Volume 2, Chapter 4: Run the Entire Lap

At the same time Layfon was whispering to himself....

The heavy iron whips hung listlessly from her hands. Nina felt like she was suffocating, unable to stop her panting. She was sucking in air, yet her body wanted more. Despite the pain, she attempted to slow down her breathing.

She was so exhausted that her legs shook and pleaded with her to lie down, but she desperately kept standing, and slowly let her body cool off. Proper breathing technique was basic for controlling Kei. She mustn't disturb it. Her body must not rest immediately. Everything had to gradually calm down.

On top of the drumming of blood bombarding her ears, the sound of friction from the movements of gigantic multi-legs of the city echoed from below. The city's edge was the only place right now that was quiet and secluded enough, a place without people where Nina would not be scolded.

"....Great!"

Gaining control of her breathing, she lifted the iron whips again. In fact, she looked as if she was forcing herself, but she could keep going as long as she extended her Kei through her entire body. She controlled her breathing for that purpose.

Conscious and aware of the place she was standing, the place where Layfon had shown his strength, Nina danced alone with the iron whips.

What could she do to become stronger?

Basic moves flowed into more complicated moves.

When using a weapon, most moves were variations of the three stages of movement: retrieve, hold with increasing strength, and attack. For a sword, it was slash. For a spear or staff, it was stab and hit.

It wasn't meaningless to repeat her moves. While the mind failed to keep up at the other end of the ladder, the body instinctively repeated familiar movements. The repetitive movements increased Nina's physical strength, which would be helpful when she fought.

"Fu....Ha, ha, ha, ha...."

And then she rested again. Controlling her breathing, she took out a towel from her bag to wipe away her sweat. When the school year started, a bone-chilling cold would immediately cool down the body, but it was better now. Even at night. Zuellni was probably heading towards a warmer climate. Because of that, the heat from Nina's body took some time to dissipate. Irritated at the sweat continuously pouring from her skin, she lifted her head to watch the night sky through the invisible air shield.

And like that, she sat down on the ground.

The cold, hard ground felt good to her. Exhausted and feeling she didn't have the strength to stand up again, she sat there to look at the sky. Only a half moon floated above her, with the endless darkness serving as a backdrop. The existence of the moon seemed to point to the boundary of the night.

The iron whips, turned back into simple Dites, fell to Nina's sides. Still gazing at the moon, she touched them with her fingers. To look at the moon as if reflected in her eyes, she felt for an instant that she could touch it. She didn't reach out a hand. It was embarrassing, and she knew she couldn't possibly touch the moon.

"....It's so far away," she said.

As if it was within reach, but it actually wasn't. The moon existed between illusion and reality. It made people think it was within reach, but it was billions of Jimels away from Nina. Her arm wasn't long enough to touch the moon.

Even so, she thought there must be a way.

If her arm wasn't long enough, then she'd fly up there....

"Ah...."

She laughed, knowing how ridiculous it was. She couldn't fly in the sky. This dream was meaningless. What was meaningful was her weakness, for wanting to rely on such an unrealistic way to reach the moon.

"This....Won't do."

She didn't think it was meaningless to repeat the moves she'd learned, as they were directly related to her growth. She had been training like this from the very beginning. The very beginning, when she knew she had discovered Kei and decided to become a Military Artist.

She didn't think she would become strong all of a sudden by repeating the same movements.

Was there a faster way....?

She understood that was just a wish. A wish not grounded in reality. She couldn't help but think of it though, and that irritated her.

"Damn!"

She should become stronger if she trained at this pace. She believed if she was industrious and put more time and effort into it, she could catch up to Layfon. But how much time would she need to reach his level? One year? Two years? Impossible....It wasn't that simple.

She had only reached her current level, after living all these years. One or two years of hard work weren't enough for her to catch up to Layfon, who was one, three, probably many more times stronger than her.

And she didn't even have one year.

"I won't make it!"

What she needed wasn't a possibility in the future, but what she could reach for now. To balance the unbalanced 17th platoon, she must become stronger. Only she could make it happen. She had decided to protect Zuellni.

"Can't I make it?"

Her hand slowly moved from the iron whip towards the moon.

Her finger caressed the air and touched the moon before her eyes.

Imagining touch.

Imagining success.

Yet she knew this was meaningless....

"Ahhhh!"

Watching the hazy moon, she lowered her wrist. Was this bitter regret or jealousy? Facing the Layfon who possessed what she desired....

And....That letter.

She had read the letter that had fallen out of the envelope. The impatience and anxiety inside her became more intense after she read the letter, along with her growing desire to catch up to him.

She didn't know what to think of Leerin, the girl who understood Layfon more than Nina did.

Increasing anxiety. Irritation.

"Is this the end?"

She wiped the sweat off her brow and suddenly stood up.

"It can't end here!"

She picked up the iron whips.

The night was still long. Time was limited, but it should be enough. She believed so....

"HA!"

She started her flow of Kei.

◇

The next platoon match was set for next weekend.

A sigh burst out of Layfon.

He hadn't had a chance to see Nina recently.

It wasn't easy to bump into her as they were in different grades. During training, time passed without giving them room to chat privately, and once training finished, Nina left the room immediately.

They hadn't even met in the Engine Room. Somehow, they had been separated and placed in different groups. They now had different janitorial responsibilities.

Losing the chance to talk to Nina forced him further from the truth. Moreover, he didn't have much spare time as he had to test Harley's invention and attend meetings with Karian and the other Alchemists.

Although he didn't have the time to stand still, he wasn't worried about it.

But-

"How come you seem to be so busy these days?" Mifi asked.

It was now lunch break. They were eating Meishen's special bento on the rooftop of the school building. Long benches lined the metal fences around the rooftop.

"Huh? Do I look that way?"

"Yeah."

"....Mmh," Meishen nodded.

Layfon scratched his head.

"We wanted to hang out with you after you were done with training, but you're always going somewhere. And I specifically picked a time that you didn't have work!"

How did she know his shifts in the Engine Room? Mifi's ability to gather intelligence was terrifying.

"Maybe he's busy because it's almost time for the next platoon match?" Naruki said.

"Huh~~ But I planned to catch Layfon when he wasn't training. Isn't this strange?" Mifi said. Layfon was right before her, but she was indifferent to how she appeared to be gossiping about him.

Besides, Naruki didn't seem to believe the reason she herself gave, as if she only said it to eliminate one possibility and force Layfon to tell the truth. "Then, what other reasons are there?"

Beautifully shooting down Naruki's guess, Mifi cut straight into the chase. "Is this secret preparation for the platoon match?"

"Why do you sound suspicious?"

"Eehhhh, why?"

"You're joking."

"I'm not joking. I'm serious."

"Uh?"

Mifi stared at him. He looked down at the bento.

"Have you got a woman?"

"....Why do you think that?"

"Well, you're always with senpai lately. Isn't that right? Senpai stands out a lot, so you can't hide it."

"No, that's not it!" Layfon waved his hands, noticing how Meishen's face had gone white.

"Our dormitories just lie in the same direction."

"So because they're in the same direction, you have dinner with her all the time?"

"....How come you know about that too?"

Yes, since that night at the battle arena, he had had dinner a few times with Felli. It was Karian's treat, but the Student President had never come to dinner with them. Felli was the only one eating with him.

"Don't underestimate my information network!"

It was another arrow to his chest.

"No, it was just a coincidence."

Layfon tried to make up another reason, but he could tell from Mifi's eyes that she was still suspicious.

"Really? Her level of beauty and cuteness is shocking. When two people are alone, don't they just....start shooting out the energy of youth meaninglessly? Because of a moment of thunder and fire, don't they think they are permitted to do anything and so derail off into the lust of youth?"

"....I'm having trouble following you."

"In other words, have you pushed her down yet?"

"I wish you wouldn't use such clear words...." He shook his head. He didn't have the courage to do such a thing to Felli. No, no, no. He didn't mean he'd do something if he had the courage....

"So just what are you doing?"

"...."

"Uh....Is it something you can't talk about?"

"I was asked not to."

Karian asked him to keep it a secret. To students who hadn't fought filth monsters, news of filth monsters in the direct path of the city would be a huge shock to them. Just like in the previous assault, when it was so chaotic within the city that students failed to follow the proper defensive procedures.

They tried to plan better for when the next wave of filth monsters hit, but that couldn't be done overnight. And the only person who could fight back against this threat was Layfon. Hence, it was best to have Layton solve everything while everyone remained ignorant.

"Boooooooring."

She stared at him for a while and gave up.

"Mi....?"

"This is boring. I'm gonna go to eat by myself." She raised a hand and left the rooftop.

"Geez....She didn't have to throw a tantrum like a kid," Naruki said, standing up."I'm sorry. Please don't be mad."

"No, this is my fault."

"Really....Maybe, but her demand is unreasonable," Naruki shrugged and looked at the uneasy Meishen.

"I'm going to stay with Mi. Please take care of Mei."

Naruki took her bento and left.

"....Ah."

While Meishen stammered, Naruki disappeared from the rooftop.

(Why do I feel like this has happened before..)

"Sorry," Layfon apologized.

"....You're not the bad one here, Layton." Meishen shook her head like a bell.

"But still, it is my fault."

"....But, you can't tell the truth, can you?"

"...."

He didn't say anything. If he said "yes" then he was admitting that he was hiding something, and if he said he wasn't hiding anything, that would expose him too.

He couldn't say it, but also didn't want to lie.

He didn't want to lie because it was Meishen and her friends, so he could only shrug.

"....I think we shouldn't ask and listen to what can't be told. I feel that if you want to tell us, you'll tell us one day."

"....Thanks."

"....Mi knows that too."

"I hope so."

"....But, Mi is curious." Meishen smiled. Layfon envied the affection in that smile.

"....If Nakki and I had any secrets, Mi would expose them immediately. But she doesn't know what Layton's hiding, and knowing that you don't want her to know frustrates her."

"She feels frustrated because I don't want her to know?"

"....Mi wants a better relationship with you. With her curiosity, she wants to be close enough to you that you can tell her things on your own. If it's Nakki, she'll do what she can quietly, but me...." She shook her head. "....Especially Nakki, she's impatient too."

"Especially?"

"....Yeah, especially."

"Why?"

"Didn't you help Nakki before? She's impatient because she can't help you out."

"I never knew," Layfon murmured at a loss.

"....Nakki's good at being patient."

"I don't think she has to worry about it. After all, I did get paid," he said, but he knew that wasn't important.

To receive help from someone when she needed it, but unable to help when that person was in trouble. Naruki's feeling of uselessness had nothing to do with Layfon getting paid.

"I see....Um, so it's my fault."

"....No, it's not Layton's fault."

"No, it's my fault."

For not realizing that Meishen and the girls wanted to get closer to him. That was enough to make him at fault.

Thinking back closely, Meishen didn't use to speak that much when they first met each other. She never talked much, always saying very little and giving snippets of words each time, but she was now talking and taking the initiative to get closer to him.

"Do I look troubled?"

"....Not troubled, more like....worried?"

"Worried?"

Layfon didn't get it.

"....Sometimes you seem like that." Meishen frowned.

"....Really?"

"....Yeah."

"I see...."

....And Meishen was always on the verge of tears, but he wouldn't say that even if someone tore his mouth apart.

"....What is it?"

Layfon fell into contemplation.

Worried?

He didn't worry about the filth monsters. There was a high possibility of filth monsters attacking Zuellni. Unable to run away, he had to face the crisis. This feeling was different from worrying. Either way, he was prepared for the reality that filth monsters would come near. Coming back to it, fighting filth monsters was normal in Grendan. Considering that death might become real was indeed a heavy burden, but if he lost to that pressure, he would've died already. To him, the fight of his spirit had already ended.

Then about this worry....

"Ahah...."

"Huh?"

"Ah....Hahaha....So that's why...."

"Huh? Huh?"

"Mi sounded strange, so I got it all wrong."

"Huh!?"

"Ah....But that can't be helped."

"....Wuwu."

"Uh?"

Having laughed for a while, Layfon looked at the wall.

"....Layton...." Face white, Meishen's hands were put together tightly, as if she was praying.

"Meishen....?"

"Um....Well....Ar...."

"Ah, Ahah....No! No....Nothing. Nothing really. I just got something wrong....So, please don't cry?"

And as he comforted the trembling Meishen, he told her the truth.

Naruki and Mifi came back to find Layfon comforting a trembling and nervous looking Meishen. In order to explain he wasn't bullying Meishen, Layfon had no choice but to skip his afternoon classes.

Then he told them the entire truth.

"Uh, the captain doesn't look strange...." Mifi nodded as she played with the empty milk packet.

"Is Layton worrying about her?"

Layfon nodded. "Yes."

"So you want to help her?"

"If I can." He nodded simply, burnt out from explaining things to them.

"Why?"

"Why....?" He sat up straight, surprised by the question.

Both Mifi and Naruki were watching him.

"Because you're both in the same platoon? I thought Layton wasn't interested in the platoon and the platoon matches. If so, then the captain acting weird shouldn't be that bad for you, right?"

"....Mi," Meishen looked at Mifi and Naruki, troubled, then she shook her head as if giving up.

They must have understood something between each other in that split second, but Layfon had no idea what it was. He only knew he was being asked a question.

Why did he have to do something for Nina?

"Is there a need to ask me that difficult a question?"

"Depends on Layton whether it's difficult or not, right?" Naruki said.

"Perhaps," Layfon nodded. Perhaps it wasn't a difficult question, but even if Mifi kept on asking him the same question, he still had no answer to give them.

"Even now, I still don't care about the platoon matches. But my thinking's changed. I want to stay in the platoon until the next real Military Arts competition ends."

"Oh? Is that the awakening of a righteous heart? A little investigation tells me Zuellni's in a crisis. Everyone above the 3rd year knows of it."

"I'm not that good-natured."

"Then what is it?" Mifi said, as if she was reproving him.

"It'll be troubling for me if Zuellni disappears. I can't return to Grendan. If I don't study something here for six years until I graduate, I don't think I can survive in other cities. I don't plan to train in the Military Arts all the way to graduation."

"You're not returning to Grendan?"

Layfon shook his head.

"....You probably know already. My skill in Military Arts doesn't come about through spare training."

"Of course," Naruki shrugged. "If you managed to train up that skill in your spare time, then all the other Military Artists are terribly weak. I guess you had formal training in Military Arts back in Grendan? And you've trained to a level that the Academy City can't teach you anything more in Military Arts. But that's not what I'm concerned with, rather, it's the reality of you wanting to give up Military Arts even though you're so strong."

The three girls watched him, increasing the pressure on him.

They were concerned about his past.

Naruki's mouth moved, preparing to turn her suspicions into clear questions. How should Layfon answer her?

He still didn't think what he did in Grendan was wrong. It didn't go against his sense of morals. But he only knew that what he did had hurt a lot of people.

What would the girls think of him? Shocked? Contemptuous? Would they then leave him?

Thinking of the loneliness made him nervous. How would he feel if Nina found out about it?

"....Isn't this enough?" Meishen said, cutting through his emotions.

"Mei....?"

"....You wouldn't want to listen to Layton's past now, right?"

"Well...."

"But...."

"....If that's the case, then it's enough, isn't it?" Meishen's repeated question silenced the other two girls.

Layfon's reflection danced in the regret and guilt in Meishen's eyes.

"....Sorry, they....and I, just want to understand Layfon more."

"No...."

He failed to speak, his chest feeling hot. He didn't know how to express his weaknesses to them, and he was scared of them knowing his past.

(Really? So I'm already so close to these three.)

He was used to hanging out with them, going to class and studying together. This had become a part of his daily life.

He was scared of losing it.

"....I still like the people on the platoon, so I want to help." He squeezed out those words and was left with nothing to say.

He fell silent.

He understood that just like how he was with Meishen and her friends, he was also enjoying the time he spent with Nina, Felli, Sharnid and Harley.

He was afraid of losing them.

"....In that case, I don't have anything to complain about," Mifi said, but still with suspicion in her voice.

"Aah, I was planning to help from the beginning. The only person who didn't want to was Mifi."

"You're lying, Nakki!"

"I was never suspicious of Layton!"

"Liar. You were concerned too!"

"My concern's not the same as your concern."

"They're the same."

"No."

"The same!"

"No."

"Nakki was concerned about it. Definitely, definitely, definitely concerned about the captain, Felli-senpai and that letter...."

historical

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!"

Meishen suddenly shouted, her face all red. Everyone stared at her, dumbstruck.

"M,Mei..?"

"....!"

Her shoulders heaving, Meishen quickly covered her mouth with her hands.

"Ah...."

"So-Sorry...."

"....Uu...." Tears filled her eyes.

(And I thought I could apologize.)

Meishen had been trying to find an opening to apologize for reading his letter.

But not under these circumstances....

Tears flooded down her cheeks.

This time Layfon was chased away. At a distance, he watched Mifi and Naruki comfort Meishen. Sometimes they said something wrong and made the situation worse. At other times, they mentioned the past and Meishen looked even worse at that. Meishen got angry, and was comforted, and like that the process repeated itself....

Meishen....When the three girls had calmed down, the bell signaling the end of class rang out.

The bell of the last class.

◇

Although they did agree on it, he never thought they'd really come.

"Well then, let me explain our mission."

It was now night, or more like it was almost dawn. Everywhere was still dark and dim, but the sun would rise in two to three hours. They couldn't have stayed awake all night, so they should have been sleeping till now.

Mifi's hair was tangled, the sign of a sleepyhead.

"No, this isn't really a mission," Naruki said to Mifi, who, for some reason, was wearing a long coat and sunglasses.

When the workers had finished cleaning the Engine Room, Meishen, Naruki and Mifi were already waiting for Layfon outside the entrance.

The quartet's breath came out as steam. Meishen had hot tea in her thermos. Everyone enjoyed the hot liquid thankfully.

"Where's the captain?"

"The class leader's called her over. She should still be inside."

"Good. We'll wait here then tail her," Mifi smiled deviously, cupping the cup as steam from the hot tea rose to fog up her sunglasses.

"I think she'll go back to bed like usual...." Layfon said, uncomfortable with her expression.

"Oh, I've been observing her. She trains until it's time to work, so if anything happens, it must happen after work."

"Huh? Has she been training?"

"Yeah, it's pretty scary too, when she trains."

"It's like she's another person."

If even Naruki said so, then the training must have been intense.

"...."

She canceled her training with him, but continued to train by herself.

"I see."

"Hm? What?"

"Uh, nothing."

That confirmed his suspicions.

He glanced at Naruki. She seemed to have arrived at the same conclusion.

"....Ah," called Meishen softly. Everyone looked at the entrance.

Nina was coming out.

Breathing out steamy breaths, cold and shivering, Nina only wore her Military Arts uniform. Did she come straight from the Engine Room without returning to the dormitory? Her work-suit probably was inside the bag she carried. Layfon remembered that Nina had that bag with her when she came to team training.

Even the scattering street light, dim as it was, couldn't cover the shadows of exhaustion on Nina's face, but her pace while walking didn't show her fatigue.

Layfon drained the tea in his cup and tossed the cup into a bin. The four of them waited for Nina to walk ahead a bit before following after her.

Layfon and Naruki decided on how far they had to stay behind Nina. If left to Mifi and Meishen, they'd have been discovered already. Although that was his conclusion, Nina's appearance changed his judgment. Mifi might tail her well even by herself. A kind of tension surrounded Nina, but it looked more like an old wire fence to him. A fence with lots of openings.

"She's very tired," Naruki said in a low voice. Layfon nodded.

What had pushed Nina to this stage? Was it because they lost the platoon match? Could it have been that big of a shock to her? He wasn't sure. No, perhaps he did know. He had tasted failure in Grendan. In order to survive, it was important for him to win again and again. The important point wasn't his life and death, but more his being afraid of encountering a stumbling block in the process of doing what he wanted to do.

Was this the feeling that Nina held?

....Sure. She wanted to protect this city from harm. She said that to him not long ago.

"....She's going somewhere?"

"Probably."

Troubled expressions adorned Meishen and Mifi's faces.

Nina continued towards the outskirts of the city.

The edge of the city was a danger zone, a zone where emergencies tended to arise, so residential and any important buildings were usually built further in from the city's boundary. On the other hand, any buildings close to the danger zone were rented out cheaply.

Layfon didn't know the exact location of Nina's dormitory, but he could guess from the direction she headed after training and cleaning in the Engine Room that her dormitory did not lie on the city's edge.

Nina finally arrived in a clearing devoid of buildings.

The sound coming from the movements of the city's multi-legs rode the wind. Layfon and the girls hid in a forested area. This place was a bit far from the roaming bus station. All they could see was the wind carrying pollutant, a sandstorm rioting outside the air shield.

The wind tonight was especially strong. The sandstorm in the dark looked like some stirring creature.

Meishen held tightly to Layfon's sleeve.

A hazy sky blocked out the traces of the moon. The cloud cover must be very thick.

Nina walked down some stairs to the middle of an amphitheater and dropped the bag from her shoulders.

She took hold of the Dites in her harness.

"Restoration," she said softly. At that sound-->>

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