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The substance that formed the giant spear became a shotgun, spreading out along with the force of the Kei flow.

The continuous explosion engulfed the giants, making them collapse one by one.

"Yes!"

His counterattack had succeeded, and Layfon once again ran on the steel threads.

Perhaps warned by the counterattack just now, the spears that the giants released even now didn't form giant spears.

"Felli.... how's the situation?"

"Please wait a bit, it's almost there...."

Felli's reply wasn't the same as Layfon had expected. It wasn't despair, but more like hope. Layfon didn't have time to think about asking, as he ran quickly, swept away the spears, while controlling the steel threads to secure footholds.

"....I have carried out an investigation into the substance of this city, and have indeed detected this monster's existence."

While he ran, his ears picked up Felli's murmur to herself:

"Ninety-nine percent of the substance that comprises this city has been replaced by those things. In other words, it wouldn't be too much to say that this city itself has already become a monster."

"........"

The belly of the beast.... Layfon had once thought this way, but he never had imagined that it was the truth. Layfon was speechless.

But, he didn't give up.

Because she murmured like that.

Because she hadn't mentioned a negative outcome.

Felli had definitely murmured that in order to perform some countermeasure.

"On a different note, the small quantity that remains, although even today it still doesn't look favorably upon our outstretched claws, is probably worth some investigation."

"Where is it?"

"The central district, underground."

"Alright!"

"Layfon........!"

The moment he heard this, Layfon threw Felli high into the sky, her surprised scream ascending into the air along with her. Layfon used this opportunity to turn his gaze downward.

"....Don't think that I can only run away."

Layfon spread the steel threads, thereby ensuring a safe place, setting up a formation over the whole city district.

All that was left was to flow Kei into it.

Layfon grasped the Dite tightly, streaming Kei in without hesitation.

Sougenkyouku - Amanosouchishu.

This was a trap that Layfon had woven while running to and fro in the air.

Where was the trap hidden?

The center of the spiderweb.

Balls of thread that emerged from that place broke off from the spiderweb and fell to the ground.

Though they were light-looking balls of thread, they weren't pushed around by the wind of the battlefield, rather lightly falling down to the central district from above the city.

After they fell, the tightly knotted balls separated.

They separated, and opened.

Something like an explosion burst out from there in all directions, great quantities of steel threads. After they opened, the balls of thread scattered steel threads like an explosion, knocking down the giants one by one.

When the same giants had brutally ravaged Zuellni, Lintence who had appeared in Zuellni had used Kei techniques to defeat those monsters, and that Kei move had been the same Amanosouchishu as now.

Incidentally, the same scene from back then replayed again here.

The giants were swept away one after another.

The giants were cut apart into pieces, blown away by the Kei pressure, burned by the heat flow.

Layfon's enormous Kei gradually played out a scene different from back them.

He cut down and burned the enemies.

"Ah!"

Layfon caught the falling Felli.

Bam!

"Guah!"

The blow that suddenly struck his forehead almost made Layfon slip from his steel thread foothold.

"What are you doing so suddenly?"

"S....sorry."

"Next time please tell me first."

"I'll take care."

It would be alright as long as he said something.... Layfon thought this while he looked below his feet. Amanosouchishu was still running even now, destroying giants one after another.

So, an empty area appeared in this central district.

"Let's go."

"Yes."

Once again carrying Felli, Layfon jumped down into the central district.

◇

Perhaps she would be forced to make a decision.

Vati sat alone in the boring room, thinking.

What she thought about was 'Vati B' of the abandoned city.

"It was within expectations that it could think and judge independently. But 'Vati B's target settings have become a state ahead of even my settings at the time. This makes me concerned."

Other than her, there was no one here. However, Vati still continued speaking to herself:

"It's possible that it has to do with data suffering damage during the destruction. If the repairs of back then allowed the target settings to change, then 'Vati B's current actions wouldn't be very strange, right?"

In conclusion, things had become very troublesome.

"I have to stop it, but...."

Vati had her ways. She could quickly travel to that location and suppress it. After that, both merging with 'Vati B' or completely scrapping it would be sufficient.

Regardless of the plan, if she just left it without doing anything, it would definitely make the situation worse. If Layfon and Felli who were there successfully overcame the crisis, and 'Vati B' exposed its core....

"Stopping it from updating its external data doesn't work? But...."

Perhaps, Vati's true form would be seen.

"I don't want a commotion to break out in this place...."

He was already no longer useful. Not letting him live to return would work, but....

"That would resolve everything, that kind of method is rather ideal."

Perhaps she had been forced to decide, Vati once again thought.

In the end, hadn't she already noticed long ago? That way of thinking had appeared in Vati when she watched Meishen.

"Lost things will not return, only the attachment will linger."

L?vateinn was born by that kind of attachment, and then....

"Attachment is something that needs to disappear, but something that cannot be transcended."

That man had been possessed by an attachment that he couldn't transcend and couldn't escape. L?vateinn was only the solace he had constructed.

The Nano-Celluloid Interface by the name of L?vateinn couldn't even act as solace anymore.

"Therefore, should I become a machine acting on my own after this?"

She threw the question at herself.

However, she who should have responded to the question didn't have an answer.

Vati kept her silence.

She couldn't act until she found an answer.

◇

Layfon fell to the central district.

"Then, where is it?"

The giants hadn't left remains. After they were cut and burned, the giants had disappeared as if melting.

If he hadn't destroyed the enemies, perhaps they would attack again. Even if he were falling to the ground, Layfon still confirmed the surrounding situation as he carried Felli.

The central district was surprisingly tidy. Perhaps it was because the giants had been born from the wreckage, but this place hadn't become a structure filled with holes, but rather a flat space.

"It's under the ground here?"

"Nn."

After hearing Felli's answer, Layfon let the steel threads move ahead of him and form a new defensive formation as he walked downwards.

The reinforcements here were arranged in scaffolds like a half-constructed structure, and Layfon and Felli descended through this space. Although giants were everywhere, because of the effects of Sougenkyouku just now, there were no giants at a distance where they could quickly attack. However, the long-distance spear attacks still continued.

The defensive steel thread formation moving ahead of them stopped those attacks while scattering off sparks. Layfon watched while landing on some steel en route.

"Where is it?'

"Please wait.... Huh? What is this?"

"Felli?"

"It's moving?"

"Huh?"

"There are changes below....? Run!"

Layfon didn't ask about it, simply leaping up.

The steel threads only observed the abnormality after he leapt. There was wind roiling far downwards. The blowing wind felt as if it carried sand with it, because in the air was mixed the substance that composed the giants.

The area with wind wasn't the entire space below, but rather only under Layfon and Felli's feet. A bad premonition shook Layfon.

Boom.

The swirling wind that had formed under them increased, seeming as if the wind had a life of its own. More importantly, it seemed as if there was something strong pushing the wind upwards.

These two feelings were reality.

There was something there.

There was nothing in front of their eyes. However, the information that the steel threads transmitted and Layfon's body's experience from fighting with countless filth monsters both conveyed this reality.

The moment when he actually saw the truth, Layfon could only feel embarrassed.

"Wha!"

Up until just now, that thing had definitely not been there.

A wall had suddenly appeared, or was it a floor?

A solid white suddenly appeared, rushing upwards.

"Ugh!"

The wind was pushed up by the large floor that rushed upwards, becoming a tempest raging in all directions. Layfon's body was pushed back by the wind, and he was sent flying along with Felli.

He had been blown away like this.... He couldn't let things become like this. Their voices were drowned out by the wind, and Layfon scattered steel threads to hold himself and Felli down.

The raging wind mercilessly wrapped up the giants, sending them flying.

Something possessing this kind of power appeared before their eyes, rushing upwards.

"What is that?"

"A tower?"

Layfon felt very surprised, and in his arms, Felli's voice sounded against his protective suit.

"A tower?"

The wind almost drowned out Layfon's question.

"Yes, I think it's a tower, or a tall building similar to a tower. There's no meaning in constructing such a giant thing only to kill us."

"....That's true."

But, a building?

For what?

"In the end, our target has moved inside this tower."

"Huh?"

"What is it?"

"Uh, that shows that thing is.... also very important to the enemies?"

"....I fear that's correct. What is it? Did you only notice that now?"

"Only now...."

"The opponent should be able to use their substance to cover one hundred percent of this city. That they had not done so either means that they can't, or they want to maintain the original condition without changing, these two possibilities."

"Um...."

"....No, whatever. Being surprised by this kind of thing, I was too stupid."

"Uuu."

"Nn, outside of Military Arts, expecting anything out of Layfon is pretty much wrong, isn't it?"

"P....Please stop there, forgive me."

While the two of them spoke, the tower continued extending, covering Layfon's vision with white. It smashed the reinforcements around them, absorbing their substance and making them become a part of itself as it extended upwards.

The tower was already tall enough to where the location of the peak couldn't be confirmed from Layfon's position. If viewed from above, it would probably be vast enough to amaze people.

"How tall."

"The top has already passed the air filter."

"Felli, wear your helmet."

After saying this, Layfon also put on his helmet.

"Huu!"

Layfon exhaled inside the helmet, wiping away the surprise that still remained in his heart. Felli's anger made Layfon, who had almost been engulfed by the enemy due to his careless momentum, stand up again.

"It's like this every time."

"....What?"

"Nothing!"

Felli always helped him.

She always stayed by him, as a Psychokinesist, a companion, and a friend.

Her existence let him relax a great deal, and Layfon's body as he read the winds while jumping was also lightened.

The footholds that he had released before had also been ruined by the tower. However, there were still steel threads remaining. Layfon used those steel threads in his jump, constructing new footholds to form a path with the top of the tower as its target.

Layfon ran.

The path to the top was very long. However, the giants under his feet didn't stop Layfon anymore.

Therefore, all that was left was a long road.

This didn't count as an obstacle in front of the speed of a Military Artist.

Not long after, Layfon had reached the top of the tower.

The tower that continued stretching upwards was quite unstable, and Layfon lowered his posture.

"Felli, where's the correct location?'

"Please wait a bit more. Though I want to find it, there are other responses...."

"Huh?"

In this situation where so many changes were happening, Felli had deliberately brought this up. Layfon couldn't overlook those words.

"A powerful energy is emerging from the building.... This, quickly move back!"

Felli shouted out, and Layfon moved according to her instructions. Without taking any precautions at all, Layfon jumped back from the tower that he had only climbed up with difficulty.

After jumping off the tower, Layfon began thinking of how to return to it. His current position was already higher than even the legs surrounding the city, so shooting the steel threads there was meaningless.

He could only catch hold of the tower. But....

Layfon hesitated. The phrase 'powerful energy' created that kind of response in him.

And that decision was correct.

Crash!

"Ugh!"

Intense light blocked his vision, and at the same time a shock assaulted his right hand, knocking the Dite out of his hand.

"Damn...."

"A powerful energy was discharged from above the tower, it's still in a charged state right now."

Felli, who replaced his vision, explained the situation to Layfon.

"Charged...."

Was that the shock that had passed through his right hand and even now left a paralyzed feeling in his hand? With that, then even if he had the steel threads in his hand, he couldn't wrap them around the tower. Layfon thought while taking out the Adamantium Dite to replace the Sapphire Dite that had fallen, restoring it again to the steel threads mode.

"And that discharge means.... Where was it directed?"

It wasn't an attack aimed at himself and Felli. Compared to the tall tower, Layfon and Felli were far too tiny, and a method of attack like the entire tower shooting off a giant energy couldn't have been directed at the two of them.

"Ah, even if that heat wasn't directed, but simply spread around, it seems enough to eliminate us a thousand times."

"....I'm a bit scared, please don't say any more."

Layfon used steel threads from the ground to create a landing area, and they landed on the city's leg.

"Even I have never deployed my Psychokinesis flakes in an area that high, so I'm currently investigating what things are over there...."

Felli's words were drowned out mid-sentence.

A flash once again cut off normal vision, followed by the sound of an explosion.

The noise of the explosion shook their skulls.

"What is it this time?"

Layfon's voice had become loud, was this because of his ears, or because he was nervous?

Changes that had nothing to do with Layfon were happening.

The true face of the flash was titanic lightning. A blast of lightning large enough to engulf the top of the tower had set off that explosion.

The pieces flying high overhead fell to the ground, and in this situation, light was again released. Was this shot out by the tower, or was it a beam of light dropping from the sky? Was it descending or ascending? The continuing light didn't let Layfon make a judgment.

"What's happened?"

"High energies are trading blows. Though there is something in the sky, the other party is using this heatstorm to make it difficult for me to manipulate the flakes. Though I managed to use Psychokinesis to carry out an investigation from a distance, still...."

Only speaking part of her sentence, Felli once again stopped speaking. Moreover, Layfon observed that she had obtained significant information.

"How is it?"

"I've already figured it out. This is.... Harpe."

"Harpe?"

Layfon still remembered. This was the sentient aged phase that they had seen before when Zuellni lost control. Cloud-cell Separation Interface IV Harpe.

That should be its name.

"Why?"

"I don't know, perhaps because the two are enemies?"

In the end, this battle for which they couldn't open their eyes was a war between monsters, the parasitic monster using this city and the monster Harpe.

Even if they closed their eyes, the beams of light still keenly passed through their eyelids to prick their eyes. In order to search for a safe place that the beams of light couldn't reach, Layfon relied on the feelings conveyed by the steel threads scattered everywhere to move downwards to the ground.

There were giants all around. But perhaps they had Harpe as their first priority, as the giants didn't even see Layfon, becoming materials to repair the tower one after another, decomposing and merging with the tower.

In the end, Layfon was grateful for this situation. He focused his mind, treating his eyes that were continuously hurt by the beams of light.

"How are things now?"

Layfon flowed Kei into his tightly closed eyes while asking this.

"I believe it should be even. Destroying and being destroyed, and then repairing. A winner won't be decided so quickly."

The sounds of explosions also reached this place, and the noise made the reinforcements that Layfon was leaning on vibrate.

"What do we do?"

"We can't do anything."

Felli's voice was very cold. She had roiled to such a degree in order to come here, so why would this kind of thing happen.... Perhaps she was thinking that way.

Layfon also wanted to think this way.

"Our decision to come here wasn't wrong, isn't that right?"

But, Layfon decided to deliberately think of the benefits.

Felli's eyes on the other side of her helmet seemed to have opened wide.

"....That's true, you could think that way."

"In the end, we first have to treat your eyes, then think of a way to deal with that blinding light...."

"For that, I have a good method, though it's only a quick fix."

"Really?"

"Nn, it won't use too much time either."

"Then I'm counting on you."

"Well, please take off your helmet. I've already confirmed the safety of the air."

After Felli said this, Layfon took off his helmet, and then a number of Psychokinesis flakes entered it.

"To explain it simply, it's like expanding the visual aid screen to the entire helmet. Though you can't use your eyes to look at the battle, this method should be able to reduce the intensity of the light."

"Is there anything like a time lag?"

"Of course, you can only go get used to it."

"Understood."

Regardless, it was better than not being able to see.

The helmet was handled in an instant. After putting it back on his head, what he saw from the inside was a much brighter scene than before.

Layfon scattered the steel threads, confirming the feeling that he had received from that place, and finding out how much time lag there was with the vision through the screen.

At the same time, he used the steel threads to find the Sapphire Dite that he had just lost, reclaiming it.

"How is it?"

"....No problems. It the disparity is only this much, I can handle it."

"Really? You will get killed with only a bit of carelessness, so I'll quickly improve anywhere I can, but...."

"It's not important. ........"

"What?"

"No, Felli has truly helped me a lot."

"In this kind of situation, please don't say those kind of emotional things."

Because of Felli's helmet, he currently was unable to see her expression through the faceguard.

"But, it's really the case."

"Layfon is quite weird."

"Maybe. I think there are already no safe places here, so shall we go die like this?"

"Nn, I don't mind."

"Then...."

Layfon leaped up high.

Light and explosions interlocked with each other, shaking Layfon's body as he leaped. Even so, the light on the screen still maintained the strength of strong summer sunlight. Though beams of light slightly changed its strength, his eyes weren't hurt.

Layfon continuously leaped, and Felli leaned in his arms without moving a muscle. Layfon used his eyes to confirm his destination.

Far above the tall tower, in an even higher space, a being that looked to be a small black dot was Harpe.

"Our target hasn't changed its position, right?"

"It hasn't changed. The target we want to find is in the central area three hundred mels under the top of the tower."

"....I got it."

What should he do? Layfon ran while thinking of this question. Near the top of the tower was a tempest of high energy, and protective suits shouldn't be able to support it, nor could the flesh of a Military Artist endure it.

Layfon didn't have reasons to fight, his target wasn't Harpe or the monster of this tower, but rather Delbone's records hidden in this city.

"Felli, please wait a bit."

"Huh? Ah, okay."

From Felli's answer, did she understand Layfon's intent?

This time Layfon threw her backwards.

Layfon's petite body gradually became a black dot in the vast sky. Layfon couldn't have any time to watch it till the end, charging at the tower wall.

(I'll display the position of the target on the screen.)

Felli's voice sounded in the helmet.

The tower wall spread in front his eyes became half-transparent, and the target object was displayed in as a spherical mesh on the screen.

(That tall tower is hollow; the outer wall thickness is four Mels.)

"Understood!"

Layfon yelled out as his reply, and he restored the Sapphire Dite to steel threads, restoring the replaced Adamantium Dite to a blade.

Layfon used the steel threads deployed everywhere, shooting himself out like an arrow from a bow, and then took up the stance to draw a sword.

External Kei variant - Sendan.

The light of the sword flashed out after using Composite Blast, penetrating into the tower. Felli's screen even blocked the flash of the Kei technique, and he could clearly see Sendan cutting into the outer wall of the tower, letting it break into pieces.

Layfon passed through the pieces scattering all round him, jumping inside.

(The interior doesn't have any traces of being worked on, but this tower could have been formed by that tiny substance, please be careful.)

"Alright."

As Layfon replied with this, he leaped into the air, half-gliding through it.

He passed through the hole that Sendan had broken, entering the central area.

Just as Felli had said, the interior was quite empty, and other than the external walls and large pillars running up and down, there was nothing here.

The tower walls blocked out the noise from the outside world. Noise poured in from the hole that Layfon had opened, but was swallowed by the darkness extending upwards and downwards, and the cold air tightly wreathed his whole body.

According to the picture displayed on the screen, the target object was buried inside the central shaft. Layfon who was still gliding through the air swung the Adamantium Dite, carefully cutting into the shaft. Sparks were sent flying from the Kei-infused blade cutting the shaft. Afterwards, the target object appeared.

Inside the shaft was a tiny opening, and inside was placed a spherical object.

(That's it!)

"Good."

Felli's voice was mixed with excitement. After stabilizing himself by wrapping himself to the shaft with the steel threads, Layfon extended his hands to the sphere.

"!"

The ice-cold air that passed through his protective gear made Layfon open his eyes wide.

There was a white hand placed on top of his arm that was preparing to pick up the sphere.

"Wha!"

That hand had grown out of the pillar.

That was a extremely normal hand, perhaps the hand of a girl.

(Layfon!)

"I know!"

Right now there was no time to be surprised. Felli was currently in the air, still falling.

Layfon didn't have time to check what the arm even was, and he grabbed the sphere, releasing the stabilizing steel threads as if he wanted to shake off the hand, jumping backwards.

Layfon had a feeling as if a cold air that made his spine tingle seemed to linger around his arm.

The hole that Layfon had passed through had already begun to be covered. He released Sendan to maintain the hole, squeezing out.

"Felli!"

Layfon had sent the steel threads over first, but this was only a configuration to stop the giants from nearing Felli. If he stopped her and the giants turned towards her, then the situation might become hard to deal with. It was only because it was safer to let Felli continue to fall freely that he did this. Of course, this way would significantly reduce the shortcomings if there was going to be a battle.

(I'm here.)

The screen showed Felli's current position.

(Because of the effects of the wind, my falling path has become hard to predict.)

"Okay!"

After exiting the interior of the tower, the sound of the explosions and flashes swirled around him like a tempest. However, the loud noises blew away the strange feeling from just now, and increased Layfon's focus.

Layfon kicked off the steel threads spread around the surroundings while tracking his falling path and chasing towards Felli.

-->>

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