, a familiar feeling ran through Layfon.

She readied her fighting stance. Layfon knew she'd then breathe in deeply and allowed the Kei to flood her body.

The iron whips struck downwards or to the sides. She received, let the pressure slide off a side, and struck back at an imaginary enemy.

Nina's body spun left and right, sometimes staying in one place as if defending against repeated heavy strikes, sometimes running forward as if attacking, charging in.

Nina practiced all the moves she knew.

There was no delay or hesitation in her movements. Each move flowed smoothly into the next.

It was an Art, and it had a frightening air.

All three girls except Layfon were holding their breath.

Nina was like a first class dancer, showing every scene of the world in her movements. At the same time, she was like a mad fighter, fighting against everything in the world.

Meishen and the other two girls had already seen Nina training last night, but watching her for a second time did not reduce their amazement. They watched her wordlessly.

Layfon fixed his gaze on Nina, watching the light of Kei emitting from her. Her flow of Kei was brighter than the Kei she showed in team training. But unlike the first time, when Nina's Kei was so dazzling that he could not look directly at her, a shadow now traced her Kei.

It was meaningless to judge one's strength by the light of Kei, since the two held no relation to each other.

Layfon wasn't sure whether he should to be happy or not about the change in Nina's flow of Kei.

He was just saddened for some reason.

The remaining Kei dispersed from her body like steam, giving off light and floating up into the air as though like something finally being released. From her fingertips, shoulders, neck, head, back, toes....The remaining Kei shook like strings. The strings wove together to become one and stretched out to the sky like something struggling against a force too heavy to resist.

What a tragic scene.

And that was where her problem lay.

"What a mess," Layfon murmured, earning wide-eyed stares from his companions.

"....Layton?"

"Huh? But I think she's amazing....?" Mifi asked and looked at Naruki. Naruki didn't seem to understand Layfon. She wore a perplexed expression.

"Is something wrong?"

"The problem's not with the Kei flow or her movements...." No, that 'was' the problem. Internal-type Kei would not strengthen the entire body. What it did was coordinate a person's movements and cause changes accordingly, making the moves faster and stronger. It was a type of training like Whirl Kei, generating sudden and speedy changes. But in Nina's training, there were many redundant moves.

Layfon didn't want to point that out. Her weakness could be improved, given more training.

"It's not a problem that she trains by herself. Military Artists are always lonely. One must face oneself and struggle hard to become strong. Nobody can help you, and it's not something you'll ask someone for help with, but...." he shook his head.

How could he put it? He hadn't yet organized his own emotions, so no words surfaced in his mind. He failed to find suitable words.

"She's too reckless," he said in the end.

The way she dispersed her Kei was like she was drowning, struggling to hold onto anything, even a bunch of wheat, but even so, it still wasn't enough to escape the flood.

She could only sink.

What would happen if she continued to sink....

"....If she keeps this up, she'll break."

"Yes...." Naruki nodded in realization.

Nina had classes and training in the Military Arts course, then team training after class and individual training after that, janitorial duties in the Engine Room after all of that and then individual training again....Just when did she sleep? Did she get enough rest? Looking at her, she had probably spent most of her time training alone when she wasn't at her work.

But she would pay a huge price later.

In Grendan, Layfon once had to fight filth monsters for an entire week. A whole week without time to sleep and rest. A week that took away his awareness of time. In the end, he was so debilitated that he couldn't lift a single finger. No matter how he lied to his body, his biological clock went crazy afterward. A twist of the normal pattern appeared. He spent two whole weeks resting before he could return to duty.

"....We must stop her," Meishen said.

Layfon agreed. But how? It was easy to say you'd damage your body....But Nina knew that too.

Layfon knew training was not enough for Nina to reach what she wanted, and he didn't know what advice to give in that area. Sure, he knew on a basic level how one became strong. The head of the orphanage was the first person to teach him the way of the Katana.

Nobody was born with an innate understanding of the Military Arts.

But teaching Nina the Katana wasn't what she needed.

She needed better training in the basics, but....

Layfon couldn't teach her his training in Kei flow. He had already passed that phase of needing someone to teach him how to handle the flow of Kei at a very young age. He could teach Nina some simple steps, but he didn't have the confidence to teach the deeper theories. He knew his own knowledge in this area wasn't an easy thing for others to obtain.

Maybe it'd be presumptuous of him to say this, but what he meant was the ability of a genius. It would be difficult to pass on all of his instincts, instincts that a genius possessed and made real. And as such, none of the other Heaven's Blade successors had apprentices. All they did was concentrate on their own training.

"We're the rarest of the rare, special and strange. We're humans but not entirely humans. Even if we pass on our knowledge, it'd only be one-thousandth, one-ten thousandth, one-billionth. We're those kinds of people, off the beaten path."

Lintence had said that when Layfon was slowly getting the hang of how to control the steel threads technique.

"I taught you this skill as a small experiment. You've reached one-thousandth of my level, but it isn't possible for you to get any better at it. Even if you can control billions of steel threads, they still aren't as sharp as the point of your Katana. It's better for you to use the Katana when you're in a crisis."

Layfon wasn't disappointed at those words. He understood and accepted it. This reality hadn't changed. He felt the running of his Kei flow the best when he held a Katana - not steel threads.

Why was there a difference? He couldn't pass on his skill to Nina when he was unable to explain his own skill.

He shook his head. She would have asked him already if she had wanted to learn from him.

"....Layton?"

Against Meishen's question, he had no idea how to show them his helplessness at Nina's situation.

"Can't we do anything?"

He shook his head.

"Probably....No, I don't know. We can tell her she's training too recklessly, that she'll seriously injure her body; but is there a purpose to this? There's something she wants to achieve even though she's like this. I find it meaningless to tell her to stop training when we can't help her at all."

Nina wanted to become stronger.

She had always wanted to become stronger. This wasn't some sudden idea of hers.

But....

"Why's she only doing this now? Because she lost the match? Is that all?" Mifi asked reflexively.

Layfon couldn't think of any other reason, but doubt remained. Was that all, really?

"....I think I understand," Naruki said.

They all looked at her.

"This is how I felt when I asked for Layton's help awhile ago. Layton's too strong, so I feel that I can't fight beside you. I don't know how to feel about this other than that. You can say that's how Military Artists think. This feeling is lonely and regretful....Frankly, I'm also jealous. The feeling of only being able to rely on another's power is hard, especially for me as a Military Artist. I think it's harder for her as the captain of the team that you're in."

Listening to that reminded Layfon of Sharnid testing his new Dite.

Though Sharnid had laughed, saying that sniping was not enough for him, that might not have been the only reason. Did Sharnid ask Harley to make him new Dites because of the feeling that Naruki held? And Nina too?

No, she must be criticizing herself even more intensely than Sharnid, right? Because she strongly wanted to save this city....

"If that's the case, then I don't have anything to say...."

It was natural for a Military Artist to want to become strong.

"....But why?" Meishen said.

"Hmm?" Layfon responded. Meishen, not being a Military Artist herself, wouldn't understand....He could think that about her, but the way she voiced her suspicion sounded like more than mere doubt.

Meishen said something vague, but changed her mind. "....I know the captain wants to be stronger, but why can't Layton do anything? Why does Layton have to do anything?"

At first, he didn't understand what she was getting at.

"....The captain wants to become stronger so she can win, right? Does she want the entire platoon to become strong? In that case, it's not just Layfon, but everyone together...."

Was it alright to become stronger alone or was it better to become stronger together? Which one was it? Layfon thought that it was the same either way.

"Together?" he asked.

Meishen nodded, her face all red.

"Together...."

"What's so strange about that?" Mifi asked.

He felt as if something was stuck in his throat, preventing him from speaking.

"I see, it's that simple...." Naruki said, touching her chin.

Something sounded strange. The sound of flowing Whirl Kei had stopped.

Layfon was the first to look over, then Naruki and the other two girls.

Nina had fainted.

◇

It didn't take long to get to the hospital. Layfon had carried Nina to the hospital and the medical students on the night shift had quickly prepared a room for them. The doctor that had been napping came over to do a simple checkup and ordered the nurses to get someone over and prepare an IV. During this time, Layfon had called Harley, and as he was about to return to the patient's room he met Naruki, Mifi and Meishen.

It was now another shift. A different doctor was checking up on Nina. The nurses had changed Nina into patient clothes that were open at the back.

The doctor was placing needles into Nina's back.

"He specializes in Kei vein treatment," the nurse said to Layfon.

"Is this 3rd year Nina Antalk!?" the doctor said, displeased. Could it be because of sleepiness? His eyes looked quite sleepy.

Layfon nodded.

"I never thought a 3rd year in Military Arts could faint in such a stupid way."

"Is it serious?"

"There's a decreasing level of function in her internal organs. She lacks nutrients and has overworked her muscles....Anyway, everything about her is weak. The simple cause is the overworking of the Kei vein."

As expected.

"Kei can strengthen body functions and speed up healing, but the source of the Kei vein is the flow caused by human activities. Military Artists have a special organ to generate Kei flow, but the basics are the same. No, to a Military Artist, this is the same as increasing their weakness, because that organ is the same as a heart or a brain. If it's damaged, then they might die," the doctor said as he placed more tiny needles into Nina's back. From her waist going upward, as if the needles were mapping out some sort of a terrain.

"Even if the brain's damaged, one can still live in a vegetative state. If a heart's damaged, we can give them an artificial heart. But this is the only organ that is irreplaceable. If the Kei vein is damaged beyond repair, then it's over. I think I said that already in class, that it has to be looked after carefully," he said, continuing to place tiny needles on his patient's back. Although there weren't any professionals in the Academy City, this doctor's skill seemed reliable enough.

"Can she be cured?"

"This isn't fatal. I'm using acupuncture to strengthen her flow of Kei."

Layfon relaxed.

"But she can't move for now, and she can't participate in the next platoon match."

"....Really?"

"Hum? You don't seem shocked?"

"That type of thing means nothing to me."

"It seems like that rumor of the newbie of the 17th platoon being a weirdo really is true."

So there was such a rumor? The needles spread from the waist to Nina's fingernail and heels.

The doctor placed the last needle on Nina's left heel, and massaged his shoulders.

The nurses adjusted the air-conditioner and left the room.

Nina continued to sleep. Layfon's fast and irregular breathing had now calmed down. A relaxed sigh escaped his mouth, and he remembered the three girls waiting in the corridor. He went out to tell them Nina was all right, that they could go home first. It was almost dawn and the girls also had class next.

"What about Layton?"

"I'll stay here a bit then go."

"....Is there anything you need?" Meishen asked.

Layfon didn't understand what she meant.

"....She'll need things, staying in the hospital."

"Ah...."

"Layfon won't be able to prepare everything. We'll bring the things after class."

"Thanks."

"Aah, that's all we can do for her," Mifi said as he escorted them to the lobby.

And he saw Harley.

Representing the other two, who weren't here, Harley's face was stiff and green. "How's Nina?"

"She's sleeping."

"I see....Is she all right?"

"She won't be able to participate in the next match."

"That can't be helped," Harley said without resistance. He sighed, relaxed after knowing Nina was all right. "Don't you think it's a shame?"

"What's important is the real match, right?"

"True."

Harley's reply gave Layfon courage. To Layfon, the platoon match wasn't at all important, but he wasn't sure whether Nina felt the same.

"I've contacted the other two. I think they'll be here soon....But they aren't the hasty types, huh?" Harley shrugged, not at all criticizing their slowness.

They returned to the patient's room. Harley gasped at the needles covering her body, but he breathed out slowly after seeing her sleeping face.

And suddenly directed his gaze to the wall. His face turned red.

"Can we cover her?"

"....The nurses didn't. If we do it ourselves, it seems...."

Layfon understood Harley's meaning, and he also felt heat creeping up his own face.

After knocking quietly on the door, Felli walked in.

"....What're you doing?" she asked coolly, her gaze sweeping across Nina, her underclothes illuminated by the light, and the two young men.

Losing interest at her tongue-tied teammates, Felli observed Nina's face. After confirming that Nina was all right, she once again put her face closer to the captain's.

Felli was in uniform. It was not yet dawn, but neither her hair nor uniform showed signs of her having slept.

Layfon was peeking at the two girls. Felli moved her gaze away and looked at him.

He hastily moved his gaze back to the wall.

"Pervert."

"I didn't see anything."

"Giving that response means you're a pervert."

Unable to fight back, he could only moan.

"Never mind, that's not important. What's important is...." Her gaze landed on Harley, then she took out a big envelope from her bag.

"My brother gave me this."

Layfon read the letter.

He had already guessed the contents of the letter before Felli opened the envelope. And after observing Harley's reaction, stiffening and recovering and then looking at Nina, Layfon understood more.

Back at the bed, Felli was checking whether Nina was truly asleep.

Inside the envelope was a photo.

"This is the second image from the drone."

The image was the same as the last one, but it was clearer and sharper. Maybe because it was closer to the city.

That thing was fastened high on the face of a mountain. Was it sleeping? Its wings were folded, laying on top of each other. Its body was curled up.

A filth monster.

It was a male....In which phase? Layfon couldn't judge from the photo.

If only it would continue to sleep; but this hope was far from possible.

"Has the city....Has Zuellni changed direction?"

When a city detected a filth monster, it'd take evasive action. Every mobile city acted this way, including Zuellni.

Felli shook her head. "Zuellni's still heading straight in that direction. At this rate, it'll encounter the filth monster the day after tomorrow."

The day after tomorrow....Was the weekend, and the day of the platoon match. It appeared that the 17th platoon would have to give up on the match.

Layfon sighed. He put the photo back inside the envelope and returned it to Felli.

"The Dite's ready. You can use it anytime," Harley said.

"The combat gear for external use is ready. My brother wants you to depart tomorrow night if possible."

"I understand."

"Are you afraid?" Felli suddenly asked.

"Hm?"

"Of fighting the filth monster."

"Well...."

Of course he was afraid. That line touched his lips but did not leave them. It wasn't because he thought he'd lose face by confirming his fear, but he hesitated at the expectation and hope in Felli's eyes.

"It's a bit late for you to be asking that question."

"That's....true."

As if imitating Layfon, wanting to say something and deciding not to, Felli's lips opened and closed. She sighed, a sigh of one who knew how many times cuter and more beautiful that sigh could be.

"Can't you stop....?" she murmured. Confirming Nina's condition once more, she left the room.