running quickly on the wall that had been broken open because of the explosions.

Thorns chased Haia.

"Hah!"

Haia held a smile on his face as he exclaimed, an excited smile. Though he hadn't become crazy about fighting, if he didn't rely on smiling then he wouldn't be able to move due to the fear of the mighty pressure that came from behind his back.

The thorns that still hadn't lost their momentum even after receiving Claribel's attack up to now chased Haia, and Haia could only run circles through the room while taking aim at Lævateinn.

The thorns that chased him from behind reached out a huge spine towards Haia's back.

Haia evaded the spines that shot out like rain, arriving in front of Lævateinn.

Psyharden Technique - Flame Cut.

One swift Iai strike.

However, before this Iai strike was released, the thorns had already gathered in front of Lævateinn.

Though it hadn't been completely blocked, the cut path of the strike was unable to catch Lævateinn.

"Hey! You lost!"

Ruimei roared at Haia who was retreating breathlessly.

"Come on now, if we could succeed in one try we wouldn't have to work this hard~"

"What did you say!?"

"If you have an opinion, you should have beaten it with your first blow."

"Ugh......"

"Alright, then let's continue."

"How long do we have to keep going?"

Barmelin asked this.

"Until we succeed, regardless of how many times we try."

"How annoying."

Barmelin's sentence became the signal for the next attack.

"Uraah!!!!"

Ruimei once again roared, the iron ball flying towards Lævateinn's body.

Ruimei, Barmelin and Troyatte along with Claribel and Haia. The continuous attack composed of five Heaven's Blade successors endlessly repeated.

The order of Ruimei, Barmelin, and Troyatte didn't change for the most part, and in comparison, Claribel and Haia attacked from time to time in between the three of them, keeping their assault from becoming monotonous.

In the second round of attacks Troyatte still helped Claribel a little, but from the third round onwards Claribel could already rely on herself to complete her mission perfectly.

Seeing her figure, closer to himself than the other Heaven's Blade successors, Haia was extremely satisfied with his judgment.

It could even be said that the teamwork of the other three was carried out easily.

But actually, they primarily relied on their reflexes to act.

What could they do to let the actions of the next in line become easier, they definitely wouldn't be thinking of such a thing.

It was easier for a provocative action like 'well, what can you do next?' to appear. Taking the bait, the next person would unleash an even more intense attack than the last.

Troyatte who didn't seem to share that way of thinking from the look of it actually had this tendency in the end. Heaven's Blade successors were truly a group formed of loners who hated to lose.

And Haia and Claribel mixed in with the three of them, mitigating that kind of competition.

"Annoying."

"Don't speak too much, watch your surroundings a bit~"

According to Haia's first plan, if they wanted to destroy Lævateinn's defense, it couldn't be resolved by just continuously increasing their destructive power.

"I'll give you the commands for when to use your moves~"

"Then give them earlier."

"Don't say it like it's that easy~"

Haia already felt bored of responding to Barmelin, and he didn't even know what round of attack this was anymore.

But Lævateinn's thorns almost hadn't been reduced at all.

In any case, a doubt had sprung up in his mind, perhaps these thorns were completely unbreakable?

Then in that case they could only make the thorns disappear entirely.

No, he had pretty much planned for that since the beginning.

"But......"

Haia and Claribel continuously inserted themselves between the actions of the three of them, and though it seemed like a very random sequence, it still had a well-defined sequence of actions.

The thorns calculated the irregularities in their order as it tried to root out the rules behind their actions.

Initially, his priority had been to make the appropriate adjustments.

However, what would happen when the opponent had already read the patterns of this side and decided on her own to destroy them?

Clang!

Haia's blade cut the ground.

That strike was the signal.

According to the order, the next one should be Troyatte's attack.

No, Troyatte had already moved. His Kei technique took shape, coming to the state before release.

In the process, others also began their own moves one by one, refining and condensing their Kei.

That was the process up to now.

But, it wasn't the same.

"Raaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!"

Ruimei roared.

Great flames of Kei covered the entirety of his iron ball, flying towards Lævateinn.

At the same time, a giant shell also shot out of Barmelin's cannon.

"Crimson!"

Claribel also released her greatest Kei technique. Igniting the Kei hidden in the palace with lines of fire, in a moment it became waves of flame rolling towards Lævateinn.

Haia also ran Kei through his blade, and released.

Psyharden Technique - Sakaneji Chousaku.

A Kei technique that thrust out with stabbing and swirling Kei that was gathered together.

Afterwards, Troyatte also used his technique.

External-type Kei, Karen Kei variant - Nightshade Demon.

This was the Kei technique that Troyatte had been quietly preparing and concealing throughout this battle.

A black sphere passed through the thorns, and suddenly appeared in front of Lævateinn.

This move wasn't originally a technique for attacking.

Absorbing the techniques of the opponent, and reflecting them back. It was a Kei technique with this special feature.

Troyatte used the greatest Kei strength that he could, letting this Kei skill appear in front of Lævateinn.

This Kei technique that had the feature of drawing in other Kei skills had an effect on the Kei techniques that the other four Heaven's Blades had released.

It played its part, drawing in the other Kei techniques.

Strength was gathered there.

The amalgamation of four Kei techniques flew at Lævateinn like a deadly rain of arrows.

The movements of the thorns were slightly slow compared to this. Because it had gotten used to the speed of the attacks before, it had responded a bit slowly.

Though it was barely a matter of seconds, in a fight with Heaven's Blade successors, even a short moment could decide everything.

Though it wasn't like the wall of thorns completely hadn't made a defense.

It couldn't be said that it was in a completed state.

The gathered Kei techniques collided with the incomplete thorns, exploding.

Explosions shattered the shield, ravaging that which had continually protected Lævateinn.

Before the explosions disappeared, two other figures moved.

They were Savaris and Kanaris.

"This is pretty good."

Savaris said this as he jumped into the blaze.

It was praise for the battle plan.

The Heaven's Blades would obviously be able to cooperate if it were only for a moment. But, just as Haia had expected, if the Heaven's Blade successors had taken various actions because of provocations between themselves, and all of their actions were for their common goal, then it would be different.

Claribel was the same.

"Regardless of what happens, I'll use everything I can for this chance."

Kanaris behind him was ready to unleash her Kei technique at any time. Savaris had jumped into the scorching blaze a step ahead, releasing his own technique.

External Kei variant - Roar Kei, Hermit's Palm.

That moment, Savaris had already entered the state of Thousand Man Rush.

But, Savaris was a single person.

No, his momentary actions had made an incomprehensible afterimage phenomenon appear.

Yes.

A thousand Savarises were all in the same place.

All of the Savarises released a Kei technique from the same place. It was a compact gathering rather than a surrounding.

The vibrations released from that place formed a thick pillar.

Next was Kanaris.

In the gaps between Haia and the others' attacks, she and Savaris had been continuously refining their Kei.

Savaris' Hermit's Palm was a technique that required long preparation.

Though it possessed strong destructive force, because of the long preparation that it required, it had been judged as a Kei technique unsuitable for actual combat.

The Kei technique that Kanaris unleashed was the same.

"......Then."

The moment Savaris released Hermit's Palm, Kanaris also released her Kei technique.

External-type Kei variant - Kagura Priestess' Ritual Dance.

Kanaris' rapier cut sound and rearranged it. Her method of fighting that had been named sound strikes was even stronger than Savaris' with regard to vibrations.

The sound strike technique that had Kanaris' extraordinarily high Kei power seemed as if it added to Savaris' Hermit's Palm.

From the sound of it, it was quite tranquil.

However, the results were intense indeed.

The vibration waves formed and gathered by Hermit's Palm that had been released from Savaris' hands seemed as if they had suddenly been torn apart and spread out, becoming even more intense, engulfing Lævateinn.

Kagura Priestess' Ritual Dance.

This was a rarity for Heaven's Blade successors to use, a trick that strengthened Kei techniques.

Normal Military Artists would use Kei techniques to strengthen their companion's techniques when they were fighting cooperatively, but this was different.

The move that Kanaris released particularly strengthened the might of sound attacks.

This was the reason behind the increase in Savaris' vibrations.

The sound of the explosions produced by the vibrations were different from normal destruction. The sounds that the particles composing substance made when they collided with each other at high speed was fine like the sound of tiny bells, as well as creaky like the sound a piece of iron would make.

"Uwah."

Because of the overly intense sound, Claribel quickly blocked her ears and retreated.

She wasn't the only one who withdrew, Haia did as well, and other than Savaris, the other Heaven's Blades all pulled back their distance.

It wasn't only because of the noise.

The vibrations that pierced through Lævateinn continued destroying everything behind her.

Because of this, the already-dilapidated palace began crumbling.

It was already commendable for the palace that could withstand the might of a few Heaven's Blades to have held out till now in this situation that couldn't be described as just 'a few' Heaven's Blades.

But now, the palace began to crumble.

The ceiling cracked, and fragmented rubble fell down bit by bit.

In order to avoid the falling rubble, the Heaven's Blades retreated.

And Lævateinn......?

Savaris' Kei technique still continued. The falling rubble was crushed by the shockwaves, and the dust produced filled the surroundings.

And this quickly brought about a new situation.

Flame suddenly danced through the surroundings.

A dust explosion.

The flames that had been spread all over by the shockwaves of the battle ignited the concentrated dust, producing an explosion.

"Wow......"

The explosion continued, and the flame swelled without limits, not seeming at all as if it were about to stop.

The explosion and flame didn't have that much strength.

However, the chaotic flame would affect vision, and there was no way to confirm what was happening in the center of things.

"Hey, how is it~?"

After moving to a place that the flame couldn't reach, Haia asked this into the Psychokinesis flake.

(I'm not too clear on it.)

"What do you mean?"

(Because of that explosion, Psychokinesis has become disturbed to a degree, and before this, the Psychokinesis around the palace was already unstable.)

"Nn? When did this start?"

(The instability started after the enemy invaded, and continued as the battle went on. Now it's becoming worse. If this goes on it may only be a matter of time before we're unable to communicate.)

"......Do you think it has to do with this thing?"

(Definitely.)

"Ahh."

Haia mumbled a reply to Elsmau's words.

The explosion still continued, and he was very clear that the reason of the explosion was the dust explosion.

Because the flame still hadn't disappeared, that meant the source of the explosion, the dust, still hadn't disappeared.

The fact that the pressure of the Kei technique still hadn't disappeared said that Savaris still continued to release his Kei technique even now.

Though Savaris was surprised at this extraordinary Kei strength, this wasn't the only problem.

If the dust explosion still continued, and the Kei technique still continued, that meant that Savaris who was in the center of the explosion was still in battle.

"It seems like we haven't completely dealt with her~"

Thinking this, Haia felt a chill near his temple even though he was in a incomparably hot environment.

"Hey, let go of me!"

"What are you trying to do!?"

After hearing Ruimei and Kanaris' voices, Haia looked over.

"Does it even need to be said, obvious I'm going to give her a finishing blow."

"That's what Savaris is doing now."

"It's because I can't trust him that I'm saying this!"

It seemed that Ruimei still wanted to continue attacking, and Kanaris was trying to stop him.

Attacking...... If he could, Haia also wanted to do that.

However......

"Where's Savaris?"

"Hah! Who cares about that guy who couldn't finish the enemy off."

Even for the strongly individualistic Heaven's Blades, other than Ruimei who said this, the others didn't seem like they were going to take any actions.

Kei pressure could still be felt from the center of the explosion.

"Out of my way!"

"No!"

While Ruimei and Kanaris bickered, the other Heaven's Blades didn't move at all. Claribel had a confused appearance, and what about the other two?

"............"

"............"

Troyatte and Barmelin completely ignored the other two, continually watching the center of the raging flame.

Though they hadn't made a decision like Ruimei, they still understood that they definitely couldn't relax their guard in the current state.

However, Ruimei's iron ball wasn't thrown to the center of the explosion in the end.

It wasn't because Kanaris had persuaded him.

Rather, suddenly, the Kei pressure disappeared.

If it were only this, then they should have taken action that moment. Not only Ruimei, but Haia also thought so. The other four probably also planned the same.

After the Kei pressure disappeared, if Lævateinn still lived, then Haia and the others would have no reason to be troubled.

However, they weren't given sufficient time.

At the same time the Kei pressure disappeared, it happened.

The dust explosion also stopped.

The unstoppably blazing flame also suddenly disappeared.

At the same time, a sense of danger assaulted the spectators.

"Wah!"

Thorns penetrated through the disappearing dust.

But, the size wasn't the same.

The thorns near Haia now were as large as tree trunks.

"What!?"

While making a surprised sound, Haia observed calmly. The other Heaven's Blade successors were receiving the thorns' attacks at the same time.

An inauspicious sound came from the base of the thorns.

At that time, the thorns swung out without any specific target, and something appeared.

No, it had fallen there.

"Savaris!"

Kanaris was the one who had shouted.

As if he had been tossed away by the thorns, Savaris fell down near Haia.

"What's going on~?"

'Are you alright?' There wasn't any time for Haia to ask this.

"Couldn't do anything about it."

Savaris who responded to him like this wasn't completely unharmed. However, seeing as he didn't have any burn marks, the wounds he had received weren't from the dust explosion.

"It seems that we've underestimated our opponent's abilities a little."

"Abilities?"

Savaris didn't know what he was saying.

But Haia had quickly understood.

The inauspicious sound grew louder.

Speaking of which, the crumbling of the palace had already stopped, and though they couldn't see the surroundings clearly because of the smoke that the dust explosion had produced, the palace couldn't have been completely destroyed already.

That strange silence heightened the troublesome premonition inside him.

"It's coming."

Savaris said.

Something slowly emerged from the smoke.

Lævateinn.

Her posture had changed a bit, and her clothing had become the same as what one wore to fight outside the city.

However, just that much of a change wasn't enough to make them feel surprised.

The smoke slowly disappeared.

No, something that shouldn't be disappearing was disappearing.

Then, the smoke was being absorbed, that was a fact that Haia quickly understood after this.

"Impossible!"

Thinking carefully, that was a size that he had already gotten used to.

However, not a single person had noticed that thing being there.

That thing was under Lævateinn's feet.

A thing put together by countless thorns.

The problem was, that size.

The diameter of the thorns that had just attacked Haia was already about as large as Haia's height.

Every vine of thorns had that thickness, and their length definitely wasn't short.

The thing that they had put together seemed about as big as a male phase filth monster.

That kind of thing, when had it been made?

Had it started when Savaris had released his vibrations?

While she was being destroyed, and showing far more regenerative speed than the destructive speed that they displayed, had she deliberately prepared that kind of thing?

"This thing is really an incredible monster."

As Haia said this, the surrounding smoke became even thinner.

It disappeared cleanly.

With that, the appearance of Lævateinn and the monster became even clearer.

Moreover, the surrounding situation as well......

"This is......"

Troyatte said this.

Before them was the scene of the destroyed palace, but the method of destruction definitely wasn't normal.

It wasn't the scale of the destruction.

Rather, it was the nature of the destruction.

It was evident that the palace hadn't been destroyed by the shocks of the battle.

No, there was portion that had been destroyed by the battle.

However, the degree of crumbling was already far more than a normal situation, and the palace had become like sand.

Though he had thought this could have been brought about because of the vibrations, it shouldn't be only that. It was very clear that it had been produced by something with a wider range.

Because the Kei technique that Savaris had released was a concentrated vibration wave. Even if Lævateinn's surroundings had become like this, it should be impossible for the area behind Haia and the others to have been affected.

Not only Haia, but the other Heaven's Blade successors also noticed this.

"......Could it be that we're going to be eaten here?"

Claribel said this.

"Probably."

Troyatte also agreed.

"The traces in that thing's surroundings seem artificial. However I look it doesn't seem to be produced by Sava-Kana's combination."

"Though your abbreviation makes me extremely displeased, what you said is right."

Savaris felt the wound on his neck as he nodded.

"That thing regenerated while it was being destroyed, and even made that kind of thing. What a chilling scene."

Savaris' expression was clearly not as frightened as he had said, and he had a happy expression, his mouth curved into a deep smile.

"Well, next...... What's the battle plan after this?"

"Wait a bit~"

Savaris' tone was extremely lively.

Compared to this, Haia's tone was a bit heavy.

Not just a regenerative ability that was mightier than normal, it was able to and had the ingenuity to use its regenerative ability to use the surrounding substance to create new material.

No, from the start, Lævateinn's regenerative ability was actually creation.

Regardless, the important question was whether her ability was greater than the destructive ability of this side. How great was that creation ability? Did it have a weak point?

Did she have a vital point like a normal organism?

Though he had also been troubled by these kinds of things when he faced filth monsters, however, the difficulty of the problem this time was far greater.

He worried endlessly, and before Haia thought of a way to resolve this......

"No, this is over."

Lævateinn opened her mouth.

"You cannot stop me, this has already been proven. If you continue to fight, it's unfavorable to both you and I."

What was she saying in this situation?

The first half of what she said could be taken as her declaration of victory.

Then, what about the latter half?

"Quickly halt your aggression, and leave. This is a warning."

Unfavorable to both sides?

A warning?

"That's really annoying~"

Haia scratched his head.

He hadn't been a Heaven's Blade successor for long.

Even though Haia was like that, he could think of how the other Heaven's Blade successors would react after hearing this.

"Compared to that......"

Haia had become a Heaven's Blade successor, and a lot of that had been actually for his dead teacher. The strong desire that had been produced from jealousy.

After becoming a Heaven's Blade successor, he didn't have any other targets anymore.

So saying that he had no reason to fight should be a definite conclusion.

"Speaking of which, the original Mercenary Gang didn't deal with these unprofitable battles~"

However......

"......But those words just now made me a bit mad~"

What the fate of the world would be, he honestly still didn't understand after hearing that much. In the travels he had experienced with Karian, he had never gotten a feel for it even experiencing this kind of battle.

So, this was a problem of price.

A problem of whether he should be classified as a Military Artist.

"So, I can't run~"

He said calmly. It wasn't his style to let himself be controlled by anger.

"What are you joking about, this bastard!"

Ruimei roared.

Right, in this kind of situation it would be fine just to allow someone with that kind of style to act.

Haia walked forward.

He didn't have to confirm whether there were people who wanted to flee. If they truly wanted to run, then let them go.

No one ran.

"......This is only a waste of time."

It was unknown how Lævateinn had recognized the attitude of Haia and the others, but her expression stayed motionless like iron.

"Then I can only rely on force."

"Wait!"

The one who shouted was Kanaris.

But Lævateinn ignored her shout.

The sound it made was quiet.

Quietly, it began digging.

"Hey, what's going on!?"

Haia asked this of Elsmau on the other side.

When had such a giant thing appeared and started digging down?

(No good, Psychokinesis can't reach underground.)

The voice of Elsmau that reached his ears was a bit fuzzy.

"What!?"

(The Psychokinesis surrounding the target is extremely chaotic, and gathering information is impossible.)

"Understood."

Haia ended the conversation with Elsmau.

Other than Haia, the other Heaven's Blades already began impeding that thing from getting down.

Not one was clear on the reasons, but the material that formed that monster of thorns was the rubble of the palace, and at the same time as this material was gathered, the entire monster continuously eroded.

However, it was truly surprising that it could break through so easily.

The monster of thorns ignored the harassment of the Heaven's Blades, continuing to move down.

Perhaps the fact that its speed was this slow was due to the fact that the path to its goal wasn't wide enough.

"For now, it won't be good if we don't think about how to stop her~"

He spoke to himself.

The others also thought about that.

Haia who tried to pursue Lævateinn with a rising Kei pressure suddenly stopped his body.

"What's going on?"

Haia regained his posture that he had almost lost, widening his eyes and looking at the surrounding situation.

Vibrations made the ground beneath his feet shake endlessly, and Lævateinn's descent stopped.

"Nn?"

There seemed to be some hidden light under the monster of thorns.

"A thread?"

There was something like that.

Threads were lined up at equal intervals, forming a net that completely stopped the monster of thorns.

"This is......"

A person appeared in Haia's mind.

"There's only one person who can do this kind of thing."

Savaris who had retreated to Haia's side said this.

Haia began searching for that person.

Found him.

There was a figure somewhat far away from Haia.

He gulped.

The person standing there was as he expected, but was a bit different.

"What were you doing!?"

Kanaris was the one who roared.

"The things outside have already been tidied up."

The one who was roared at was the person who had stopped Lævateinn's descent, Lintence, who replied with an unmoving face.

"Wasn't that given to other people!"

"If you think about what we have to do after this, those things would only become unnecessary annoyances."

Haia became speechless from Lintence saying this directly.

"Thinking that they will bring trouble, what a good person."

Savaris who was by Haia's side said this.

"Because the people who would die in the battle are too weak anyway, you went to resolve the things outside, is that what happened?"

Haia said this, surprised.

"So that's how it is~"

He understood that way of thinking.

However, there was still something he didn't understand.

"......Then."

Ruimei said this.

"Why is that guy here?"

Yes, it was that. Haia's gaze turned back.

Haia who stood by Savaris cast his gaze to someone outside of the group.

"I don't know, it was only a coincidence that I ran into him."

Lintence spoke coldly.

Why would he be here? Haia wanted to ask.

The person who had been called 'that guy' showed a vicious gaze, looking downwards.

Confirming the appearance of Lævateinn.

"Hey!"

The displeased Ruimei roared.

"I'm here because I'm here. Please don't ask that kind of obvious question."

From his appearance he looked simple, but when he used such a sharp gaze and said this kind of thing, he really made one feel that he was a normal youngster.

"You little kid!"

As expected, Ruimei's voice became even more impatient.

"Isn't a Military Artist who can't use his full strength just a handicap?"

Savaris said this.

Haia looked at his hands, where he held a weapon of the same kind that he used in the Academy City.

That was obvious.

The weapon that had once belonged to him was now grasped in Haia's hands.

Right.

That guy was no longer a Heaven's Blade successor.

A normal Military Artist who couldn't use his strength freely.

But, that guy didn't waver a bit.

"If you think that I'm in your way, isn't it enough to just ignore me? ......When did you become such tender people?"

"Ha......Hahahahaha! It's truly as you said."

The response of that guy made Savaris laugh loudly.

"That's how it is, doesn't everyone think that rejecting someone who wants to join the battle is quite unnecessary?"

Savaris' attitude made one feel as if he were acting, and it wasn't only Haia who believed this, right?

......However, the Heaven's Blade successors here had already accepted his existence, that was a fact.

"Really......"

It was really a bad joke.

Layfon Alseif had appeared here, making Haia feel like it was a terrible joke.

Chapter 2: Burning City

Not too long ago, inside Harpe.

It had taken less time to reach Grendan than he had imagined.

This showed how fast the speed of Harpe was as he flew through the sky. Layfon could only stare at the soundless, empty scene flying before his eyes.

And then, they arrived.

(If the battle is still being carried out inside the city, then according to the treaty, I will be unable to join the fight.)

While listening to the echoing and reverberating voice of Harpe, Layfon looked at the scene of Grendan beneath his eyes.

Grendan that he overlooked was a bit fuzzy from his position in the air.

The reason the scene had become blurred was because there was a great deal of smoke floating around the surroundings of the air filter.

Countless unshaped lights flashed, but these were not streetlights.

In the center of the city, a battle unfolded inside the palace.

"What do you mean by treaty?"

Felli asked this.

(That is a treaty with the Alchemy Master who created the foundations of the moving cities in the past. Regardless for what reason, we are unable to join battles occurring inside a moving city. This is because I who has not crossed paths with humans for long time may be thought of as an enemy by humankind.)

Indeed, just from its outer appearance, Harpe truly resembled a filth monster.

Speaking of which, in the area where Harpe had been, quite a few filth monsters had listened to its commands, so Harpe itself should count as a filth monster.

(The Nano-Celluloid and Cloud-Cell copies that were spread apart in the first battle formed the basic substance of the filth monster. It's normal for humans to be unable to distinguish between us.)

"......Indeed, if you dropped down on the city suddenly, it would definitely create a big panic."

Felli's words made the surrounding atmosphere become cold all of a sudden, and it was unknown whether that feeling was just due to Layfon thinking too much.

No, it wasn't.

She definitely wanted to say it.

Useless thing.

"............Ahaha."

Layfon laughed slightly, and Felli reacted to this and looked over. Layfon could only pretend to be inspecting his Dite to evade Felli's gaze.

"......Then, what are you preparing to do?"

(I reckon that after Grendan is eliminated, it will be the final deciding hour between Lævateinn and I.)

"That...... are you saying Grendan will lose?"

He definitely couldn't let those words go.

(The human-bred warriors. Certainly, they are very strong, but that does not prove that you are able to be victorious. Then I can only hold to my treaty while doing what I can.)

"............"

(Moreover, there is no reason to prove that everything will be fine after dealing with Lævateinn.)

"What does that mean......?"

(The battle has already started, you should go quickly.)

There was no time to discuss the details with it.

Because Harpe ended the talks very firmly.

By using the method of letting the ground underneath Layfon and Felli suddenly disappear.

(The distance I am currently at is already sufficient to count as a violation of the treaty.)

These were the final words that the two of them heard. After Layfon held on to Felli next to him, he covered her nose and mouth.

Breathing in this kind of place was extremely dangerous.

The two of them escaped from the airspace around the filth monster in moments, and after experiencing the unique feeling of breaking through the air filter, they passed through the smoke-filled sky.

"Puhaa!"

After coming to a place where they could breathe, Layfon opened his mouth, removing his hand that covered Felli's.

"Haaa!"

It seemed that she also gasped for breath.

Layfon was relieved, and then looked at the ground.

Helped by the force of the wind, they fell near the palace.

"Are you alright?"

"Nn."

"Great."

The moment that they landed, a Psychokinesis flake drew near them.

(How are you here?)

The voice sounded extremely familiar.

"You are......"

Layfon looked at Felli, thinking of the successor who had replaced Delbone after the battle last time.

"Then, you're indeed called Elsmau-san, right?"

(Yes. Instead of this, how did the two of you come here?)

Elsmau's words were filled with confusion.

It seemed that she hadn't noticed Harpe in the sky.

"Rather than that, how is the current situation?"

Felli forcefully changed the topic.

(The situation is extremely bad, please escape as fast as possible.)

"We didn't come here to run away."

Felli said resolutely.

"We came here only to fight. I hope that we can obtain your cooperation like the last time."

(That......)

"Meaningless."

Suddenly, another voice butted in.

"Lintence-sama."

Lintence appeared calmly in the shadow of a building, on the road to somewhere.

"It's already over here, I'm finally getting to the main problem."

Those words might be said to himself.

Though it was only a quiet sentence, Layfon felt that Lintence was extremely happy.

"Well, since this little girl said she wants to fight, isn't that good. Her power was already proved in the previous battle."

(That...... though you say that...... still......)

Lintence seemed not to care about the worried Elsmau.

He currently looked at Layfon.

"Then, what about you?"

Lintence asked.

"Did you come here to chase girls? What are you doing?"

"......I came to fight."

Letting Lintence's sharp gaze pierce through him, Layfon replied.

"I also have reasons to fight."

"......Huh, in battle, other than the fact that you're a Military Artist, other reasons are all superfluous."

Saying this, Lintence walked out from in front of Layfon.

"So, if you want to fight, I have no reason to stop you."

"Yes!"

Layfon replied loudly to Lintence's words.

He couldn't help but think of the events from the time when he had just met Lintence.

Later, they arrived at the battleground.

"How are things over there?"

(The preparations have already completed, but the condition of Psychokinesis really isn't very good.)

"......Not knowing the true form of the enemy is truly troublesome."

(I'm already gathering as much information about the enemy as I can.)

"Good."

The enemy's true form......

Layfon replied to Felli while he looked at the opponent.

The opponent also looked maliciously at Layfon.

Every waving tendril of thorn was as thick as a big tree, and standing on top of the monster formed by those thorns, was a girl.

Vati Len.

No, Lævateinn.

She was a bit different from the appearance that Layfon was familiar with.

However, she was extremely similar to the being they had run into in the abandoned city.

So, she was already Lævateinn.

He feared that that was the situation.

"......I really can't understand."

Even if he wanted to think about things regarding Vati, to be honest, he didn't understand a single thing about her at all. Though some of her actions were indeed a bit strange, she should have been a girl who enjoyed learning and had a passion for discovery.

However, Layfon had also always felt that she had the sensation of not wanting people to know her true self.

Was that related to the situation in front of him now?

How could he relate them?

Layfon who was unable to smoothly sort out these things in his mind was plunged into disarray.

"But......"

There was no time to let him be in disarray.

The battle had already started, and sacrifices had already appeared.

That couldn't be forgiven.

And most importantly......

"Felli......"

(I just heard of Leerin's position from Elsmau-san, she's underground.)

"Underground?"

Speaking of which, he had heard before that there was a space underground that no one knew details about and that people were forbidden from entering.

"Then......"

(I believe that the person named 'Saya' is there.)

The person who held the key to this battle was there.

"Regardless of who she wants to encounter, that thing will be an obstacle."

Moreover, if she could defeat Lævateinn, then it could directly affect the outcome of the battle.

It was definitely like that.

(Do you feel scared?)

"How could I."

Layfon laughed wryly at Felli's merciless question.

"If I got scared from this little even now, then what meaning would the hard work of mine have?"

After he had lost the Heaven's Blade, in order to be able to fight, he had researched unique methods of refining Kei, battled Nina's great-grandfather, come to the abandoned city before this, and fought with the thing that looked exactly the same as Vati.

"I got through everything to be able to come here."

(That's true.)

"If I turn back here, then how terrible would that be for Felli who accompanied me here the whole time?"

(You don't need to think about those things.)

"Eh?"

(I myself decided to come here with you, so I'm saying that it's alright if you don't think about those things.)

"Ah, sorry."

(Nnn......)

"Th......Thank you."

(Good.)

"Haha......"

Though Layfon was carrying out a conversation with Felli, his eyes never moved from Lævateinn's body.

The monster of thorns had already stopped digging. Lintence's steel threads had blocked the road ahead of it, and moreover had bound the movements of the giant creature.

The shaking mass of thorns seemed hesitant over whether to dig forcefully like before.

Lævateinn who stood there stared maliciously at Layfon.

'Why are you here?'

As if asking this.

Not to say that her mouth moved, and not to say that her expression changed.

He should have been in the abandoned city, but the area that Lævateinn wanted to ask about was not the fact that he was already here.

No, however he thought, she wouldn't have any interest in that kind of problem.

Then......

"I'm going."

Layfon restored his Dite. The Shim Adamantium Dite. The dark blade highlighted Layfon's leap.

"Hey, hold on!"

Ruimei roared.

However, by now he already couldn't stop.

Layfon raised the blade of the Dite, preparing to pierce through Lævateinn's head.

The thorns swung left and right to block Layfon. Though it had a giant form, it was still agile enough to keep up with Military Artist speed. Moreover, the destructive power that the giant mass brought couldn't be ignored.

Layfon dodged the thorns from a very close distance, and sparks flew because of the Kei covering his entire body touching the chaotic shockwave.

A giant tendril of thorns obscured Layfon's vision.

There was nowhere he could run. The opponent was trying to stop his momentum.

He had no reason to let this succeed.

Layfon rotated his body in midair, letting his feet first touch the opponent...... that moment, he suddenly entered a world of instantaneous speed.

Internal Kei variant, Reflecting Water Ferry.

Passing through the thorns that blocked the road ahead, Layfon stood in front of Lævateinn.

Her eyes stared at Layfon.

She kept up with Layfon's speed.

But even so, he couldn't stop here.

Psyharden Technique, Flame Cut.

He drew a flaming cut path, but unfortunately he wasn't able to complete it.

"Ugh."

He hadn't finished his desired action, and the shock passed through his arm and spread through his entire body.

Lævateinn had used her hand to block Layfon's blade.

"Though I know your power, I cannot stop because of this."

"......I as well, I can't stop here without moving forward."

Layfon held Lævateinn's gaze, replying with this.

"So, I came here."

Regardless of how many time he was asked, regardless of who asked him.

"I haven't changed my plans."

Flame Cut had been stopped.

However, the next move had already been prepared.

External-type Kei, Composite Blast variant - Flame Reversal, Flame Tempered Edge.

The blade had been stopped, and the slash of Flame Cut had been invalidated.

However, that didn't mean that the Kei technique was over.

The same time the blade had been pulled out, the Kei of Composite Blast had been scattered above Lævateinn's head.

In the next moment, the expanding red color became countless blades, slashing towards Lævateinn.

Taking advantage of the gap of time in which Lævateinn raised her head to look up, Layfon moved back.

The countless flaming blades formed by Kei all caught the immobile Lævateinn, exploding one after another.

Layfon didn't stay in one spot to watch the outcome of this attack.

He only retreated with all his power.

Using the same methods to destroy the thorns that he had done just before, he returned to the place where he had originally been.

Savaris stood there like the past, welcoming Layfon with a familiar smile.

"Using all your might to run, huh."

"Please say something like 'I understand my current power'."

Layfon calmly replied to Savaris' ridicule.

"It sounds like you've already become an adult, how silly."

"If you have so many opinions, why don't you try them out?"

"But, didn't I already work hard for so long just now? I at least want a bit of time to rest."

"Really......"

Speaking of which, traces of blood were all over Savaris' body.

Seeing as there was no new blood flowing out, his wounds had already been closed by his use of internal Kei.

The other Heaven's Blades like Ruimei, Kanaris, and Troyatte didn't take any actions either, using this time to focus on recovery.

He didn't know why Haia and Claribel would be here, but Layfon had already noticed that they held things like Heaven's Blades in their hands.

He had already noticed, and moreover felt surprised, but he didn't have time to express it.

More concerning, where in the world were Reverse, Cauntia, and Kalvan?

"It seems like some people aren't here?"

"Those few have already died. You should have understood, right?"

"......I never heard of it."

That was probably the only reason for them not being on the battlefield. The feelings squeezed inside Layfon's chest were ejected in an instant.

It was very normal for people to die on a battlefield. When he had fought in Grendan, he had seen many Military Artists die with his own eyes. Regardless of whether filth monsters or Military Artists, if fighting happened, then there would definitely be a death between the two sides.

So, the reason wasn't strange, and even Heaven's Blade successors could lose in battle.

But, his heart wouldn't be throbbing if he only relied on reason.

"We can't let her reasons for leaving increase."

He said quietly.

Next to Layfon, Savaris continued speaking cheerfully.

"Rather than that, it seems like you thought up of a very interesting move. So that's how it is, you were confident to come here because of that."

"Though it seems like it wasn't of any use."

During the process as Layfon had been returning, the explosions produced by his Kei technique had ended, for the most part.

An unharmed Lævateinn was leisurely standing there.

Layfon understood that it wasn't possible to defeat her so simply.

What Layfon cared more about, was why hadn't the Kei technique just now been able to cut her? Or had it cut her, but she had instantly recovered already?

Though it didn't change much about the fact that Lævateinn was standing over there unharmed, Layfon still looked for a clue from that fact.

"Judging from the results I've seen here, it should have cut her."

As if reading Layfon's thoughts, Savaris spoke.

"However, there's no way to defeat her."

"If she were defeated that easily, then it would be meaningless for us to be here."

Savaris' tone was frivolous like the past, but the more frivolous his tone got, the more it expressed the strength of the enemy. Layfon was certain on this.

Because to Savaris, fighting was more meaningful than anything else.

(How pitiful that you can speak so well with a person after you tried to kill each other.)

Felli said by the side.

"Eh? Ah, uh...... true."

Speaking of which, that kind of thing had indeed happened.

"That was a very nice battle."

It had probably been heard by Savaris, as he spoke.

"Something that I can't picture like being able to fight even without a Heaven's Blade, let me experience it a bit another time."

"No."

(You two really are weird.)

He had rejected Savaris' interest, but Layfon had still been told off by Felli.

"Please don't classify me as that kind of person."

Though Layfon said this, the confused atmosphere of the other side had already passed through the Psychokinesis flake.

"Ooh, that person is also beginning to test her out."

Before Savaris' words were spoken, Layfon already felt it.

He could feel an extremely great Kei ripple from that place.

The surroundings were already filled with his steel threads, showing that his steel threads could become deadly blades to attack Lævateinn at any time.

Layfon looked at Lintence.

The man who pursued battle for another reason different from Savaris' momentarily moved the five fingers of his leisurely drooping hand left and right.

Layfon hadn't missed that fine movement because there had once been a master-student relationship between them.

In a breath, countless thin blades attacked the monster of thorns and Lævateinn.

Cut lines produced by the rushing wave of strikes appeared everywhere on the thorns.

"It wasn't cut apart, huh."

Yes, Lintence's cuts hadn't cut off a thing from the thorns.

"If it's just cutting, then Cauntia-san should have been the strongest, and there's also you and Haia. So this isn't a surprising outcome."

"I guess that is true."

"That guy's strength shouldn't be in that area."

"I also understand."

He had never thought that Savaris would speak like that to him. The unexpected and strange confrontational feelings that arose in him made Layfon a bit low-spirited.

"That's only his first contact, I understand."

Using steel threads to investigate the state of the enemy, this was called 'contact' by them.

However, because Lintence's contact was too strong, just that could directly eliminate large numbers of filth monsters.

"Then this is enough."

Layfon felt annoyed at Savaris' attitude as he watched the battle.

The monster of thorns had seemed to have decided to first stay aboveground. Not only because of Lintence who currently attacked it, but Layfon and the others had also received the attacks of its giant body.

Layfon easily jumped to evade the assaults of the thorns that came with a crashing noise.

The same time he dodged, the thorns exploded.

"What!"

A huge amount of smoke filled the surroundings in a moment, and his vision was ruined, but even so, he wouldn't miss any abnormal changes in the air.

Countless things were flying towards Layfon.

Layfon ducked his body according to their presences.

The countless things that broke through the smoke and rushed over were...... thorns.

Thorns whose thickness had become closer to reality became countless spears to break through the smoke and assault Layfon.

"They've changed?"

Layfon checked his posture, sweeping his blade to ward off the thorns, but the thorns appeared wave after wave, seeming completely limitless.

"Damn."

The recoil produced when he dealt with the thorns continuously pushed Layfon's body back.

"Die!"

External-type Kei Composite Blast variant, Compound Sendan - Kagome.

The strikes that ran up and down assembling something like a net rushed out, wiping out the group of thorns.

However, the number of the thorns was limitless.

External-type Kei, Composite Blast variant - Hunter's Pursuit.

While following Sendan's momentum with additional Kei, Layfon confirmed the situation in the surroundings.

The smokescreen was slowly dissipating.

If he looked closely, the number of thorns breaking through the smoke numbered one or two thousand.

Not only Layfon, but Savaris next to him as well as the other Heaven's Blades endlessly received the thorns' assaults.

Like an endlessly inflating pincushion.

The Heaven's Blades had all carried out evasion and counterattacks, but they still couldn't stop the swelling trend.

And other than Layfon and Lintence, the other Heaven's Blades' movements were not very smooth.

It seemed that the degree of weariness was much more serious than Savaris had spoken of.

Layfon abandoned his attack, beginning to focus on evading.

Layfon endlessly avoided or parried the thorns rushing at him, his target the ball of thorns. Because the opponent had such a great number, if he avoided them once, the next attack wouldn't come so quickly.

However, the superiority of that number was still there.

Regardless of whether he leaped or dodged, if he erred once, then because of the enemy's number, he would be forcibly pushed back to his original position or somewhere even farther.

From the opposite side of the extending thorns came the sound of something being destroyed.

Was it the sound of the Heaven's Blades doing something to the thorns?

No, it wasn't like that.

"She's destroying the city?"

If he considered the speed at which the thorns expanded, it had already reached the size that the palace had originally been. Moreover, it was very easy to speculate that it had already extended outside of the palace.

A crisis was already approaching Leerin.

"I can't go on leisurely like this."

Layfon once again flowed Kei into his feet, running into the center.

Sprinting in the opposite direction towards the extending thorns wasn't such an easy thing. Something that looked like very fast movement actually wasn't so.

"Damn."

An anxious word came from his mouth.

At that time.

A sound different from before closed rapidly in on him from behind.

There was already no time to turn his head to confirm.

Even so, some kind of feeling told him that the sound closing in was even more dangerous.

Layfon forcefully escaped from the path of the advancing sound.

Right after that.

The thorns in the direction that he had left from disappeared in a moment.

No, they had been torn apart.

"What?"

Layfon didn't even finish his sentence. However, he couldn't resolve anything if he didn't confirm with his own eyes. Layfon looked over.

As expected, it was a scene that was hard to describe.

The thorns had been broken, torn apart.

There was something he couldn't see well that was spinning, shredding the countless thorns, scattering around.

What was it?

No, there was no reason to consider.

"Let's go."

Though Layfon felt a chill run up his spine at the seemingly displeased voice, he still quickly jumped into the suddenly-created space.

He had originally thought that he would be cut into two along the way, but that hadn't happened.

But even if he entered right now, it didn't mean that he would be able to be at ease afterwards. Layfon focused his consciousness into his eyes, and after he found it, landed on top of it.

The fine net-like object that he landed on was...... steel threads.

Yes, it was probably only Lintence who could do that kind of reckless thing.

"It seems like we can't cut them when they're packed."

Above Layfon's head, Lintence seemed to be talking to himself.

His voice sounded like he seemed bored.

But, even this Lintence had quite a dangerous expression.

He didn't feel despair at his opponent.

"I always feel like your tone makes it hard to swallow."

"What are you saying?"

A spiraled blade of steel threads continuously cut apart the extending group of thorns, piercing, and guiding Layfon and Lintence as they ran towards the center.

Layfon had finally spoken because he was being escorted.

"It hasn't used its full strength yet, huh."

"Eh?"

"I'm talking about that thing. It called up a bunch of forces to drive off the palace Military Artists, and even told the Heaven's Blades to retreat at the start. That isn't what a person who destroyed Reverse's shield and who defeated Kalvan should say."

"That......"

Though he wanted to say something, Layfon couldn't think of what he should say.

Did Lævateinn actually want to avoid battle?

Why?

Unexpectedly, something appeared in Layfon's mind.

"Even if she has the outer form of a human, that thing isn't human in the end."

"Ah......"

"The reason I cleaned up the other forces first was because I wanted to understand this. In the end, it was the same after I investigated just now."

His investigation just now...... he should have been speaking of his 'contact'.

"Even if she imitates humans, she isn't a human. Since she doesn't have organs or a heart. She's a monster formed of things even smaller than sand."

The thing which had appeared in Layfon's mind had been broken into pieces by Lintence's words, and he couldn't even reform it.

Yes, it was like that.

Hadn't he also seen it when he had been in the abandoned city, that being who had appeared with the same form as her.

Hadn't he seen her calling Lævateinn the mother form.

Vati Len, she was not a human.

Rather, she was the monster known as Lævateinn.

He couldn't forget that.

"Why would that kind of thing want to avoid battle? ......It really bothers me."

Because he had been born as a Military Artist, he had pursued battles corresponding to his abilities.

Layfon had heard him say something like this before. He had been the one who had spoken about his reasons of the time when he had left his birthplace city, but he hadn't thought about that time much.

Perhaps for this kind of person, Grendan's battles hadn't been able to satisfy his thirst for battle.

Not to say that he played around in a crisis like Savaris.

Had Lintence done what he had merely as a duty? There were times when Layfon thought this. Though it was possible that this way of thinking was a bit twisted, it was because of those kinds of thoughts that had brought about the current Lintence.

If he was like that, perhaps he currently stood before the enemy that would allow him to complete his duty.

He who looked no different from normal might actually be lacking calmness. This kind of dangerous feeling passed through Layfon.

The spiral of steel threads endlessly cut through the thorns, bringing them to the center. It was already impossible for him to grasp his position. Where was he, in what part of the city? Had there been any big changes from the place before? Or had he already dove underground? Or had he peen pushed back up into the air?

Various worries continuously sprung up in Layfon's mind, throwing it into disarray.

However, perhaps what he had just felt from Lintence might have been his illusion.

Layfon looked at the other side of the spiraling blade.

If he saw his battle opponent, there wouldn't be time to let himself be in disarray.

The spiral continuously brought Layfon and Lintence forward.

"It's coming."

As they came closer and closer into the center, the gaps between the thorns became smaller and smaller, and they almost couldn't see the things ahead of them.

But they could still sense it, and with a definite goal in mind they continuously advanced.

The feeling of distance narrowed, and suddenly came the sound of the spiral spinning in open air.

They had reached the center.

They saw Lævateinn.

She still stood there with the same posture as before, making one even doubt whether she had even moved at all after the thorns began changing.

"Go!"

The moment the spiraling blade was removed, Layfon leaped out.

Internal Kei variant - Reflecting Water Ferry.

With instantaneous speed, Layfon moved in front of Lævateinn.

As expected, her eyes caught Layfon.

Psyharden Technique - Flame Cut.

Layfon still pulled out his blade like before.

With the same process as before.

So the outcome was also the same.

The blade that was released was caught by Lævateinn's hand.

The following technique was not released.

"Why!?"

A shouted out question replaced it.

A very tiny change was produced in Lævateinn's expression.

"This has nothing to do with you."

However, the reply he got indeed didn't have any emotions.

Knowing that there was no following move, Lævateinn added strength into her hand in order to crush the blade that she had caught.

"What are you joking about!"

External-type Kei Composite Blast variant, Flame Ignition.

The flame that had once disappeared once again covered the blade, spewing out from inside Lævateinn's hand.

The flame wasn't only simply spewing out, but it also burned Lævateinn's hand black, making it lose its shape.

"You......"

"Not having anything to do with me...... I don't want to hear that anymore."

The fire hadn't disappeared from the blade.

Before Layfon looked at that burned black and melted hand, her hand had already regenerated.

She wasn't human.

Though he already knew this, he now confirmed that fact again.

Yes...... So......

"I have to......"

It was alright even if he pointed this blade at her.

Definitely...... it was alright.

'Has it become close to humankind at all?'

Unexpectedly, Layfon thought of 'Lev B's words. Though he hadn't heard that sentence directly, it still echoed in his mind.

"This is necessary!"

Layfon's words weren't meant for Lævateinn.

He pointed the blade at her.

Psyharden Technique Composite Blast variant, Flame Strike.

A thrusting flash.

Cracks of red light cut through space in all directions, throwing the air into turmoil.

However, the tip wasn't able to run through Lævateinn.

It had been evaded.

No, had it not?

Layfon himself wasn't clear.

However, Layfon who released the thrust passed by Lævateinn's side, and then turned back to release another strike towards Lævateinn.

"Layfon Alseif, you, why?"

"......If you want to know the answer, then don't do these kinds of things."

"............"

Lævateinn went silent.

Yes. Lintence had also said so. She hadn't used her full power. What meaning did that have? Did she feel that there was no reason to use her full power?

Or did it mean that she didn't want to use her full power?

Was that because there was something that made her feel hesitant?

Did she feel confused about the battle?

Could this battle truly be avoided?

In that case......

"It's impossible to want to carry out a conversation while battling."

In a situation of murderous intent, how could anyone carry out a mutual conversation?

What could be understood about the other party?

With every strike shadowed with the possibility of being fatal, what truth could anyone talk about?

Reverse and Cauntia had died, Kalvan had died.

Reverse was a good person, and moreover he was good to everyone, but Cauntia was a bit scary, so he hadn't had much contact with her. Though Kalvan had always had an intimidating expression, Layfon also knew that he wasn't the kind of person to hate others without a reason.

Those three had died.

They had been killed by Lævateinn.

Killing and being killed, in the process of these abominable exchanges, no words could hold truth no matter what they were.

"If you truly want to know something, then it would have been better for you to have stayed in Zuellni forever."

"......I can't do that."

"......! ......!"

Layfon didn't know what to say, and his impatient mood was about to explode inside him.

The expression of the blank-eyed Lævateinn was even emptier than a normal Psychokinesist.

"I have already understood what I wanted to understand there."

"What!"

"Also, I have a mission that I must fulfill, so I came here."

"You!"

"I am Lævateinn. Nano-Celluloid Interface 1 Lævateinn. The first Nano-Celluloid, the Master Alchemist Soho Ignasis's weapon against the Aurora Particles."

"Vati!"

"That is also me."

"Vati!"

"New humans affected by the Aurora Particles."

Lævateinn's gaze didn't change at all, and she spoke, simply watching Layfon.

"The constituents of that body have hindered my mission many times by now. I have currently concluded that you are 'abnormals', and will carry out elimination immediately."

"Vati!"

Regardless of how Layfon shouted, his voice seemed like nothing to her, and that iron expression didn't waver a bit.

"Really, so you're finally willing to use your full abilities."

"Lintence-san."

"Layfon, if you have no meaning to fight then stop here, go pull back."

"Uh......"

"Are you finally going to be serious? Then that should be enough."

He was probably also an unreasonable person.

"Damn."

Layfon rebuked himself in his heart.

He recalled the goal for which he had come here.

Actually, he was very clear even without thinking that he wasn't very clear anymore on what he wanted to do.

"Vati...... If you want to continue performing your duties like this, this world will be destroyed, right?"

"In terms of the outcome, the probability of things becoming that way is very high."

"......Then, I have no other choice."

The feeling of grasping the sword and the feeling of air passing through his nose and battering against his sensitive skin once again felt painful.

He felt it again, but even if it was painful he had to advance.

From her cold expression, it couldn't be read how much determination she actually had, or perhaps whether she even had determination.

Like a machine, just doing what she had no choice but to do.

Seeing Vati...... Seeing Lævateinn, Meishen's smiling face couldn't help but appear in Layfon's mind.

However, he couldn't be held down right now by those thoughts.

Due to Psychokinesis being unable to reach, he wasn't able to hear Felli's voice. If she could hear, right she definitely would have reprimanded him.

No, being reprimanded and allowing himself to completely clear his head a bit might be even better.

"Even I will fight."

"Then let me see it."

Lintence's voice was still indifferent as always.

Layfon let out a deep breath. The unknown things clumped up in his chest were blown out of his body breath after breath.

If he let them all out, then afterwards he could only keep running forward.

◇

Just as Layfon and Lintence were beginning battle underground, the battle aboveground continued endlessly.

Haia also felt the change in the air.

"Why do I suddenly have a kind of annoying premonition."

Of course, Haia wasn't the only person who felt this.

However, the thorns that had been swelling even through now had separated the Heaven's Blade successors, making them unable to coordinate.

Haia had also exhausted his full strength dealing with these continuously attacking thorns.

(Haia!)

The sharp sound at that time was Elsmau's voice.

"Ooh, you can finally communicate, what happened~?"

(This just shows how far you have gotten from the center.)

"It's really that~"

Hearing Elsmau's manner of speaking, Haia felt a little bit relieved while beginning to examine his body.

He hadn't received any big wounds.

His weariness had also recovered quite a bit.

"What about the others?"

(They're all fine, but they have all been separated.)

"It seems like it definitely wants to destroy us individually~"

First was to converge with the others.

"Then, how big is this thing right now?"

(Aboveground, with the palace as the center, it's already stopped expanding with a radius of four kilometers.)

"And underground?"

(Right now Psychokinesis is unable to check the situation underground, so I am unable to speculate, but it shouldn't have destroyed five hundred meters yet.)

"I see."

It had been smaller than he feared.

(But it's the center of the city that's being destroyed. The administrative side and the mechanical side both suffered deep blows.)

"Ah~ in this kind of situation everything can be resolved as long as we stay alive~"

If they couldn't overcome the crisis in front of them first, then they wouldn't have the leisure to worry about those things.

"......How's the steel thread user who seemed to have ran inside with Layfon?"

(They haven't been pushed back out.)

"I see."

As expected, Elsmau didn't know what was going on inside.

"Then, in that case...... In the end, we'll have to first get rid of this thing that could either be a plant or a machine~"

She probably couldn't have been waiting for Haia to say those words.

"Ah?"

Haia who didn't stop leaping felt puzzled at the sudden change.

The extending of the thorns had stopped.

"What's happened~?"

The unclear premonition still didn't disappear.

He felt that the sudden stop was to prepare for the next stage, and just from thinking this, Haia felt a chill run up his spine.

To attack or to retreat, the two ends of the scale wavered without stopping.

He didn't have time to hesitate.

The scale in his heart was as if it were broken, one side suddenly dropping. Haia's blade emitted light.

External-type Kei Variant, Sendan.

Releasing a continuous slash, his aim was obviously the center of the thorns.

(Haia!)

"Tell the others, if they still plan on listening to my commands then gather up again, and as for the location to gather, it's up to you to decide!"

(Understood.)

Elsmau quickly chose the gathering spot, telling Haia.

Haia didn't even confirm the results of Sendan, just unleashing it one time after another, and then leaping towards the designated location.

The scale had tended to the side of attacking again.

The location that Elsmau had described was the roof of a household whose life seemed quite decent.

"Ooh, everyone's here."

Haia had originally thought that there would have been one or two people who didn’t come, this was truly an unexpected outcome.

"What battle plans do you have now?"

Ruimei asked. His voice sounded quite dissatisfied. It should be because the battle hadn't gone very smoothly, so he was on the edge of exploding.

Haia looked at the people present. None of them looked particularly wearied.

Though everyone had continuously carried out attacks up to now, they hadn't been careless enough to let their bodies enter an unbearable state.

"It seems like the steel thread master and Layfon have already entered the inside of the thorns."

Haia spoke. He could believe this from the fact that the two of them had not returned.

Because Psychokinesis was unable to penetrate, he couldn't get any correct information, so he could only make a fitting speculation.

And, never mind Layfon for now, it was unthinkable for Lintence to have been defeated and killed while he was destroying the thorns.

Even Haia who hadn't joined the Heaven's Blades for long knew this, and it was even more obvious to the other Heaven's Blades.

"So, our target is to eradicate that lump of thorns."

"In any case, if we don't clean up that thing we won't be able to enter."

Troyatte nodded.

"However, for that kind of difficult lady, how can we get her to take off her dress?"

"Ah, listen to me~"

Haia gave the battle plan that he had thought of while fighting.

"The battle plan this time requires Elsmau's cooperation, or more accurately, without her cooperation it's impossible to complete."

He had stressed this deliberately.

Even after he had explained it, from the expressions of the people around him, they didn't fully agree.

They didn't really understand.

They had that kind of expression.

"I didn't really understand the first time I heard that battle strategy."

"Haven't you tried that kind of thing before?"

Haia nodded his head to reply to Kanaris' doubt.

"Ah, the scale before wasn't as big as now."

"Is that so. Since you succeeded, then you have no reason to object. Moreover, regardless of what method you use, the danger won't change much."

After deciding, Kanaris looked at the other Heaven's Blade successors.

"Let's use this battle plan. Or do you guys have some different methods?"

"If Kanaris also says so."

Barmelin spoke very unwillingly.

"It's a very interesting plan."

"Yes, yes."

Savaris and Troyatte both approved, and Claribel also nodded her head to reply.

The last unsatisfied one was only Ruimei.

"Ruimei, do you object?"

"No, I have no opinion."

"Then what do you mean by that face, sir."

"......I always had this face. I'll follow the plan, if you don't have any problems."

"I don't~"

Ruimei, Kanaris, Troyatte...... After watching the discourse between them, Haia once again turned his gaze to the thorns.

The thorns that were still silent really made him have the premonition that something was being prepared down there.

It seemed like they would have to get rid of that thing before it truly arrived.

"Then, let's start preparing~"

After Haia finished speaking, everyone moved.

(Wait.)

Elsmau called out to Haia who was preparing to move.

(Do you think this can succeed?)

"I just talked about that~"

Haia's face showed a displeased expression, and Elsmau continued asking.

(You truly think this kind of plan is useful?)

"Strong regenerative ability, gigantic mass, huge numbers."

Haia spoke while crooking his fingers towards the Psychokinesis flake.

"It's the same as the conditions from that time. And from my feelings up to now, I think that this thing is pretty much a kind of filth monster in the end. Then, the same kinds of methods from that time will also work~"

(But......)

"I'm very confident. I would believe in the plan that my companions think of. You also know this, right?"

After Haia said this, Elsmau fell silent.

"Regardless of what you say, we can only try various methods now. So I would believe in the plans my companions think of~"

The flake stayed silent.

Haia once again began jumping towards the center of the thorns.

◇

The battle plan that Haia had proposed, and Elsmau who was shaky after hearing this plan......

A doubt was produced in Felli who had heard the conversation between the two of them.

Felli was currently with Elsmau.

There was a solely dedicated room in the palace that was called the intelligence room, and because Lævateinn had attacked, everyone had retreated from it since the start of the battle.

This judgment was correct, as had been proved very early on.

Right now they were gathering information in a temporary establishment in the outskirts of the city, very near the City Police branch.

Though Felli was an unrelated person, after Elsmau had explained for her, everyone had received her. Possessing Delbone's heritage as well as being the Psychokinesist that Layfon had brought made others have faith in her.

Ignoring Delbone for now, the fact that Layfon was still honored by everyone even now made Felli have mixed feelings.

Once she thought of the possibility that Grendan would accept him, Felli was happy while worried at the same time.

Forget about him for now, there was a more important question to resolve before her.

"Then......"

Felli raised her voice towards Elsmau who was pressing her forehead because of fatigue.

"What is it?"

Though she seemed quite weary, she still was a beautiful woman. Moreover, she had the air of being raised in a high-class society. Though her external appearance had arisen through a variety of different means, the aura that she gave out wasn't something gained through surgery.

"Are you implying, you're keeping it a secret?"

That this kind of woman had unexpectedly been a mercenary together with Haia before was really surprising.

And Elsmau was currently hiding it, that she had been the Psychokinesist Fermaus of the Salinvan Guidance Mercenary Gang.

"......Nn."

Her back facing Felli's face, she replied.

"Why?"

Though Elsmau had seemed to be a bit embarrassed in the conversation up to now, she still had made herself out to be someone with no relation to Haia.

"Has he already noticed?"

Yes, it could already be seen from Haia's manner of speaking that he already understood the general situation.

"......He should have found out."

Elsmau made a reluctant expression towards Felli's query, which ended up becoming a wry smile.

(I decided this when I became like this.)

Suddenly, a quiet voice came to Felli's ears. Elsmau's voice.

(I bid farewell to my once-mercenary self.)

The Psychokinesis flake that had arrived by her side at some unknown time quietly sent her voice into her ears.

"Why?"

(What beings like Psychokinesists really are, you should understand, right? To say it unpleasantly, we're voyeurs.)

Elsmau's words made Felli speechless for a time.

Felli had once had those kinds of thoughts herself.

(Heaven's Blade successors are beings who have the respect of all of the citizens of Grendan, so I must be like that. Therefore, I can't let people hold on to this weakness.)

"That weakness is...... the Mercenary Gang?"

(Yes.)

Elsmau quickly responded.

(The citizens of Grendan hate people like mercenaries. Though it's contradictory for them to be able to welcome Heaven's Blade successors from outside the city, that's a rule of this city.)

Elsmau was already a Heaven's Blade successor. Even if she feared that others were hostile towards her, that shouldn't be possible.

Before anyone brought up that question, Felli already had the answer in her heart.

"I think you're a little too worried, right?"

She had called herself a voyeur, and had compared herself to Delbone, so Felli thought that Elsmau was the kind of person to worry about insignificant things.

"I'm just rather alert about various things."

Seeing Elsmau's stubborn attitude, Felli didn't know what she should say.

"Rather than this, the big murky question now, is that I hope you will be able to assist us, is that alright?"

"Nn."

Elsmau who had her back turned wordlessly refused any more questions, and Felli also gave up.

Honestly, they didn't have any time right now for her to care that much about individual people's problems.

(I feel that you have no reason to be that neurotic.)

Just as she was thinking about those things, an unknown person spoke.

One of the Psychokinesists here.

(She's indeed unsatisfactory compared to Delbone-sama, but she had some very good commands, and more importantly she gave us an area where we can work.)

(Delbone-sama was too powerful, we were all like empty air.)

(Yes, yes, though it's very busy now, I feel that it's more enriching.)

(Though right now it's not as simple as just being enriching.)

Mixed voices suddenly appeared, and also suddenly disappeared.

Elsmau had turned her head over.

In a moment, the air was filled with the atmosphere of a student being stared at by her teacher.

"It seems that everyone likes you."

Though Felli said this, Elsmau didn't reply with anything, once again turning back around.

◇

Haia and the others stood before the thorns again.

"Ooh, they're still going~"

The part that they had descended on was still like a mountain of needles.

And from the inside, intense waves of Kei ran wild in all directions.

Lintence and Layfon were fighting.

"Our battle won't affect the two inside, right?'

Claribel who had arrived by his side asked this.

"............"

"Well?"

"Ah, there shouldn't be any situation if we rely on their power, right?"

"Do you want to abandon them to die!?"

"But if we don't take off this outer clothing then we can't do anything."

Haia didn't know why but he rather liked Troyatte's metaphor, so he tried using it, but as expected he still shook his head, feeling a little embarrassed.

"But......"

"Do you think those two guys will die from this much?"

"............"

"In any case, if we don't deal with this thing then we can't enter."

Moreover, if it were only normal destruction power then it would be insignificant scratches before this extraordinarily strong regenerative ability. It didn't need to be said, they could only carry out Haia's battle plan.

Though Claribel was a bit unsatisfied with the expression with which Haia spoke, she also knew the reasons for it, so she didn't have anything more to say.

"Then......"

If the other side was busy fighting with Lintence and Layfon and didn't have time to care about this area, then now was the best opportunity.

"Let's go~"

Under the command of the Psychokinesis flake, Haia and the others clashed with the thorns.

The waves of Kei that had stopped their momentum for a period once again spread out in the surroundings of the thorns.

Sounds of destruction sprung up at the same time.

The other Heaven's Blades had begun their attacks.

Sounds of destruction overlapped, balanced each other out, and then disappeared.

Haia released several Sendans while running through the surroundings of the thorns.

After the Heaven's Blade successors had begun attacking, the surroundings had been destroyed, and a great quantity of dust had appeared in a moment, with the mountain of thorns slowly crumbling.

"The next step should be coming soon, right~?"

Up till now, the thorns...... Lævateinn had carried out regeneration after receiving this side's attacks, and then counterattacked.

She wouldn't be so passive this time.

"This way has its own fun~"

But, that kind of thing didn't happen.

Something moved in the smoke.

"It's coming."

Haia who felt the movement stopped his feet, and the others stopped their attacks.

"First is, countering the counterattack."

The dust that filled the entirety of their vision suddenly disappeared.

No, it was only right to say that it had been absorbed into the body of the thorns.

The destroyed substance would be absorbed and recomposed, and then the same kind of thorns would appear again......

"Nn~~? Uwah!"

The shadow that could be seen in the gradually dispersing smoke was not the same.

There was some giant thing there, and Haia's reflexes were ignited in a moment, quickly using all his strength to leap up.

The giant mass that had appeared in the smoke...... If it were only that, they could treat it as a separated group of regenerated thorns.

But it wasn't like that.

It was a humanoid.

"It's a giant this time!"

What had rushed under Haia's feet was a giant fist. The chaotic airflow blew around Haia's body.

The origin of the fist was obviously a body, which also had an androgynous face that was neither male nor female.

There was a giant there whose lower half was hidden underground.

"Really, everything's coming out~"

His sentence slightly alleviated the originally tense air.

Though it was only half a body, the giant's height was already more than the original palace. Haia looked at the giant as if half giving up while he moved his body as he fell, descending onto the arm that the giant had extended, and then running rapidly towards the giant's head.

"Since it might not be the same as the outer appearance anyway~"

He passed over the arm, jumping onto the shoulder, his target the giant's neck.

He felt a presence behind his back, wanting to catch up to Haia. The presence belonged to Claribel, and what she was thinking should be the same as Haia.

"Come cooperate with me~"

"You please cooperate with me."

Haia listened to her reply with a wry smile, and he who had dropped onto the shoulder could only cooperate with the Kei that expanded next to him, releasing a slash.

A slash of Kei and a flash of flaming Kei blended with each other to sweep over the neck.

But......

"Tch......"

"What a cheater, how hard."

The pillar-like neck didn't even have a trace of injury.

Not only that.

The inexplicable sound of machinery suddenly came from somewhere, and was continuous.

"Damn!"

Innumerable glass spheres suddenly appeared from the outside of the neck towering like a wall before them, and in the same moment, Haia and Claribel jumped out from that position.

Countless beams of light wiped away everything in their surroundings seconds after they had jumped out.

As if chasing down the two of them, from the neck to the shoulder, from the shoulder to he arm, from the arm to the chest, the same kind of glass spheres appeared on every place on the giant's body and then disappeared, shooting out beams of light.

It wasn't a situation that only targeted Haia and Claribel.

Haia who adjusted his body in the air and who was using the recoil of Kei to change directions to evade, saw that the inexplicable light continued to appear everywhere on the giant's body.

Judging from the flow of Kei, there were Heaven's Blade successors fighting near it.

"This thing seriously wants to eliminate us~"

Seriously? Was that the case?

Lævateinn had finally gotten serious about eliminating all the Heaven's Blade successors?

He felt shocked after thinking that the opponent had unexpectedly not used her full power until now. What kind of power did she have, to have defeated Reverse, Cauntia, and Kalvan without using her full power.

"What should we do?"

Claribel who was concentrating on evading nearby shouted.

"Continue the plan from before~ Can we do anything else?"

"That......"

"Being destroyed or destroying, there's always been this little difference~"

It was only different from all the battlefields before.

After summarizing, Haia focused his power into his eyes.

The other Heaven's Blade successors were also fighting, making a passage downwards.

The configuration of the Psychokinesis flakes had already completed.

Focusing his power into his eyes, focusing into his ears, eliminating unnecessary noise, using his five sense to gather battlefield information. Incomplete assistance of Psychokinesis was a very infrequent situation. They didn't have any guarantees, and he had experienced carrying out battle plans relying only on his own intuition many times before.

"Nothing much has changed from what I always run into~"

It was the best pretense for himself.

While dodging the random beams of light that flew by, Haia focused.

In order to spot the opportunity, he focused.

However, after the giant entered the battle, it produced an unexpected ripple effect.

The fist crashing into the ground made the entire city shake.

"Tch."

Ruimei clicked his tongue, pulling the iron chain.

The iron ball passed through the gap between the fist and the ground, returning to the side of its master.

Though the vibrations the iron ball created and the collision of the fist had offset each other’s destructive force, it wasn't complete.

Rather, two fingers fell from the fist that the giant pulled back from the ground, and there were deep cracks left on the surface of the fist.

But these wounds would be restored by regeneration in the end. Thinking of the futility in this, he couldn't do anything but grumble.

"Rrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!"

Ruimei roared, hurling the iron ball towards the giant's first.

Countless spheres appeared on the fist's exterior, shooting out beams of light.

Though the raking beams of light were aimed accurately at Ruimei, because of the great heat and shockwaves produced by the iron ball, the paths of the beams of light were distorted.

Ruimei didn't waver at the beams of light that passed by his body, only continuing to watch the iron ball.

The iron ball smashed into the giant's fist as he had thought, producing destructive shockwaves. The shockwaves became destructive strength that spread outwards endlessly, engulfing the fist, and finally destroying it.

The iron ball's destruction continued all the way to the giant's elbow, and the crumbling arm fell to the ruins of the city like sand.

Though beams of light assaulted Ruimei from other places, these beams of light were all blocked by the sweeping iron ball.

"Hmph."

Ruimei used his nose to exhale some of the heat from Kei, continuing to watch the giant and looking for a place to destroy.

Destruction, destruction, endless destruction.

"It should be enough if we destroy this thing to where it has no time or strength to regenerate."

With respect to the power of their techniques, Ruimei was quite high up among the Heaven's Blade successors, but if only destruction were considered, he could be placed side by side with Cauntia's kind of destruction.

Ruimei once again threw out the iron ball to destroy the giant's shoulder. A big piece was broken off the giant's shoulder, and at the same time deep cracks appeared on the lost elbow and the arm under it, the whole part cracking off.

The sand crumbling off fell all at once, and at the same time countless spheres still shot out beams of light, trying to eliminate Ruimei.

Ruimei used the iron chain to block all of the beams.

"Too light."

He moved on, beginning to look for the next place to destroy, locking on a target.

Because of the bouncing beams of light, Ruimei's surroundings were overlapped by flashes of light, making it almost impossible to see anything.

Even so, he still locked on to his target in the gap between the flashes.

The giant's face.

When he locked on his target and prepared for the time of destruction, he saw that a change had happened at that place.

The spheres that had seemed to completely cover the original face suddenly all clustered together, becoming a giant sphere.

"Uh......"

Even if that sound was very short, Ruimei had a strong feeling as if he were going to be sent flying.

Under the oppressive premonition of being unable to withstand it, Ruimei chose to move.

Strength flowed into his hands clutching the iron chain.

The Kei he had sent out burned behind his back, and his fighting clothes were turned to ashes in a moment.

The giant sphere that had appeared on the giant's head seemed as if it were focusing on Ruimei......

Strongly bracing himself on the ground and taking up a defensive posture, Ruimei released his entire body's Kei.

Combined Internal and External-type Kei Variant - Rage.

"Aah, how maddening."

The unleashed Kei technique made Ruimei and his iron chain flash with red light.

"Something like guarding didn't suit my style from the beginning."

Attacking, attacking and attacking, that was the battle he wanted.

But, there were very few opportunities for that kind of battle. The nature of the battles between the city and filth monsters was actually a defensive fight.

Because they had an excellent Psychokinesist like Delbone, they were able to make aggressive defense a reality and completely eliminate the filth monsters that neared the city.

So, it could be said that Ruimei's displeasure in his heart was a part that could only be alleviated in that kind of battle.

But, the current battle didn't have that essential factor.

Happening inside the city, and about stopping the advance of an enemy with a clear goal, that kind of battle.

It didn't have any key element to make Ruimei use his full ability to fight.

Though he had precisely manipulated his strength and honed his techniques to such a degree for this, it didn't change anything.

It didn't change Ruimei's heart.

Regardless of what kind of strong opponent appeared, as long as it was in the city that limited his actions, Ruimei wouldn't use one hundred percent of his power.

But, in the current moment......

"Uwooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!!"

Ruimei roared from the burning of the Kei technique Rage.

A dangerous omen grew continuously stronger from the inside of the giant sphere, and Ruimei's target was right there.

If he used his entire power then the city would be destroyed. Ruimei who had been told this didn't hesitate to flow his full Kei strength into the iron ball in order to move his body and to hurl his iron ball at the target.

Ruimei, who leaped up together with the iron ball, felt his body becoming scorching, becoming a source of light together with the iron ball.

Almost at the same time as this, light also came from the giant's head.

The strong light that overflowed from the sphere was gathered together in a moment, becoming a cannon of light that was aimed at the body flying towards itself.

The giant beam of light shot out, painting the entire surrounding scene white.

The beam of light was almost as thick as the giant's head, about as big as a room of a normal home.

Ruimei leaped again towards this focused beam of light, tightly grabbing the iron ball as if making the iron ball into his own fist, rushing at the beam of light as if wanting to pummel everything that displeased him, his momentum blurring the red light into a line of light.

A clash occurred.

Facing a beam of light this great, Ruimei's red light seemed too small.

But, the outcome was bright.

In the end the beam of light was completely destroyed, and reaching the head......

"Falna, Lucia......"

His low words were drowned out by the sounds of his Kei technique and the destruction of the giant's head, and then disappeared.

"Success......~"

His determination had seethed for a moment.

Haia looked at the outcome, and even saying this single word was the most he could put forth.

"Ruimei-sama...... He......"

Claribel who was near him didn't know who to ask.

But, she actually already knew the answer. Her words slowly became hoarse and became a smile and in the end disappeared.

At this time, Haia's eyes watched the scars produced by the interference of the beam of light.

Seeing the scars to the city's surface, he saw at a glance the severity of the wounds that would have been produced to the city if that beam of light had shot out without being interfered with.

"......Half of the city would probably have been disintegrated and have disappeared."

Haia expressed agreement with Claribel's feelings.

Moreover, that half wouldn't only include the palace that they were, but would include the shelter holding the citizens.

Loud noise and great vibrations came from afar.

One of the legs of the city had cracked. It had been hit by several of the scattered beams of light.

Only a part of it had produced this kind of outcome, and if the beam of light had shot out completely, the outcome that Haia and the others feared would definitely have become reality.

"Let's deal with that thing before it restores itself completely!"

Haia's shout passed through the Psychokinesis flakes, transmitting to all of the other Heaven's Blade successors.

The red light that had destroyed the head flew into the sky, disappearing among it. There was not time now to concern themselves with his dead end. Thinking of the regenerative ability of the giant, a short pause right now could only be a waste of time.

Haia who had shouted out once again released a Kei technique.

External-type Kei Variant, Modified Spirit Sealing Thrust.

A thrust that unleashed the power of his whole body condensed into a spear of Kei at the tip of his blade.

Haia's thrust broke through the giant's skin, piercing its flesh. At the same time he ended his thrust, Haia quickly left his position, and then once again continued his thrusting attack.

He had left that place before the spheres that chased him released their beams of light, and then took measures against the attacks from another location using his spear of Kei.

As he watched an unfortunate omen appearing on the giant's head, Haia repeated this kind of attack. If a dangerous action appeared, then someone nearby would stop it from happening, that was the plan that they had spoken about earlier.

It was a plan of operation that had already considered who would die.

Like Haia who silently but rapidly continued attacking with his spear of Kei, the other Heaven's Blade successors also repeated similar actions.

Evading the dancing beams of light released by the pursuing group of spheres wasn't so difficult.

However, if it were a giant sphere and beam of light like the one that had emerged from the head just now...... If it could regenerate that and do it again......

Kanaris saw it.

The giant's head was still regenerating, even now.

However, it had originally been a thing formed from the thorns, but this didn't prove that the appearance of the thorns was its original form.

Even if it chose to take the form of a human, it didn't mean that its internal functions had become the same as humans.

Something like not dying even after having its head destroyed was normal even for an ordinary filth monster, and it was silly to face the giant while expecting that.

Because humans couldn't shoot beams of light out of their heads.

So, no one felt surprised at the thing that happened in front of them, rather, they quickly chose the next action.

On the right hand that Ruimei destroyed.

Countless spheres were trying to gather on the broken end of that arm.

"Ugh!"

The giant as trying to create something just like what had been on its head just now. Just from thinking of that destructive power, they felt that this couldn't be ignored.

"............"

Kanaris abandoned what she had been doing up to now, using a new Kei technique towards the giant sphere that was in the process of forming.

External-type Kei Variant - Ritual Dance, Kiyomi’s Jealousy

The two rapiers that twirled through the air didn't make any sound.

Sound appeared in a different place.

Near the giant sphere that was continuously taking shape.

Slashes from soundwaves crossed.

Sparks from soundwaves exploded.

Flame from soundwaves scattered heat and chewed at the sphere.

Formless flame scorched the sphere, impeding it from taking shape.

It was probably because it was rather weak in the process of forming, so its speed of formation was slowed down, but it hadn't been melted. Kanaris used that interval to close in on the sphere in a moment.

External-type Kei Variant, Ritual Dance of the Oracle.

The surface of the sphere that had been scorched by the heat from Kiyomi's Jealousy was assaulted by rapid slashes.

The sound of cuts only came after this.

The sphere was carved into four, and the vibrations contained in the sound continued to engulf the interior of the sphere.

The firing of the beam of light was stopped.

Kanaris thought this.

She didn't relax her guard.

There were other spheres in the interior of the giant sphere that had already made their preparations to fire, and this wasn't a situation that could be dealt with simply by staying on guard.

Deadly light was slowly expanding before Kanaris' eyes.

"Ah......"

The moment that she muttered this, attacks that flew from two directions destroyed the sphere, letting the light that was about to be shot out scatter in all directions.

"Whew."

The hot wind from the explosion was engulfed and absorbed by the heat from the light. Kanaris used defensive Kei to block the piercing heat while she backed off from the blast.

"Yeah, that was really dangerous just now."

"Annoying bastard."

The moment she landed, the voices of two people came to her ears.

Savaris and Barmelin.

"Sorry."

"I'd be very worried if we let you die."

"......Why?"

"Especially of being made into Her Majesty's plaything."

"That's true, dogshit."

"You two......"

Seeing the two of them who reached a consensus, Kanaris rubbed her temple.

"Kanaris, that eye......"

Because of Kanaris' movement just now, Barmelin noticed it.

"Nn, it was injured by the heat just now. It shouldn't be recoverable in the current battle."

Normally, being unable to see wouldn't be a huge problem, but in the current situation it was very troublesome. Because of the slight lag made by the loss of vision, Kanaris could get killed.

"From now on I will begin changing to a support, and the major offensive will be assigned to Savaris. Barmelin will still be in charge of drawing the enemy's attention."

Hearing the replies of the two of them, Kanaris thought about changing her mode to a support role, waving her swords. The slashes of sound that she unleashed cut apart the spheres on the giant's exterior one by one. At the same time, Barmelin's cannon strikes continuously assaulted the giant, stopping the head and arm that that Ruimei had destroyed from regenerating.

In the interval of the flying bullets and explosive sound, Savaris, Troyatte, Claribel, and Haia all carried out preparations for battle.

Behind them, Elsmau also spread her Psychokinesis flakes for the battle plan.

"How pathetic."

She could ignore the pain of her eye.

But, the sense of humiliation of being unable to be of any use in this kind of time tormented her heart more than the pain.

The slashes of sound that Kanaris released didn't have any blind spots in this space.

The spheres moving about the giant's exterior were endlessly slashed apart, causing counterattacks to be aimed at her. She avoided the beams of light relying on her ears and feeling of touch to replace her blind eye. It was certainly possible for Kanaris who had originally made sound into a weapon to move relying only on her hearing.

Even so, for her to continue rapidly evading the giant's beams of light, this distance was already the limit.

Also, this giant had a regenerative ability above the norm that not only Heaven's Blade successors but also normal Military Artists would think a headache.

Receiving this violent attack, the giant's body shrank in volume, even though it was slowly recovering its original appearance.

"......How pathetic."

She felt remorse at her uselessness, only being able to support from behind in this kind of tense moment. Kanaris used her working eye to gaze at the giant, waiting for the battle plan to enter its final stage.

Haia used the Kei spear of the Modified Spirit Sealing Thrust to attack the giant while desperately searching for that opportunity.

"It's not that simple......"

The situation wasn't as simple as they had thought.

Their goal had been to make simultaneous large-scale destruction on the exterior.

Mere normal destruction wouldn't have any significance in front of that extraordinary regenerative ability. Even the wounds created by vibrations had the same outcome.

And the necessary Kei strength to destroy something with such great mass in one try wasn't so simple even for Heaven's Blade successors. Even more so in the current situation where they couldn't give it time to regenerate.

Moreover, they didn't have a long time to let them prepare those kinds of big techniques.

Even if they could unleash great Kei techniques, in this kind of situation where Heaven's Blade successors would die so easily, it wasn't very fitting for one person to decide victory or defeat.

So, they decentralized the burden from a single individual.

They had originally been carrying out preparations all for this plan.

Ruimei had fallen while they prepared, and Kanaris had suffered wounds. They couldn't guarantee the success of their finished preparations either.

Considering having to ruin this giant body in an instant, even the amount of Kei that they had currently gathered felt insufficient to him.

But he had to tell them when to start.

(Haia......)

"I understand~"

Haia responded impatiently to Elsmau. The limit of the time that they had set at the start of their planning was quickly drawing near.

(Please direct your anger towards the target.)

"Ha, has your condition returned to before?"

(............)

Feeling that the Psychokinesist had nothing to say, Haia could only show a wry smile.

However, the feeling from before that he felt from the Psychokinesis flake gave him a push from behind.

He could only step up. Time was pressing, and actually, he would fear that the preparations were insignificant regardless of how long they prepared.

Since he didn't know what would guarantee success, then he should bet on this.

"Let's go~"

Even this kind of short notice made the atmosphere on Elsmau's side become tense.

Elsmau wasn't the only one implementing the battle plan, the breathing other Psychokinesists also had to be consistent.

(Leave the coordination to us on this side.)

"I know!"

After responding, Haia faced the giant.

The actions of the other Heaven's Blade successors also changed. Claribel and Kanaris who had switched to a support role after being injured, Haia, Savaris, Troyatte, and Barmelin all moved.

But, the giant could see through the Heaven's Blade successors' intents.

A sound like an earthquake rang out from the giant's body.

"What is that?"

The spheres that had originally been pursuing Haia stopped moving, and then disappeared.

In contrast, the giant's entire exterior flashed glossily like a mirror.

(The giant's surface is hardening.)

In order to defend against the coming attack, the giant had responded to its opponents and changed.

"But it's too late to start now!"

He had already decided. So now he had to unleash his confidence and push himself forwards.

Even if his hair was on end from an unknown premonition inside him, he still had to ignore those things and sprint towards the result.

The speed with which he rushed at the giant hadn't decreased, and instead he continuously increased his Kei, raising his speed.

Other than the part of his vision that he was focusing on, everything else slowly disappeared in this condition of instantaneous speed, and Haia's blade flew towards the giant's hardening skin, being swung with the pressure produced by this speed.

Combined Internal and External Kei variant - Yaksha's Charge.

Haia set out from the giant's fingers, passed the arm, chest, abdomen, heading straight for the shoulder. The hardening skin of the giant wasn't enough to block Haia's slash. An intense Kei light flooded from the cut path that appeared after his dash.

This reflected the preparation and condensation of the techniques that Haia and the other Heaven's Blade successors had done up to now.

At the same time as Haia moved, the shocks and vibrations from Kei techniques came from various parts of the giant's body. The other Heaven's Blade successors had released their techniques, breaking apart the hardened outer skin of the giant.

Moreover, this wasn't it.

"Evade!"

Haia made a sharp yell.

Not a single person was late to respond to that sound, and in a moment the presences of people around the giant had moved far back.

The next moment.

The giant's entire body was covered by blue light.

This was the light of Psychokinesis.

A spherical film covered the entire giant, great lightning flashing inside of it.

Fine, hair-raising vibrations and sounds ran through the surroundings, and other than the blindingly strong flashing light, the other responses weren't intense.

However, the degree of magnificence and destructive force weren't proportionally related.

Large-scale Psychokinesis lightning went on inside, and in that kind of sealed situation the hurricane of energy that was produced formed tremendous pressure and heat.

It wasn't only Elsmau who had created this Psychokinesis lightning, but rather, the Psychokinesists of the information organization she had formed and Felli's Psychokinesis were also used here.

The destructive energy created by the Psychokinesis of almost all of Grendan's Psychokinesists was gathered together here.

Even with this, the cracked, hardened skin of the giant still blocked the heat and pressure, or perhaps it stopped the process of crumbling.

At this time, the Kei that had been prepared up till now produced an effect.

The Kei that the Heaven's Blade successors had prepared exploded all at once, making the giant crumble from the inside.

The simultaneous destruction from the inside made the giant's posture collapse in a moment.

Passing through the blue film, Haia and the others gazed at the crumbling giant. It didn't have anything like bones, but instead some crumbling thing like sand, which dissolved.

They had done what they could, and what remained was only to wait......

(There's a problem.)

"......As expected, things weren't carried out smoothly."

Haia could only smile wryly at himself who had originally expected Elsmau to report something like this to him, then listened to the details of the report.

(Several high-energy responses have appeared inside the crumbling giant.)

"Are they the things just now?"

The beam of light shot out from the sphere instantly appeared in Haia's mind.

(The nature of energy is too different. This is...... Psychokinesis? Could it be?)

"What's going on?"

(There's a high probability that the giant was preparing a counterattack.)

"Huh?"

(Using the energy from our side......)

"No, I understand that...... But in this kind of situation?"

(I originally felt that thing wasn't living, only thinking of attacking. If that is possible, then it would be able to counterattack regardless of the situation.)

"Though you say this...... Come to think of it, that thing unexpectedly hid that kind of ability until now."

(......Maybe that's the method that defeated Cauntia-san and Reverse-san.)

"......Maybe."

Haia who had just become a Heaven's Blade successor still didn't really know the other Heaven's Blade successors.

But he still remembered being looked after by Reverse before.

"This really is no fun. Then can we control it?"

(If it were energy of a similar nature, the effects could be made a bit weaker, but it would probably be very difficult.)

"Tch."

In that case, then they could only completely destroy the opponent before it completed counterattacking, or think of a way to defend against its counter.

(The opponent's collapse has slowed down the process of counterattacking. Even if it could do it, it would only be once. However, considering the energy currently inside it, I fear that destroying what is currently holding it in would run the risk of creating a shockwave covering the entire city.)

"......Even if we want to stop it, we can't run inside it right now, huh."

The hurricane of destruction that the Heaven's Blade successors had created was inside. Even if the creators entered, they would be killed the same way.

"Then, will it be of any use to make another seal outside?"

(How?)

"Facing the sphere, the Heaven's Blade successors will coordinate their breathing to release external Kei."

(It'll be quickly destroyed that way.)

"Really~ Perhaps that can end things completely."

If it were destroyed by the Psychokinesis, it wouldn't be as good as destroying the inside and outside simultaneously.

"The leaking energy of the explosion will be blasted into the sky. This way the blow received by the city will be reduced to the minimum."

(Though you can say that......)

Elsmau wasn't only worried about whether everyone could consistently adjust their breathing.

(The problem is, does everyone still have the strength for that?)

Yes.

In this kind of short period of fighting, Haia had already gotten quite weary. The other Heaven's Blade successors should be in pretty much the same situation. Not only did they need to maintain consistent breathing, they still needed to adjust their might to be consistent, and did they currently have the strength to focus like that?

(But there isn't any other way.)

Kanaris' voice came from the other side of the flake.

(Yes, if that's all we can do then there's only to try it and see. Also, the girls I love are still in this city.)

(Do it whenever. Let's gamble on the last remaining method.)

Troyatte's words were continued by Savaris.

"The problem is, how should we control it from underneath~"

Dealing with the part in front of them was very simple, but the giant's lower half was buried underground. Psychokinesis could infiltrate gaps that people couldn't enter, but Military Artists couldn't do this.

(If it were me, it might be possible.)

Kanaris spoke.

(I'll take care of the underground.)

"Then, we're counting on you~"

Though he was rather concerned about her wound, they didn't have that much time. Haia simply trusted in her words, and then rapidly divided up the work, moving to his own position.

The giant's collapse still continued.

(The energy of several places is currently increasing, we can't control it completely.)

"It's coming, hurry up!"

Haia who had arrived at his position stopped his footsteps, shouting out, and then began letting his Kei flow. He felt pain all over his body, and symptoms of his Kei vein being fatigued had already appeared. How were the other Heaven's Blade successors?

"I don't have time to worry about others now~"

(We're starting. Three, two, one......)

Haia's voice overlapped with Elsmau's.

The rising heat of Kei in the surroundings mixed with the Kei flowing in his own body......

(Zero!)

Release.

As if coordinating with their side, several beams of light shot out from the body of the already-formless giant.

The light that had gathered inside the Psychokinesis lightning scorched the giant's own body as it shot outwards. Though the Psychokinesis barrier blocked some of the light, it only counted as an insignificant effort. Though the time it took was only as much time as a ripple took to spread, that much time was sufficient for the external Kei of the Heaven's Blade successors to form a new wall.

This wall wasn't meant to maintain. It was a last-ditch move prepared to redirect the blast.

The giant that was on its last breath received the pressure of the external Kei coming to its position and was smashed.

However......

"What!"

Haia's cheek felt hot.

It was a beam of light that had broken through the wall of Psychokinesis. Many beams of light had their directions distorted because of the external Kei, shooting out into space, but only one of them kept to the ground and closed in on the Heaven's Blades.

Though Haia wasn't very far from it, the sharp heatwave still irritated his cheek.

The sound of crumbling and explosions continued endlessly behind his back. The scorching air, this blazing scene, even if he hadn't seen it before, this scene painted a distinctive image in his mind.

Then......

"Kanaris!"

Barmelin's scream tore through the air.

The direction of the light beam had been towards Kanaris.

However, they didn't have time to confirm her death.

(It's not enough!)

After hearing Elsmau's sharp voice, Haia looked at the center of the destruction. But because of all of the dust, he couldn't clearly see the inside.

"We haven't gotten rid of it?"

(......The firing of the light means seems to have been faster than our attack. The formation underneath is not complete either.)

"Tch."

Why had it happened in that kind of place! Though Haia thought this in his heart, he didn't want to blame the deceased about anything, nor did he have the energy.

Moreover, his remaining strength wasn't much.

His two legs that wanted to pursue and finish it off trembled. The recovery of his body could no longer keep up with the rushing Kei. Though internal Kei was being used, he didn't have time to let them wait for himself to completely recover.

(The remains are still regenerating continuously, it seems to want to move underground.)

"This thing is trying to merge with the original body."

Layfon and Lintence should be there.

......Of course, that was only if they were still alive.

"Unexpectedly, we weren't able to help those kinds of people finish what should be finished, how maddening~"

He wanted to move, but his feet still shook. Even if he still wanted to move, the pain would wrack his body. His muscle fibers had been torn from overuse. This intense battle had completely toppled the balance between internal Kei recovery and injury. Because of that, things had become as they were.

But, even so, he couldn't just stand here like this.

"I can be healed as long as I'm still alive!"

Haia said this to himself, and then when he tried to continue advancing...

(I also think so.)

At the same time he heard that voice from the Psychokinesis flake, his chest was hit.

This move succeeded because of his weak body. Because of the shocks to his consciousness from the Kei, he couldn't move for a time because his breathing had stopped.

The voice had come from Savaris.

(Letting those guys think that we're totally useless, how irritating.)

He felt the sensation of something jumping into the smoke of Kei.

"Da......"

Haia who had lost the chance to chase after him could only stare into the smoke as his body almost collapsed.

"......Mn."

His strength was almost out, and Claribel was the only one in a condition as bad as his. Though Barmelin and Troyatte didn't move, they looked into the smoke with an appearance as if they could act at any time.

"It's not over...... ah~"

Haia said this, continuing to stare into the smoke-wrapped interior.

◇

Though the smoke blocked his vision, it wasn't such a big problem.

The heat of the destruction ran unchecked even now, scorching his skin. A moment of relaxation could make his flesh crumble, and let his bones melt into ash. Savaris stopped his breathing.

The necessary Kei had already been refined.

Using his intuition, he modified his senses that had been thrown into chaos as an effect of the heat, walking towards his target.

He released Kei.

External-type Kei, Karen Kei variant - Luckens Secret Skill, Roar Kei.

His tightly closed mouth was opened. The vibrations released completely blew away the surrounding heat, and the smoke was also carried off as well. Savaris bared his teeth towards the revealed target.

"Haha, this really is......"

Savaris' heart was filled with pleasure and he showed a smile.

The final technique where he released all of his body's condensed Kei. This was Kei that had given up on protecting his own body.

A final technique that gave up on his life.

"Letting the end take the form of words, making words into a blade. Hahahaha, that's the correct method of using Roar Kei. Hahahaha."

The Military Artists from his family that he had always defied would never have thought that he would exemplify Luckens the best right now. How ironic, or perhaps it should be said that it was only according to their original differences.

No.

It wasn't.

It wasn't like that. Even if he lost his arms, lost his legs, and lost his methods of fighting, he would still want to fight, and he made that kind of determination into sound to become a blade. The current Savaris had obtained the very best incarnation of the essence of Roar Kei.

Aah, what should he say.

Immersing himself in battle even in the moment of his death, wasn't it that kind of Kei technique?

It was.

It had always been like that.

The Luckens founder had also been a Heaven's Blade successor, a long time ago.

He had been a person helplessly mad about battle.

Savaris wasn't a heretic, but rather was the true descendant.

"In any case, this kind of joyful feeling is the truest!"

His mind was filled with laughter, burned without even a chance to feel pain.

He no longer had the feeling to confirm the result that the vibrations produced in the end.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!"

Laughter filled the vibrations, and then it brought destruction.

Up to the final bit of Kei.

Up to the final dregs of his soul.

Putting all of his strength into his laughter, putting his so-called love for battle into it, Savaris quietly accepted his consciousness gradually being dyed red.

Chapter 3: Youngster 1

The heat he felt from his head definitely wasn't a mistake.

But, to Layfon, there was no time right now to think about this.

"Hu, hah......"

He didn't have time to talk about his feelings.

It felt like a miracle that he could even draw forth time to regulate his breathing.

If defense could be ignored in battles aboveground and one could completely focus on unleashing attacks, then the battle currently occurring here was a quiet, delicate crystallization of skill.

"Hah......"

In Layfon's hands was grasped the original blade form of the Shim Adamantium Dite, and connected to the haft was the Sapphire Dite; the steel threads formed from it were quietly hidden around the light blue horizon.

They had separated, in order to play their necessary role on this battlefield.

Right now, the true nature of the blue darkness that filled Layfon's surroundings was a cocoon that Layfon and Lintence's steel threads had made. Because of the effects of various Kei light, it shone in a blue color.

The size of the cocoon was about as large as the seventeenth platoon's training room in the Military Arts facility.

If only training were considered, it was sufficient for seven people to use at once, but if one wanted to fight seriously, it was possible that it would feel rather small. It was that kind of space.

Near the center of the cocoon was Lævateinn.

She no longer stood still, but moved back and forth and left and right, leaping and turning.

There would occasionally be slight movements in the surrounding air, and though the fine sounds brought killing intent, they were all leisurely avoided by Lævateinn.

The true nature of the sounds was Lintence's steel threads. Though Layfon who regulated his breathing also released steel threads to battle, up through now he had been thought of as a burden and had been warned.

The blades of steel threads were freely moving, uncountable blades that could attack mercilessly from various angles, and Layfon avoided the attacks with movements impossible for a human.

Like the steel threads, Layfon's slashes were also completely and cleverly avoided by Lævateinn.

Her hands grasped a rapier, and though it looked as if she wanted to counterattack, she had stopped her attacks before it.

Lintence's steel threads had made her stop her action.

But, Lintence's intervention was only this much. Right now was a time when he should regulate his breathing, to keep from being too much of a burden to him.

Layfon moved after this, a strike aimed at her throat being blocked by the rapier, sparks lighting up a side of the cocoon in a moment.

The slash that had been deflected once again changed its path aiming at various parts of Lævateinn, but every one was blocked, and every strong counterattack that assaulted Layfon was meant to end his life.

Layfon avoided these counterattacks either by blocking them or by dodging, and then once again attacked. This would once again be blocked, and then countered.

In this kind of repeated high-speed trading of blows, the weariness to the mind would be stronger than the fatigue of the body.

And when the weariness of the mind made his breathing become irregular, that would directly affect his physical limits.

"Damn!"

Layfon noticed that his focus was in disarray, quickly retreating from the swordfight that seemed to want to suck him in.

Lævateinn didn't pursue. Because she already felt the steel threads full of killing intent that had taken shape between the two of them in an instant.

Afterwards, Layfon once again watched Lævateinn's inhuman dodging movements while he regulated his breathing.

How many times had this process repeated already?

Layfon didn't even want to think about it.

He knew that the opponent had strong regenerative ability and destructive power.

But Layfon hadn't thought that she could use weapons to battle like he did. That had been unexpected.

And because she wasn't human, she could make movements that Layfon and Lintence couldn't, and though the joint-ignoring movements were mostly to avoid Lintence's steel threads, she would also move like this through Layfon's sword dance.

Even if he understood that she had the appearance of a human but made inhuman movements, his reactions would become slow. Though it was only a split second of delay, that delay was a threat to Layfon's life, and he understood this, feeling annoyed at himself who couldn't respond well.

Though he had toughed it out until now, it meant that a slight mistake would end his life.

"As expected, burning her down completely in a moment is a better method."

Saying this, Layfon once again rushed at Lævateinn.

Speaking of which, the original use for the construction of this 'cocoon' was to remove places that the enemy could escape to, and then use Kei to heat up the entire thing.

But, they hadn't done this.

Because they didn't believe that they could completely incinerate her.

Even with the two of them together, they couldn't burn this girl whose form was even smaller than his, Layfon's instincts said.

It wasn't Layfon's judgment alone.

Lintence had also felt this.

So, the use of the cocoon hadn't been to burn her, but to prevent the fine substance that composed her body from scattering out and closing in. They had carried out close combat in order to slightly weaken her a bit.

Also, the purpose of this cocoon wasn't only to limit the opponent's actions, but also to stop her from using external regeneration.

Mass wasn't limitless. Restoring something that had been lost to how it had been before definitely required spending something. There was definitely some substance supporting this strong regenerative ability from behind. And Lintence had noticed that this substance was spread around the surrounding buildings as the buildings crumbled in the battle recently.

If they stopped the supplements from the outside, then she would have to use things inside her body when she regenerated.

This way, even if it couldn't be seen from the outside, it was a fact that she was continuously depleting herself.

But......

"Ugh......"

Being blocked, being countered, and then doing the same to her. Even if the process was different, the reality hadn't changed.

Lævateinn hadn't taken a single injury.

All that was being depleted was Layfon and Lintence's strength.

"......What do we do?"

No longer knowing how many times he had retreated, Layfon asked. The expression of Lintence behind him was several times more vicious than normal.

He has originally thought this, but after Layfon glanced at him he noticed that this wasn't the case.

His eyes were slightly slanted, and his mouth was slightly pointed upwards. Though Layfon's gaze didn't completely move from Lævateinn's body, still......

Looking at Lintence's expression for a moment, he was smiling?

"......Though this kind of method isn't too bad, we're wasting too much time."

The steel threads brought sound to Layfon's ears, who was once again carrying out close combat with Lævateinn.

"Remove your steel threads from the cocoon."

Lintence said.

Layfon used the moment when he retreated to take out his steel threads from the cocoon, and in order not to obstruct Lintence, he returned his Sapphire Dite to its unrestored state.

"Grab any opportunity yourself."

The words that Lintence said showed that he was thinking that if one person could resolve this alone then that person should do so. Layfon changed his internal Kei to external Kei, and then surveyed the situation.

Lintence's movements were very fast.

The ground beneath his feet began to sway, and the cocoon changed.

The place where Layfon and Lintence were moved apart from the place where Lævateinn was.

"I won't let you go!"

Layfon released external Kei towards Lævateinn who was preparing to escape from the gap that had appeared.

But even if there was a gap, she couldn't escape like that. Lintence's Kei filled this place, forming a wall.

After Lævateinn was blocked by Lintence's Kei, she was sent flying by Layfon's external Kei. She returned to the cocoon that had begun shrinking.

Like a bag being closed shut, the cocoon surrounding Lævateinn became smaller and smaller.

External-type Kei variant, Sougenkyouku Houraku.

Lintence's Kei continuously exploded inside the cocoon. The cocoon that surrounded Lævateinn with the same shape as her body swelled up because of the high pressure produced from the continuous blasts.

Before the heat inside, anything would be incinerated no matter what it was...... that should have been how things went.

But, Layfon and Lintence hadn't quickly carried out this move. Even if the cocoon had already completed its form.

They had also said before, that they didn't believe it would succeed.

And that way of thinking was still the same now.

Releasing external Kei, after sending Lævateinn back into the cocoon, Layfon quickly restored the Sapphire Dite to the steel threads, creating a new cocoon with Lævateinn as the center.

In this period Lintence used a Kei technique. The steel threads that he wove didn't let a bit of heat leak outwards. But, the strong vibrations of Kei battered Layfon.

Lintence's technique had been completed, and had been unleashed. Nothing could exist that could withstand this move.

But, his heart was still filled with anxiety.

At the same time that Layfon's cocoon completed, Lintence opened his cocoon, releasing the remaining heat, forming flame that spread in all directions.

"Ugh!"

The flame and heat that swelled out with surprising momentum pressed against the cocoon Layfon had created, trying to escape outside from the gaps between the steel threads.

Layfon watched the gaps that the flames flew out from.

Even if he felt that there wasn't anything that could live through this situation, he still wanted to rely on his own eyes to confirm.

But, she was there.

Inside the inferno was shown a dark shadow that was trying to stand up.

"Layfon!"

"Okay!"

Layfon tensely shot out a reply to Lintence's shout, quickly understanding his meaning.

In this situation, in this position, in this construction, there was only one thing he could do, because he had originally planned this.

The cocoon formed by the steel threads pushed the heat back to the center. Layfon's Kei endlessly rushed through his Kei vein, almost as if trying to ignite it, forming the Kei of Composite Blast.

The cocoon was shrunk in a moment, covering the heat, and Kei explosions occurred.

External-type Kei, Composite Blast variant, Sougenkyouku Houraku.

At the same time as the explosions were produced, the steel threads received extremely great pressure. What held this back was also Layfon's Kei. Coordinated with the explosions inside, the steel threads simultaneously released external Kei inwards. The forceful skill that further increased the limits of the explosion's might required mental preparation.

"Guah...... Ugh......"

Layfon made painful gasps, releasing the steel threads. Compared to Lintence, the time that Layfon had held out could be said to be nothing.

Even so, if the cocoon was released the heat would expand outwards, sending Layfon flying.

Before he was scorched by his own Kei technique, Lintence's steel threads formed a defensive formation blocking the heat.

The flames licking the space before him were pushed back, and Lintence's steel threads once again formed a cocoon, wrapping up the heat.

The third Houraku. If this time succeeded, then perhaps the confidence that Layfon and Lintence didn't feel would grow out.

They looked forward to this.

But...... that also meant they were convinced that even up to now they hadn't been able to defeat her.

They could feel that even now, Lævateinn still existed in the center of the technique's flames.

Inauspicious thoughts mixed into the gaps of his thinking, becoming black ink and spreading outwards.

While he threw that way of thinking out of his head, Lintence completed his steel thread cocoon.

The cocoon once again sealed off the heat......

But.

Everything stopped.

"!!!"

Layfon was unable to make a sound.

The cocoon had essentially finished, and its center was glowing red by the overflowing heat.

The final touch.

Yes, before he gave the cocoon the final touch, that thing emerged.

It looked like it had broken through the heat and appeared.

But, though it seemed like that, it really wasn't, and Layfon also understood this.

It was a thing that had suddenly appeared before the cocoon.

It had suddenly appeared, and then grabbed Lintence's steel threads.

"Tch."

Lintence clicked his tongue and released the cocoon.

The heat overflowed, flames scattering outwards. The pressurized heat made Layfon only able to retreat backwards.

At the same time, that thing's figure appeared.

No, it should be said that it created a figure.

While it burned, it restored itself to its original state.

Its hair burned as it regenerated its bones, flesh, and then was covered by skin. Its eyes ignored the heat of the flames, making Layfon shiver thinking of what would come next.

"As expected, the methods we've always used won't work."

He wove words from his originally tightly shut lips.

"But, I have no reason to fight with you."

Layfon and the others were currently standing in a reinforced area underground. The area underground the palace was empty except for some machinery and passageways leading to other facilities, so it was a suitable place for the cocoon just now.

And now, that cocoon was no longer there.

Lævateinn who had returned to her original state began falling with the flames.

"Wait!"

After a moment of pause, Layfon chased after Lævateinn who descended with a trail of fire, also descending.

Lintence also followed behind.

He used the reinforcements and passageways to chase Lævateinn while using his steel threads to search the surroundings.

Layfon felt that Lævateinn who descended with a trail of fire would simply continue going down to the depths of the city.

But, he definitely couldn't let her succeed.

Even if she had made some detours, he feared that in the end she would arrive at her destination.

At that end point was a huge, dome-shaped building.

It wasn't the Mechanical Department. It was a place connected under the Mechanical Department.

In the building before him, Layfon didn't feel the heat and noise that he had experienced countless times in the Mechanical Department of Zuellni.

Then it could be that inside there was Saya, who Harpe had spoken about.

Since they couldn't see the Queen here, that meant that she was inside.

"In this case......"

She should definitely be inside.

"Huah!"

Layfon yelled and released external Kei.

His external Kei formed a flying line of flame, touching Lævateinn.

But, something blocked his external Kei when it struck, and it wasn't able to make her path change.

She continued to fall.

Lævateinn's head hit the dome-shaped roof. A tragedy resulting from falling at high speed...... that kind of thing couldn't happen to her.

It was uncertain whether her head actually touched the roof or not...... The moment she reached that kind of subtle distance, a hole opened in the roof, drawing Lævateinn inside.

Layfon and Lintence also followed behind, diving into the building.

◇

The vibrations came closer and closer.

Leerin looked at the roof above her head.

In this almost completely dark space, the ceiling seemed buried in the darkness. So she could only give up, lowering her gaze again.

The giant bed that had been here before had disappeared.

After it disappeared, this place had become a wide space with only darkness.

What was this person doing in this kind of place?

Leerin thought, looking at Saya next to her.

"Don't think about anything, just stay here."

"Eh......"

Suddenly being told this made Leerin jump.

"Because you seemed very concerned."

"Well, I'm indeed a little concerned......"

Because her thoughts seemed to have been seen through, Leerin had a bit of trouble calming down.

"There's no problem. Everyone will have the same doubts. As evidence, that Queen also has the same kind of expression."

"Ah, I've been seen through?"

Nearby on the other side of Saya, Alsheyra made an uncomfortable face.

"Yeah~ Because of the hard work of those Heaven's Blades', this place is more boring than I had thought."

Alsheyra tilted her head as if to hide her embarrassment.

"So I thought of that kind of thing. Sorry, sorry."

It was too imprudent, but this person's words were normally like that.

Leerin let out a sigh, looking forwards.

The sound of vibrations got louder and louder. Lævateinn was truly drawing closer to this place.

That was happening.

"Is everyone alright?"

There were no Psychokinesis flakes here. No, there had been flakes accompanying them through midway, but now they had already lost their power, and the sound no longer reached.

What had the situation been like when she had come here before? Had Delbone's flakes been here?

She couldn't remember.

Moreover it was a very ordinary notion for Delbone's flakes to be here, and even if she couldn't see them, she felt that they would have been there.

"That's impossible."

While she was thinking about other things, Alsheyra said this.

Her tone that sounded extremely cheerful made Leerin speechless.

"Since she can come here, that means that they have all been defeated, Leerin. Even if we cobbled together twelve people, that thing still escaped like that. I originally never planned to pick those kinds of idiots who made such a stupid mistake~"

"..........."

That made sense.

But, but......

"Battle is a kind of contract. You live and you die. Of course there's space in between, and you can't cleanly decide between the two outcomes at once, but regardless of the outcome, it will happen to one of the two. If there is battle, there will be people who get injured, and people who die. Heaven's Blade successors cannot be exceptions. Of course, we are the same."

"I also understand that kind of thing."

The cruel reality flowed out of Alsheyra's lips, and Leerin stubbornly stopped her.

"So I'm saying that I want to end it here."

She shouldn't just dried out waiting here.

In the beginning, she should have stood on the battlefield.

In that case, her mood wouldn't have become like it was now.

"If you wouldn't die...... many people definitely would have that kind of opinion, but the Heaven's Blades wouldn't feel happy."

"......Eh?"

"But unfortunately, I don't have time to explain."

Leerin also understood this.

A vibration even greater than before happened nearby.

A great vibration made this entire building rock, and now there was no longer time to chat leisurely. Leerin gulped, waiting for what would happen in the next moment.

Everything began with silence.

Rather, it should be said that it made no sounds while infiltrating the building.

"Welcome...... stranger!"

Alsheyra yelled, shooting external Kei from her hands.

The external Kei bullets that had been compressed by the Queen's strong power painted an unpredictable path, drawing in on the falling object.

It should have died......

But, the light of the external Kei bullets didn't become explosions, but passed through the hole in the ceiling, still drawing an inexplicable trajectory as they flew outwards.

The thing that was falling dropped on the ground.

The thing that fell down head-first turned its body the second before coming in contact with the ground, landing in front of Leerin and the others.

Landing quietly.

Moreover, it was a pretty girl.

From the appearance, she was slightly older than Leerin, a beautiful person with a unfeeling attitude.

She had seen her through the black cat once before. At that time, she should have been the same age as Leerin, and Leerin did not know what had happened in between.

But, the fact that she was here wouldn't change.

She was Lævateinn.

The source that distorted the world of Leerin and the others.

That way of thinking burst inside Leerin's mind like sparks, and then Alsheyra by her side stood before her.

"Really...... Die!"

The Queen spoke while once again using Kei bullets.

As expected, they weren't able to hit.

Lævateinn drew slightly closer in the same posture as she had landed in, and the Kei bullets simply passed through her.

The moment the Kei bullets passed through her, Lævateinn's entire body was covered in flames. Though it was unknown what methods she used, it seemed that she hadn't been able to completely avoid the bullets.

Seeing Lævateinn who burned as she drew closer, Leerin's thinking stopped.

A sense of loathing that hadn't emerged from her heart since the moment she saw Lævateinn was released and fixed in place.

In that period, the situation unfolded at high speed.

Alsheyra threw out her fist towards the burning Lævateinn. The fist broke through the air, spreading out shockwaves. Waves of mindless destruction succeeded in pushing Lævateinn backwards.

But, this definitely wasn't a deadly blow.

Something new followed from the ceiling.

Countless things flickering with light covered Lævateinn, and Leerin looked at them, quickly understanding that these things were steel threads.

The glowing things were weapons. They became countless slashes assaulting Lævateinn.

But, they were of no use.

The slashes passed through Lævateinn's body, but as expected, though her entire body gave off light, that was it.

And...... Ahh, and......

That wasn't the only thing in pursuit.

She didn't know why, Leerin had that kind of feeling. The battle presence she felt from above her head made Leerin have that kind of feeling.

So she felt that 'that person' was here.

Whether it was that she didn't want to see him, or that she didn't want to be seen by him, Leerin couldn't figure out.

The things she had once set her determination upon might be inconsistent.

Heaven's Blade Art, Silent Flash.

Along with the steel threads, the next thing that fell was a heavy and slow Kei that seemed as if it wanted to crush the entire dazzling battle.

But, at the same time that Lævateinn avoided the double attack of the Queen and the steel threads, this slow Kei technique had already appeared in front of her. It should already be an unavoidable state.

As if the situation's development had been read, the specially configured Kei technique came in contact with Lævateinn, releasing huge amounts of external Kei.

Exploding, blasting, bursting.

The originally dim space was illuminated by endless, consecutive intense light.

But her eyes weren't unable to see the thing because of this.

But the flickering light made the entire process seem like a slow-motion scene, deeply imprinting itself in Leerin's eyes.

That person who descended during the process of the explosions moved in front of Leerin before the aftermath, guarding Leerin from the explosion.

"Why..."

Surprise released her feeling of loathing. Leerin questioned that back.

"Didn't I say it was already enough, that it was no use for you to come again."

Yes.

She had said this.

They could no longer return to how they were before, and he should have become free.

He should have already been freed from Leerin's curse some time before, and wouldn't have suffered any effects.

Hadn't Leerin come to this place because she had decided so?

"Nn, I heard that."

He replied.

The reply was too simple.

A surprising reply.

"Then......!"

"But, those aren't my own thoughts."

He said this.

So directly.

So forcefully.

"But, that kind of reason can't stop me from wanting to protect my family."

That was what he said.

Layfon said this.

"What......"

Leerin spoke.

She couldn't say any more when she reached halfway.

Family.

Yes, family.

Because she had no blood relatives, it was natural that there was no such thing for Leerin regardless of who the other party was.

There was Leerin, there was her adoptive father, there were sisters and brothers, but no one of this society had that kind of natural link with her.

But to Leerin, these people were her most important family.

It was because of that word that she had made her decision.

And now, he tried to destroy Leerin's determination.

Using the same reason to wreck it.

She couldn't control her hatred towards him.

As if making her originally cold and hardened heart dissolve, she couldn't stop her hostility towards him.

"It's only Layfon......"

She could only look at his back.

But, she felt that he was smiling.

She felt that she had once again seen his somewhat troubled smile that only showed on the corners of his mouth.

There was no longer anything to fear.

Leerin thought this.

Translation Notes and References

Prev	[v d e]Chrome Shelled Regios Volume 1 Novel Illust. - Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Epilogue - Author's Notes Volume 2 Novel Illust. - Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Epilogue - Author's Notes Volume 3 Novel Illust. - Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Epilogue - Author's Notes Volume 4 Novel Illust. - Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Epilogue - Author's Notes Volume 5 Novel Illust. - Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Epilogue - Author's Notes Volume 6 Novel Illust. - Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Epilogue - Author's Notes Volume 7 Novel Illust. - Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Epilogue - Author's Notes Volume 8 Novel Illust. - Prologue - Interlude 01 - Cool in the Cafe - Interlude 02 - Diamond Passion Interlude 03 - Innocence Wander - Epilogue - Post Epilogue (1 - 2 - 3) - Author's Notes Volume 9 Novel Illust. - Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Epilogue - Author's Notes Volume 10 Novel Illust. - Sweet Day: Sweet Morning - Sweet Day: Sweet Before I - A Day For You 01 - Sweet Day: Sweet Before II A Day For You 02 - Sweet Day: Sweet Before III - A Day For You 03 - Sweet Day: Sweet Midnight To Conquer the Phalanx - Author's Notes Volume 11 Novel Illust. - Happy Hot Dash - Morning of You and Me - Impact of Childhood 01 - Lunchtime of You and Me Impact of Childhood 02 - Dinnertime of You and Me - Impact of Childhood 03 - Nighttime of You and Me Happy Birthday - Author's Notes Volume 12 Novel Illust. - Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Epilogue - Author's Notes Volume 13 Novel Illust. - Prologue - Cadenza Road Itto: Part 1 - Cadenza Road Itto: Part 2 - Epilogue Bottled Letter For You - Ghost in Ghost - Author's Notes Volume 14 Novel Illust. - Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Epilogue - Author's Notes Volume 15 Novel Illust. - Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Epilogue - Author's Notes Volume 16 Novel Illust. - Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Epilogue - Author's Notes Volume 17 Novel Illust. - Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Epilogue - Author's Notes Volume 18 Novel Illust. - Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Epilogue - Author's Notes Volume 19 Novel Illust. - Prologue - Run-Jerry-Run - Show Me Heart - Genius Go Road The Rolling Carnival - Interlude - Show Me Heart EX---! - Epilogue - Author's Notes Volume 20 Novel Illust. - With Interview - Mortal Technica - With Horror House - Brain Storming With Sports - Machina's Eye - Regarding the Cat Soaring to the Moon - Author's Notes Volume 21 Novel Illust. - Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 Volume 22 Novel Illust. - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 Volume 23 Novel Illust. - Storm Bringer - Fire Up Spirits 1 - Fire Up Spirits 2 Mental Conferences Should Be Held In Secret - To Be Continued at the Battlefield - Author's Notes Volume 24 Novel Illust. - Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Epilogue - Life is Goodbye Volume 25 Novel Illust. - Early Diamond - Barbeque Pop - Bus-jack Time Wear My Rose - Persons - High Booster - Author's Notes [v d e]Legend of Regios Volume 1 Novel Illust. - Prologue - 5 Years After - Alchemist - Goodbye - Night of Memory - In the Hole - Epilogue - Author's Notes Volume 2 Novel Illust. - The Awakening - Days and Nights of Thought - Man With No Instincts - The Story of the Alchemist The Bloody Trail Across the Mountain of Death - Life and Fire - Epilogue - Author's Notes Volume 3 Novel Illust. - As If Entering the Boiler - Ascetic's Path - Appearing from the Filth - Two Snakes - Within the Chaos Man Made Legend - Epilogue - Author's Notes	Next