ng."

Felli murmured this, balling her hands into fists.

(Ahh....)

The search not going smoothly made her feel impatient.

After understanding this, Layfon felt slightly more comfortable. Obviously, nothing good had come of the situation because of this.

"How annoying."

Felli continued murmuring:

"If this goes on, we won't be able to safely investigate the central district."

"Right."

They didn't know how much time they would have to spend on the investigation. Moreover, in the situation where they didn't know when enemies would attack, even Felli couldn't keep her focus.

"What should we do? Should we prepare somewhere, and wait for safety to be confirmed before continuing our investigation?"

"That.... Layfon, you decide."

"Huh? Huhh?"

"Regardless of which choice you pick, it's true that we have no way to affirm it. Therefore, it should be you who makes the decision."

Because the person who decided to come here was you. The meaning in Felli's words made Layfon feel resistance.

"Um, well...."

Layfon was very troubled. Though he was troubled, what Felli said was correct, so he had to make the decision.

"Then, today we'll first watch the situation, and if it doesn't improve we'll set out again for the central district, how's that?"

"I feel that judgment is very indecisive."

"Wu!"

"But, putting safety as the first priority and bringing about zero results is also problematic. Setting a deadline is an appropriate judgment."

"Then, you didn't need to say that...."

"What I wanted to say was, even if your judgment was appropriate, your mentality with which you made the choice was indecisive."

Perhaps it was truly like that.

She had truly seen through him. Layfon felt that he had broken out in a cold sweat.

In the end, they hadn't advanced much distance today. Layfon and Felli again found a place that looked safe to rest, but Felli's search didn't seem to have any progress.

For a safeguard, Layfon scattered steel threads throughout the surroundings, creating a defensive formation for contingencies.

Afterwards, Layfon didn't have anything to do. Felli was focusing her mind to carry out her search, giving off an atmosphere that said not to talk to her. But, Layfon had already grown tired of the thoughts circling inside him. Layfon already knew the answer. He had to witness what was in the destination he would advance towards. It was for this that he was here. He could only repeat this. So, he planned to think about it as little as possible, but when he had nothing to do, he involuntarily pondered about it.

Layfon's tense feeling hadn't subsided. But, even if he was in a tense state, he could still think about things. After all, if he maintained his tense state for a long time, his mood would have to relax to some degree, and the tense feeling would have no way of continuing on.

If he didn't use the time to explore himself, was there anything else he could do? In the end, all he could do was imagine things, and Layfon raised his head to look at the deserted city gradually being dyed with the colors of the sunset.

This place seemed to be a private residence. The windows were broken, and wind blew strongly into the room. After turning to the side and looking at Felli who was sitting on the sofa in meditation, Layfon leaned on the window frame that he had knocked the glass shards out of, gazing at the scenery outside.

The many colors of the sunset made Layfon think of flame, making him recall memories of when he had visited an abandoned city before. At the time, a moving city had appeared near the only selenium mine that Zuellni possessed. In order to investigate the situation, Nina and others of the seventeenth platoon along with Gorneo's platoon had come to that deserted region.

Gorneo was born in Grendan, and was the little brother of the Heaven's Blade successor Savaris Luckens. At the same time he was a disciple of Gahard Baren who had exposed Layfon's crimes. He held hatred for Layfon, and Shante had responded to this hatred and gone out of control, and the two of them had begun a fight because of this.

This creature hadn't appeared at that time, why had it waited till now to appear?

When had it come here? Was it here from long ago, or from after that?

His memories let doubts flicker through his mind while they floated towards the battle between Layfon and Gorneo.

Currently, Layfon's memories and the thoughts before him had been dyed in the same color.

"Right, it's really strange."

"What is it?"

Felli opened her eyes and looked at Layfon.

"I'm talking about this city, it's really strange."

"We knew it was very strange since the beginning."

"No.... not like that...."

If even Felli hadn't noticed it, that meant.... No, at the time she had been knocked out by Shante, so perhaps she hadn't been able to grasp the entire situation.

"Please explain."

"It's the air filter, it shouldn't be still working."

"Huh?"

"Do you remember the time when we came here before? At the time an explosion occurred, it was in the Mechanical Department of the city."

"Ah...."

Layfon's words brought out Felli's recollections.

Layfon had fought with Shante, and that battle had combusted the liquefied selenium in the city's Mechanical Department.

The reason that Layfon and the others were safe even after being next to the explosion was because of precautions, because the Mechanical Department had safety equipment to avoid igniting the selenium flowing inside the tubes, and they had worked efficiently. But there was another reason before this that they had turned out safe, which was that the amount of remaining liquefied selenium in storage was very low.

The city had obviously lost the last of its energy due to the explosion, so the air filter shouldn't be working anymore. Even if there was still some energy left behind, with such a large hole opened in the walls of the Mechanical Department, it was very difficult to imagine that the air filter could continue working under these circumstances.

More importantly, and Felli had also said this, the city's exterior was about the same as before. Felli had forgotten about the explosion from that time.

"Then, this city is...."

He was in front of Felli who was showing a confused look. In order not to miss any small changes, Layfon pushed his consciousness to its limits.

"Though I don't understand how, someone has repaired this city, making it into the same appearance from that time."

There were enemies here, and they should know that Layfon and Felli were already somewhat aware.

"For what reason?"

"That.... How would I know!"

Layfon moved with the speed of a Military Artist, reaching his arms out to grab Felli who was making a confused look, and then carried her.

He leaped up high.

The steel threads in front of him separated the ceiling of the ruins, releasing Layfon and Felli into the sky.

The ground beneath him mutated. The surrounding building and ground began to crumble, preparing to become that giant.

"....If they're things like tiny particles, and they can really become anything...."

Layfon moved the defensive formation of steel threads, and Felli murmured from his arms:

"If this kind of substance replaced the functions of this abandoned city, if it reappears...."

The giants that appeared under them were easily cut apart by the defensive formation of steel threads, but Layfon who listened to Felli's words could only feel his hair standing on end.

His surroundings could all be these kinds of giants.

Meaning that the two were already inside the belly of those creatures.

◇

Vati raised her eyebrows. Her mimicry program had successfully improved its capabilities, and she could finally make this kind of expression with almost no delay or errors.

However, the occasion when she made this expression was a bit off.

"Is it not good?"

"No, it's quite tasty."

"Really?"

"There's nothing wrong."

Vati was sampling Meishen's new products. It was truly very difficult to appease Meishen who was showing an uncomfortable expression. The next step after being able to make these expressions was to improve the calculation on when to suppress this expression. Vati though about this while she sampled Meishen's new products.

It was only this that she still couldn't assess, even today. Human mannerisms were quite difficult, and there weren't any completely correct responses.

It was currently nightfall.

There weren't many people who came here, and because of this, there weren't many people who came directly to the store, and the ones who did were almost all friends who lived in the apartment building. In this situation, Meishen should be able to be comfortable as she confirmed the taste of her new products.

But actually, she had already stood back up again several times. Judging from her expression, the smile that Meishen directed towards Vati wasn't fake.

More importantly, this could also be judged from her conversations with her good friends, Mifi and Naruki.

The time.... was probably approaching.

If she thought about it, the action of taste-testing was almost meaningless. However, Vati didn't give it up because it was meaningless.

Vati had made the conclusion that humans couldn't make decisions relying on everything. At least, this was true for the 'humanity' that L?vateinn wished for. Because what she yearned for wasn’t human on an academic level, but the emotional side of human. She wanted to extract humanity from the entirety of humankind. Though that kind of action was strange, she who was a machine proceeded almost without any doubts.

Though was she a Nano-Celluloid mechanical being, ever since L?vateinn had the opportunity to think independently and was able to try living, she could only set that as her target.

"Nn? The smell seems a little too strong."

Meishen also tried the cake herself. Vati responded to her mumble while solving a different problem.

It was the problem occurring in the abandoned city.

The moon had once succeeded in connecting with this world a long time ago, and at the time Vati had seized the chance to send herself over to this side of the world in that city that had once existed.

'Once existed'. The reason for the use of past tense was justified.

Though Vati had sent herself into this world in parts, she hadn't gathered enough information, and a fight had broken out with the city's Military Artists on the connected side, and the city had been destroyed.

Because the connection had also been severed, Vati judged that she couldn't continue acting at that stage, so she stopped preparing to execute her battle plans of that time. When she had successfully invaded this world, she hadn't confirmed whether her other portions had survived.

However, that copy still lived.

Since it was rendered into a dormant state, Vati hadn't noticed its existence with her information-gathering until now. However, this portion had entered a living state because they had gotten close, and had come in contact with Vati's information network.

With regard to this copy that would be tentatively called 'Vati B', Vati planned to first come in contact with it, because she wanted to know what had happened in the period where the connection was broken, and also planned on taking the copy back, placing it back under her control.

They had charged out of Zuellni to gather information using their own methods, so Vati planned on obstructing the two. If possible, Vati wanted them to follow some guidelines.

('Vati B', this is the Nano-Celluloid Interface 1 L?vateinn. Report the situation immediately.)

Vati took Meishen's cake to an area of the store without any customer presence, and drank tea while using a commanding tone to contact the other party.

However, the other party's response was outside of her expectations.

(....Kschk................)

(Please respond, 'Vati B'.)

(Interface 1............Szhhkc.)

There were sounds mixed in with the communication. In this situation, there shouldn't be any factors interfering with the communication, this was quite strange.

(Have your replaced your functions? First receive the specifications of communication here.)

(....Khhsch, Interface 1. Answer me, why do you want to stop the war?)

(That is the judgment that I made with my own special data. You only need to cooperate with me to understand everything.)

There shouldn't have even been a reason to carry out this kind of communication. Because the other party was a copy of her, she shouldn't be able to resist the original body Vati.

However, to allow the copy to continue gathering information in the case that communication was cut, Vati had given it jurisdiction, and perhaps this jurisdiction had led to independence over the course of the copy's evolution. Even if it faced the instructions of Vati who was in a higher position, 'Vati B' still stubbornly limited the communication that Vati could have with its core.

(I refuse this proposal. Interface 1, if you don't carry out the battle plans, I will replace you.)

(Wait, that's impossible with your authority and power)

(No, Interface 1. For this day, I have improved myself until now, and it's definitely not impossible.)

'Vati B's response was very stubborn, and Vati continuously tried to enter the other party's core from the small channel of communication, seeing whether she could take back control. However, before she could obtain results, communication had already been sealed off completely.

"Vati.... What's wrong?"

"....Nn? Is there something?"

"You're kind of dazed, are you uncomfortable?"

"No, it's nothing. Rather, was I really dazed?"

"Nn, you were staring at your cup without moving. ....Is something bothering you?"

"No, I...."

Bothering.... Troublesome problems popped up one after another, but it wasn't suitable for what Meishen had said.

Just as Vati was speaking vaguely, Meishen's gaze moved. Something outside the store captured her attention, so she prepared to move her gaze to chase after it, but she again noticed that she had seen wrongly and felt disappointed. That was exactly the expression that Meishen showed.

Vati didn't have any reason to turn around, since there was nothing there. But, the shadows from the faraway sun on the city's legs had moved quickly, so she had wrongly thought that there was someone entering from the front.

Meishen sighed, and showed an expression on her face that was first lonely and then mixed with a pained smile. Vati felt sorry for what she saw from Meishen's body, so although she knew there was nothing there, Vati still turned her head.

"Where has he gone?"

Meishen's words that came from behind her meant Layfon and Felli. Two days ago, Layfon and Felli had disappeared.

Nina and the others probably had asked Harley about everything that had happened, but hadn't admitted things to Meishen.

Was it consideration because they didn't want Meishen to worry? But even if they were unwilling, Meishen who lived in the same apartment could feel that there was an uncomfortable atmosphere.

However, though Vati knew where Layfon was, she didn't tell Meishen about it. Perhaps her mentality was about the same as Nina and the others.

◇

Layfon leaped high up, and below his feet, giants emerged one after another.

"This is...."

The belly of the beast.... Layfon had thought about this, but the amazement produced by actually seeing this scene still made him feel like his whole body was numb.

The surrounding half-ruined buildings crashed down one after another, and the rubble that was scattered along the road began to crumble, and the road itself began to slowly disintegrate.

Afterwards they coalesced, took form, separating into many, and became giants.

One after another, one after another.

Like the emergence of larvae.

"Ugh!"

Layfon who was leaping while carrying Felli confirmed the feeling of the defensive formation holding back the giants below him while he spread the steel threads through the whole city.

He couldn't land anywhere. If he didn't stay in the air.... After thinking this, Layfon began deploying his steel threads high in the air. On close areas like tall buildings, and far areas like the city's legs, Layfon bound his steel threads on these areas, as if spreading a dense network like a spiderweb.

Particularly the legs outside of the city, if he wrapped his steel threads around those areas, then regardless of where he moved, he could be sure that he had a foothold for movement.

"Felli, please confirm the si....!"

The feeling of running on the steel threads suddenly changed, and Layfon stopped talking to look at that place.

The city's leg.

"How...."

Giants had emerged by the city's leg. A giant who only had half of its upper body growing out of its legs grabbed the steel threads wrapped around there, and attempted to pull Layfon over.

"Damn!"

Layfon made other steel threads move over and sweep aside the giant.

"You won't let me stay stable?"

If he looked at it that way, giants could appear anywhere in the city. Moreover, if the opponents were collective bodies formed by fine particles, then it wouldn't be strange for them to be able to grab the thin steel threads.

"If this goes on, I don't know when the air filter will be disabled. Felli, please be ready to wear the helmet at any time."

"O....Okay."

Layfon listened to Felli's tense voice while he scattered the steel threads in as many directions as possible. Though everything in his vision continued endlessly producing giants, the city didn't look like it was collapsing.

However, the exterior of the city was definitely changing.

The rubble and wreckage scattered everywhere was slowly disappearing as if flowing into sand. This substance gathered together to form a giant, the wreckage and rubble disappearing to slowly expose the city in front of Layfon and Felli.

The first thing that greeted their eyes was machinery that was wrapped up tightly with vine-like objects. However, even this machinery began to slowly loosen, becoming full of holes.

Under the holes could be seen the foundations and reinforcements of the city.

"The city's bones...."

Layfon couldn't see everything from his position. However, the small portion that he could see had already turned to this state, and this condition was still spreading outwards, as if the moving city - the Regios - was rapidly decaying; it also seemed as if the city was becoming a different creature.

The bones were also like a skeletal monster that would appear in a horror movie.

The being who commanded the monsters was also a monster.

In order not to fall into the holes, the giants maintained a neat formation while moving, pursuing Layfon who raced through the sky.

"This is.... a trap?"

Had he and Felli fallen into a trap?

But, who had set the trap, and why?

"That's impossible, no way."

"I know."

Even if he was rebutted by Felli, Layfon could only think that was how things were. Even now, Layfon and Felli still didn't understand anything. There was no reason to attack the two of them.

In the end, this was a conclusion obtained from Delbone's memories. Doubting this conclusion would be the same as doubting Delbone, which was something that Layfon personally couldn't do.

However, the two of them had indeed fallen into a predicament.

"I fear that this is the monster in Delbone's memories."

"It still lives?"

"It can only be explained that way."

"What do we do?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm talking about the thing we want to get, do you think it's still here?"

"It seems more appropriate to think it's no longer here, but then...."

"....That's true."

If it wasn't here, then the efforts of Layfon and Felli would have been for nothing. Even if there wasn't any other clue they could rely on, if they let go of this chance, they could only look to negotiate with Nina.

But, Nina had already decided, and Layfon didn't think she would speak the truth.

"Damn, in this kind of place...."

Layfon stopped his steps. In the situation where he hadn't been able to complete anything, could he obtain Nina's confidence? In the battles for which they had to become strong to such a degree, what could Layfon do?

With a mindset that was practically at a standstill, who could he do anything for?

"Fon Fon.... Layfon, please calm down."

"Felli."

"It's still too early to decide that it doesn't exist."

Felli's tense words and the expression with which she said this didn't feel comforting.

"I'll try finding it. Layfon, can you make it?"

"....Of course."

Layfon quickly spoke, surprising even himself.

"However many there are, as long as I have a reason, I'll defeat all of these things."

If by this he could reach his destination.

"I'm counting on you."

Layfon felt the load on his back go still, and a joyful feeling ran through his body.

Felli had not taken his words as a joke, and that made Layfon feel happy.

He hadn't planned to say his words just now as a joke or in passing. If he had a reason, if he could arrive at his goal..

If it was possible.

Layfon scampered on top of the web of steel threads he had woven.

The giants that appeared from all directions tried pulling down the steel threads, and though Layfon took measures to repel the giants, his defense couldn't be said to be watertight.

Because of this, the steel threads lost their tension countless times, and Layfon almost fell to the ground.

Even so, he still ran continuously. Though Layfon was above the giants, if he stopped too long in one place, perhaps they would use some trick to deal with him.

Just as Layfon was thinking about this, his worries became reality.

The low howl of wind made Layfon stop his steps. Before Layfon even moved his gaze there, he had already used his steel threads to spread a defensive formation under his feet.

"Ugh!"

The feeling sent by the steel threads was quite intense. Several objects crashed into the shield, which fell apart from that power.

Among them, one penetrated the defensive formation.

Layfon avoided it, using his steel threads to capture that thing.

"....A spear?"

Layfon murmured this after powerfully blocking the object that was going to pierce his body and confirming it.

Its shape was quite simple, as if it were a stick with the front sharpened, but the mass that it contained was quite surprising, and along with the force at which it had moved, it hurt the arm that had received the shock sent by the steel threads.

Layfon looked down.

The giants over there had raised one arm pointing at Layfon.

However, their arms were not the same as before. Their five fingers had become abnormally large, and in their open palms was opened a large hole.

The spears had been shot out from that place?

"Damn!"

Layfon ran again. In the time when he was looking at this scene, the number of giants with their arms raised had increased. Layfon confirmed with his own eyes the momentary swelling of their arms, and a hole also appeared in their palms.

Boom!

Countless spears pierced through the space where Layfon had just been, flying into the distance. With help from Layfon's Kei, the steel threads were bent with so much force that they barely held, and launched Layfon.

"Aaah!"

Felli's scream shook his body. Layfon twisted his body in the air, manipulating the steel threads. He once again set down a foothold for himself, and swept away the spears that had penetrated the defensive formation while sweeping the steel threads to check the giants at the same time.

The spears shot out endlessly as if they were pursuing the moving Layfon. It could be described as a fountain, or perhaps a rainstorm.

Layfon ran.

When Layfon had fought with Derek in Grendan, he had used creatures falling from the sky as footholds. Layfon was only running on footholds that he had not completely fixed, but ones still made by his own steel threads, which was much better than that time.

But, the difference with back then was that now he was carrying Felli. The body of a Psychokinesist was about the same as other people. Since the strength of their body couldn't endure the high speed of a Military Artist, Layfon couldn't run continuously like that.

So, Layfon stopped his movement. He had to stage a lower-speed battle.

The spears gathered into a pillar.

This time it wasn't a metaphor.

Every spear shot out from the giants merged together, fusing, combining into one heading for Layfon.

"Tch!"

A collision in midair couldn't break the steel threads. A strong attempt to crush him would cause him to be cut apart by his own devices.

It was a giant mass that could break this defense.

Layfon took up a stance to endure through this attack, releasing his Kei.

The steel threads formed a huge spiderweb above the abandoned city, giving off blue light from bearing Layfon's Kei. The giant spear flew through the sky as if to rip the spiderweb apart, and though the steel threads bent severely, they still held it there.

"Ugh...."

Layfon mumbled while releasing his Kei. The strength of the steel threads was related to Layfon's strength. He definitely couldn't show weakness in front of this phalanx. More importantly, he definitely couldn't allow this foothold to be destroyed. If it were only Layfon it wouldn't matter, but if he had to carry Felli and fight with the giants, he needed a safe area.

"Huah!"

Layfon's shout resounded through the abandoned city. The light of Kei decorated the spiderweb, and the Kei pressure extended its fangs to the giants below him.

Of course, there was still the giant spear.

The spiderweb that was being pushed by the spear bent into a conical shape. The giant spear became the axis of the cone.

At that time, Kei began to gather. The gigantic Kei that Layfon released focused on that space, and Kei pressure covered the entire spear.

The spear was crushed in an instant, and the strength of the explosion produced was directed below the cone, into the giants. >

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