Volume 14, 5 — To the Indecisive Person(1/4)
A large hole had opened up in the sky. Light filtered into the city before Leerin's eyes. It burst through the air shield, through the monster's body to wave away the clouds and reveal the moon. Leerin didn't know this was made by Barmelin's attack. She also didn't know the danger that the Heaven's Blade successors faced afterwards. The battle had taken a sudden turn for the worst.
"...... Delbone."
She heard Alsheyra's light call and saw her eyebrows knotted, but she didn't understand the true meaning behind it. The butterfly shaped flake exuding the faint light of Psychokinesis had fallen next to the feet, lying on the floor like a dead bug. She didn't understand it.
The moon was pulling at Leerin's right eye because it couldn't take the eye from her.
"Ah, ahhhh......" she moaned. But even Alsheyra and the doll-like Saya didn't seem to notice her moans. They didn't turn to her.
Leerin watched the moon in silence.
She saw the moon and the image that the moon saw. The images in her left eye differed from the one in her right. Her visions overlapped because of different images and this made her head hurt. She covered her left eye with her hand and that made the image in her right eye clearer.
This was what the moon saw. The scenery from above Grendan. A monster with many heads was swallowing Grendan into its stomach. The face of the enemy that covered the entire city.
This monster was shaking its long neck as its ten heads roared at her. Lightning fell and hit the monster.
But it wasn't hurt. It kept roaring.
Leerin felt blood loss at the scenery of hatred aimed at her. Her eyes felt shaky. Suddenly, this scenery disappeared into darkness.
When she realized it, the hole in Grendan's sky had closed up once more. The flake was still lifeless beside Alsheyra and Alsheyra's eyes were tightly closed, as if she was enduring something.
Something important had happened, sinking Grendan into a new crisis.
But Leerin understood something. She knew what she wanted to see.
(One more time.)
She begged and watched the sky.
◇
What had turned strange?
Layfon had to put all of his concentration into the fight but even he felt the delicate change in the air. The original tension suffusing the entire city was gone. But this didn't mean the battle had ended because creatures kept raining down in the airspace Layfon was in. The large river that counter-attacked those live-bullets had not stopped.
But something was shaken. A spider's net wouldn't be destroyed even attacked by a furious wind, but the tension of a net being finished had relaxed. The indestructible spider's net was slowly losing its shape.
This was an event that was unbelievable for a battlefield in Grendan. Such an intense change in the air of Grendan had never happened no matter how harsh the battle was, not to mention that all the Heaven's Blade successors were fighting.
Still, just what was happening?
What was it? Where was it happening?
Derek was striking at him with his katana.
Layfon blocked the attack, his external Kei eliminating the live-bullets around him in the process. This scenery had happened countless times already. He couldn't count the number now.
Should he tell father of this change? This consideration ended when he noticed his father's expression as the two blades clashed.
Father had already noticed it.
But he still prioritized Layfon's fight.
Nothing would change his decision. This stubbornness began with Derek and was passed down to Leerin and Layfon. The other siblings must be the same too. So Layfon gave up trying to persuade him. Besides, Layfon felt empty for not knowing what he wanted to be in the future. He could only go with the flow and he wasn't comfortable with that.
It was normal that he felt Nina was very bright for him. Her path was different from his but she had something that he had lost. She wouldn't let go no matter what.
Layfon might have hated her for losing everything if she had taken a wrong step, but he didn't, and he was grateful for that.
The blades kept dancing. External Kei became flashes of light to adorn the sky. The live-bullets also became decorated flowers though their entire bodies were disintegrating. However, both Derek and Layfon ignored them.
Layfon thought this beauty was the most fragile as it turned complete.
The blades hit. Layfon felt the Kei in himself. He felt it too when he fought Savaris and Lintence. Or maybe he was challenging his own limits, the limit of his technique and mental strength, as well as the limit of his Kei. When he fought Savaris it was the limit of the Dites; when he fought Lintence he had to surpass a limit, a limit he could control, the limit of collapse.
And now, he was just challenging his own limits.
Nostalgia filled him being able to fight without reservation. Even though what he held now was only half a Heaven's Blade, it had been his partner for five years. It had been absorbing his Kei and so it felt like a beast was howling in joy at returning to its owner. And similarly, the other half of Wolfstein was joyous at having found a new partner in Derek.
The live-bullets serving as their platforms were destroyed as they jumped from one place to another. The two of them continued to challenge their limits, pouring Kei into their limbs. Layfon didn't need to think anymore. He had endured many fights since small. His body had learned the best Kei skills and techniques after tasting failures, and he used them all automatically.
Layfon had time to think of other things because the actions were too automatic.
And so he also took note of the changes around him, felt the end of the fight even though he didn't know the result would be like. And then he thought something that was even less relevant.
What would he do after surpassing his father?
He had decided to see Leerin. The battle was becoming more chaotic. He didn't know what had happened but he could judge from the air that he might be able to see Leerin more easily than before.
And after meeting her?
He should have already made up his mind. He would listen to her true intention. Did she not need him anymore? Or did she do that for his sake? He wanted to confirm everything. He would save her if he could. He was moving because he had decided, but he was still confused.
He was confused whether his decision was right.
Why did he ask himself this question...... The answer was simple.
(Ah........)
He didn't make a noise. Even if he did, the sound of metal clashing would have drowned it out.
(I'm still scared of losing.)
This battle was nearing its end though he couldn't clearly see how it would turn out. He felt it ending though and the feeling he had pressed down in his heart because of the pressure before him was floating free.
He knew things wouldn't necessarily happen the way he wanted no matter how prepared he was. He knew the pain he felt wouldn't change no matter how he swore that he would endure her scolds.
He knew he could endure physical pain but not the pain in his heart. He couldn't deny that his tactless thoughts were making him feel down even though he was in a fight with his father. A fight that no one must interfere.
◇
Felli felt the change in the air inside the shelter.
"Something has happened," she said.
Psychokinesis couldn't be transmitted to the outside. The flake following Nina had lost its power after bursting through the monster and leaving Grendan. Felli wanted to follow Layfon but the speed of the battle was too fast, so fast that even she couldn't catch up. Besides, the rain of creatures and the Kei that was destroying them were also affecting her flake.
Felli couldn't even gather all of the information inside the city and that didn't sit well with her. She was now located at the entrance of a shelter. Inside was a wider space. Felli didn't have the courage to stay there even though the city's citizens and City Police only made a "why are you here" expression at the Dite in her hand. She knew they wouldn't do anything to her, but as an outsider, she wanted to avoid their gaze as much as possible, and so she chose to stay here.
She couldn't only try to grasp hold of the situation since she couldn't catch up with Layfon. She did this and wasn't happy as she realized the battle was taking a worse turn. The Heaven's Blades were still fighting in a way that turned her knowledge of Military Artists upside down. No one would be left alive if these people fought like this in Zuellni. But none of the Heaven's Blade successors or normal Military Artists had died for now.
A delicate crack had appeared in this unusual situation, in this unusual attack and perfect defensive formation. The Heaven's Blades were still fighting strong but a delicate change had occurred. Felli couldn't tell the real reason behind it, but the situation was clear to her. The Heaven's Blades were still perfectly fighting on their own in their assigned locations, but judging from the entire battle formation, cracks were appearing in the conjunctions of assigned areas. One could calculate that.
The number of live-bullets slipping through the Heaven's Blade successors was increasing.
As if the original 100% had become 98%. Even a mere 2% couldn't be ignored, judging from the enormous number of enemies attacking them. The Heaven's Blades made up the first line of defense, and as such, the burden on the second line of defense had increased.
Also, the swaying of the heart of the second line was clearer than that of the first line. It was slowly losing its accuracy in clearing up the live-bullets. This all happened after the Heaven's Blades executed an attack that differed from before. The defensive formation was weakening. This was very clear.
"What is happening, or that......"
Felli didn't want to turn her thought into words. She pressed it down in her heart.
What would happen if this was what she thought it was? She couldn't make a prediction as she wasn't familiar with Grendan, but the shelter she was in was in Grendan. No one would know the next turn of event...... she shook her head. But what to do next....
"...... As I thought.... I see."
She hadn't noticed the three coming near because she was deep in thought. She continued to gather information as she turned around.
Standing before her were a boy and two girls. All three of them looked younger than her. Two of them seemed to be of similar age while one was younger. Felli had taken these three to the shelter after Layfon saved them. They should already be in the middle area of the shelter.
"......Ah."
Toby made an awkward expression at being found out.
"Ok, this isn't the time for that, let's return."
Rainetta, the girl who was of the same age as him, pulled at his sleeve.
"........"
"Hehe."
Felli didn't know what to do so she only watched her silently.
"Uh, are you from Zuellni?"
"Ah, yes," Felli answered Anri speculatively, not knowing what would happen, but it was certain that her confusion wasn't shown on her face.
Anri smiled at her with her child-like innocent smile, and then tossed her a bomb.
"Are you Layfon-Nii's girlfriend?"
"What!"
"Because Toby-Nii said it's not possible for Leerin-Nee to win with such a beautiful person next to him."
"Hey! Don't push that onto me!"
"To- but you did say it."
"Um.. I was only saying."
"So is that true?"
Felli couldn't think of an answer in the face of the girl's naive question.
"Well......"
"So it's true!?" Anri's expression turned complicated. Expectation and discomfort showed on her face, but the feelings of the other two weren't so obvious. Toby was full of expectation and discomfort was heavier on Rainetta's face.
But, no, that wasn't it. Felli wasn't confirming Anri's question with a "well". She was only using it for the rest of her answer.
"Well, how is Layfon-Nii? As a boyfriend? Have you dated? Kissed?"
"Well.... No......"
Felli felt she must resolve this misunderstanding. That was how she felt, but she couldn't say anything in front of the expectant Anri.
"Well......"
So what happened next was like a savior to her.
(Sorry for interrupting when you're so happy.)
The sudden voice made them all turn their gazes to it. A butterfly-shaped flake. She remembered it.
"Ah, Delbone-sama," Anri said.
(Hello, little girl.)
"Hello to you too."
(I'm sorry for interrupting your happy moment. I've something to say to this Nee-san. Could you lend her to me first?)
"Sure!"
(Such a good answer.)
Anri smiled at Delbone's praise and returned to Toby's side.
(If possible, I wish to turn this conversation voiceless.)
(I understand.)
Felli replied immediately.
Psychokinesists could converse without making a noise. Their words would directly appear in one's head.
(Because there isn't much time left, so I'll say this directly......)
(Is this related to you disappearing from the battlefield....)
(Uh, yes.)
Felli felt her smile of praise through Delbone's Psychokinesis.
(Just a small failure. It made a huge impact on my body. I probably only have two to three minutes left. My heart has stopped but I can keep my consciousness.)
Felli couldn't imagine what it was like to be so relaxed at facing death.
(...... Then, what do you want with me in this hour?)
She regulated her feeling and continued speaking. She mustn't lose time because of her own shaky heart and doubts, as there wasn't much time left for Delbone.
(I hope you can finish my unfinished duty. I've prepared the compensation too. There's some information in the flake before you. That's your compensation.)
(This is?)
(My battle experience till now. I've turned it into data. I won't tell you the way to read it though the data is about to finish moving to this new location. If you could read the information, it wouldn't be hard for you to learn of the thing in it.)
(That kind of thing.)
(Please, can you help?)
(Do you think I can do this on my own?)
(Perhaps you're far better than all Psychokinesists in Grendan just by your ability. But your experience is lacking and so to fill out for your inexperience, there's one more person......)
Delbone's flake had also appeared next to that person.
(Grandmother.)
Elsmau, who was in a sickroom the same shelter as Delone had also sensed the flake in the ceiling through her own Psychokinesis.
(It seems I can't give you enough time to consider.)
Delbone's regret could be felt through her data.
(Then, as I thought......)
Elsmau was the same as Felli, gathering information through her Psychokinesis. She couldn't not do anything probably because she had been through many battles while she was with the Salinvan Guidance Mercenary Gang.
(Her Majesty has to personally give you the Heaven's Blade, but I can reset the Kei fingerprint immediately. I've already set it for you after I die. If it's you, you should be able to activate the Heaven's Blade from a distance using the Light Dite.)
(But......)
(I'm sorry. There's no time for confusion. The new you under the bandages has inherited the name of the third daughter's husband, Fora. You're already Grendan's Psychokinesist, and from this moment on, you've become a successor, the next Heaven's Blade successor.)
Fermaus' expression was helpless underneath the bandages. She had finished the operation before moving to this shelter, the operation of skin transplant. One would feel tragic just by looking at her even though her body managed to survive in the exposure of pollutants. She had removed the skin that could endure the death-causing pollutants and changed into new skin.
A Heaven's Blade successor had existed who once had changed his brain and Kei vein. That Heaven's Blade stood in battle on the day his brain died. Grendan's medical skill development had sustained him, and so it wasn't difficult for this skill to make the skin transplant possible.
But Elsmau couldn't leave the sickbed yet.
(........ My level of Psychokinesis isn't at grandmother's level.)
(You don't have to be like me. You know your own strength and limits. All you need is do it the way you think is best. And I've prepared the ability in order to solve this situation. She will fill up your weaknesses and you too are to fill up her weaknesses.)
A figure appeared in Fermaus' mind when Delbone said "her". The Psychokinesist that she met in Zuellni. She knew she was in Grendan. Perhaps Delbone was conversing with her now. Fermaus admired her grandmother for being so capable even though she was about to die.
(I understand.)
She couldn't return to the Mercenary Gang anymore. The Fermaus in the Mercenary Gang had died. Then let her accept her new life.
(Then from this moment on, I'm Elsmau Quantis Fora. I'll inherit everything from you.)
(Then I'm leaving everything to you, Elsmau Quantis Fora.)
Delbone seemed to pronounce the name with gritted teeth.
Felli accepted the request at the same time.
(I understand.)
(You've saved us. Then....)
Felli touched her own flake to Delbone's under Delbone's instruction. The flake must be transmitting the information, but it was shocking quick. It only took a split second to finish.
Felli felt something different in her head. Perhaps it was Delbone's information. She could tell where the information was just by concentrating, and the doubt in her vanished during the process.
(Then I'm leaving it to you.)
Some other noise was mixed in with the words in Felli's head.
Because the conversation was voiceless, Felli felt Delbone's concentration was now on something behind her.
Standing in a distance behind Felli were the three boy and girls. Anri waved when she saw Felli look at them.
(I've been watching this city for a long time. In it are happiness, sadness, anger, amusement, confusion, argument, joy, blessing, fortune, misfortune, failure and strength. Things that exist and don't exist no matter where it is. Even this city is just a normal city. There are people living in it.)
Even a little girl like Anri would greet Delbone enthusiastically after seeing her flake. This meant Delbone had been constantly protecting the city through Psychokinesis.
(No matter how you decide to live, it'll never change that you are you. But whether you can see the value of being yourself is up to you.)
(..........)
(I've lived a very good life.)
When Felli turned around, the butterfly-shaped flake lost its radiance to fall into Felli's hand.
◇
She ran as she looked at the monster's figure. She watched Grendan being swallowed and heard the voice of the gigantic monster with man heads. She saw the thin haze drifting beside her, heard the monster's howl at the moon, saw the lightning that fell like decoration on the monster's body.
"A guy you can't joke around with," Sharnid swallowed at the scenery. He didn't know what to say.
Nina was the same.
But she couldn't stand here and space out because she came back to Zuellni by leaving behind Layfon and Felli. She must protect Zuellni from this monster before Zuellni could move again.
But the monster hadn't attacked Zuellni till now.
"Anyway, I can't let down my guard...."
But she couldn't see they were safe. Either way, it was the truth that they were in a crisis and Zuellni couldn't move.
She must confirm the situation with the Student President.
And so she had been running and she moved her gaze away from the monster. The Student President should be in the shelter, or Nina probably thought that Zuellni's Psychokinesists would find her if she kept running.
This expectation soon became reality.
(Nina, it's good you're safe.)
It was Vance's voice.
"Military Arts Head? Where are you?"
The Psychokinesist controlling the flake replied instead and told her the location. She would see it once she went passed the bridge.
(We'll leave the details till you get here.)
"Roger."
Nina nodded put her concentration back on running.
Once could still see some of the sunlight even though a thin layer of dark cloud covered Zuellni's sky. The gray sky looked peaceful. Next to Nina was the city's leg that was destroyed in the fight against the aged phase filth monster. The city's self-repair system was doing its work, but the progress had only made it up several levels. The vine-like things stretching out from where the leg broke off must function like a human being's nerves. It hurt just to look at it.
Nina's chest hurt.
Zuellni was a terrible state but she herself went chasing after the unknown.
"I mustn't allow any more harm to Zuellni," she said to herself and felt more strength in her legs.
Vance was at a location much further away from the outer edge. The buildings destroyed by the giants hadn't been repaired yet. Vance and the others were hiding behind the skeletons of the buildings, using them as the last defensive line.
"We've tried to understand the situation on the other side," Vance immediately answered her question. "Our flakes had tried infiltrating but had failed. We haven't found any areas for infiltration. That monster is covering the entire city, not leaving any cracks."
Vance's words carried a sense of abandonment. But this couldn't be helped. Those giants who attacked the city were already outside one's knowledge base. This time the event was even more incredible. On the other hand, it was commendable that he didn't give up his command but was calmly arranging the defense of the city and giving out commands. And it was commendable for those Military Artists who didn't run away but chose to stay behind to protect this place.
"Gorneo and the others have returned, but that became like that after they returned, so no one knows the situation in Grendan."
"Gorneo and the others were in Grendan?"
She didn't know about that, but Grendan was Gorneo's home city, so he must have his own reason for entering Grendan.
"Uh, those two have exhausted much of their strength. You were there too. How's the situation?"
Nina told him what she knew. Vance and the other Military Artists didn't look good at the beginning of her narrative. Their expressions turned worse as her narrative progressed.
".... It seems it isn't a situation we can do anything with...." Vance pressed his forehead with a hand as if to relax his headache.
"But we can't do nothing."
"I know, but if what's happening in Grendan happens here, we've no strategy against it."
Nina didn't have any good strategies too. All she had was the strong resolve to protect Zuellni. She would keep on fighting even if she was the only person left. But this resolve wasn't a good strategy.
"All we can do now is pray the people of Grendan can defeat this monster."
Zuellni had no future if they couldn't defeat it. Everyone understood this ending. And Nina knew she shouldn't say anything reckless when they had no strategies, but she wouldn't lose out in air.
This was simple. She had been holding tightly to this simple thing. She didn't feel regret for the effort she put into becoming stronger, but she somehow felt that a part of her had gone lazy if she kept holding onto this simple thinking.
But there was no change to what she should be doing.
She would obey her will and keep on fighting no matter how desperate the situation was.
No matter how strong she had become, what she could do now was about the same as the time when the larvae attacked the city. They might have won the battle without Layfon at the cost of many sacrifices, but they won without any casualties because Layfon was here. Could Nina become the Layfon back then?
She asked herself. What would the power of the Haikizoku do to that monster?
And what was Layfon doing now?
They had lost contact with him after Layfon left for the orphanage. Felli hadn't told them anything. Nina didn't think he would die, but then she had just seen his defeated self. And right now, she couldn't contact Felli.
So she must protect Zuellni. She must protect it so Layfon and Felli could return to it.
Leerin....
They let Nina go after she told them the information she had. Even if they were to hold a strategic meeting, all Nina's information did was tell them how appalling this monster was.
Nina sat on the debris and watched Grendan. What good way was there to defeat this monster? But she couldn't come up with a conclusion. She was only losing her time.
What appeared in her heart was her desire and worry to save Layfon and Felli and about Leerin. She had to save her if Leerin didn't return to Grendan out of her own free will. But she didn't feel she had the right to do this. Leerin was her friend, but she came to Zuellni for Layfon, and so Layfon should be the one saving her. Either way, she herself...... Nina couldn't do it. In that case, she should prioritized protecting Zuellni.
This was all she could do even if the event unfolding before her was related to the survival of this world.
"But......"
She held tightly to the flake in her hand and looked at the monster.
(Nina Antalk?)
The voice from the flake jolted her awake. This wasn't Vance's voice.
"Student President?"
The owner of the voice was Karian.
".... I'm sorry. Felli.."
(I've heard the gist of it from Vance. Never mind that. Excuse me, can you come down to the Mechanical Department immediately?)
"Uh?"
She thought Karian would be more worried about Felli, but then she remembered that he wasn't one to take of his personal things first in a crisis. Besides, she was keen on his reason behind his request.
"Did anything happen?"
It was Nina's first time to hear the voice of an Electronic Fairy when she had a dream in Grendan. Zuellni's voice. Did anything happen to her?
(Just head over first.)
The flake left after that.
Nina was thinking of leaving too, but now she really had to leave. Sharnid was with Dalshena and Naruki who were waiting for their injuries to heal. Nina greeted them and then left by herself.
That place wasn't that far for the feet of a Military Artist. Nina arrived at it and entered the Mechanical Department. There were students there fixing up the place. The heat inside was much hotter than better.
"You're here."
Karian walked out of the restroom that the cleaners of the Mechanical Depart-->>