ing, so small an opening that it might not be less than 1/100 of a second, but this tiny amount of time might be able to determine one's life and death.

Haia immediately took a step forward.

Psyharden technique - Flame Weight.

The blade flashed as Layfon, sensing danger, hurriedly retreated. Blood spurted from Layfon's left wrist.

◇

At the same moment, Felli was sighing lightly somewhere in Zuellni.

"I fail to help at all."

This wasn't just about her being kidnapped. No matter how unsettled her heart was, it was now useless to regret the past. She was happy to see Layfon come for her, but he had to fight Haia because of her. She still didn't know what Haia's aim was, but reality was that Haia had kidnapped her. The most pressing thing to do now was to let Layfon know she was safe.

Felli headed for the building of the Student Council.

She had decided not to head for a shelter. Besides, she'd be reproved if she went there. Even though she had a reason to evacuate, she had little to defend against her current situation. She must go to the Student Council. Besides, heading for a shelter did little to help her make contact with Layfon.

(Student Council......)

She needed a Dite. She would find one in the Student Council building. However, Myath's infiltration team was fighting against Zuellni's defense line. That would put considerable obstruction in her path. Felli halted her steps.

"Fu......"

She could use Psychokinesis even without the flakes. She regulated her breathing and her hair began to shine. Though her senses were weak, she had somehow managed to take stock of the situation. A Dite would provide her with more accurate information, and with a Dite, she could aid Layfon and let Nina know she was safe. She had thought of taking over someone else's flakes, but that task still required a Dite.

Either way, her current mission was to understand the situation she was in.

The number of Military Artists in Myath's infiltration team was about the same as Zuellni's. But Felli remembered that there should be more Military Artists guarding Zuellni. Was it because the enemies were infiltrating from different locations?

(Anyway, first find a safe route.)

As she thought of that, she discovered something else.

(A person?)

Someone was hiding in the shadow of a building. Probably stuck there because of the fight. Felli thought it was Myath's Military Artist, masking his presence through Sakkei, but this person looked flustered. Felli couldn't feel this person's Kei. Besides, this person's clothes failed to identify her. She was wearing a skirt.

(How clumsy.)

A normal student who hadn't managed to reach the shelter in time. Felli couldn't let this go. Though the residential area for female students had yet to become a battlefield, the fight might come later. Calculating a safe route, Felli headed for the person.

"What're you doing?"

"Ah!" the girl turned around. "Ah....Ah....Sorry, I...."

Holding her luggage, she tried to express something. Did she miss the timing to enter a shelter because she had to pack her personal things?

"No matter. Hurry to the shelter," Felli said.

The fight between the defense team and the infiltration team continued. Felli took the girl's hand and walked away, not knowing whether the fight might spill over to where they were. She searched for the shelter's entrance as they moved. The other girl didn't say anything, seemingly drawn to Felli's shining hair.

As she had thought, there was more than one infiltration team. In that case, they had to go the long way to the Student Council and the shelter, and it might also bring them danger. Felli was all right on her own, but since she was with a normal student, they must avoid any possible danger.

"In that case, it's better to wait here before the fight ends."

Zuellni had deployed a vast amount of defensive weapons. It was better to wait a bit rather than brave those automatic machines.

"So, sorry."

"It's ok, since I can't do anything for this Military Arts Competition."

(Though I want to contact Layfon.)

"Eh?"

"No, nothing."

For some reason, Felli felt that her heart had been read. She cut through the other's question. "Forget that. Let's go."

Ignoring the girl, she exerted all her Psychokinetic strength and searched for a safe place.

◇

The intense fight between Zuellni's defense team and Myath's infiltration teams matched the intensity of the fight in Myath. Myath's defense team pursued Nina's team. Evading as many unnecessary fights as possible, Nina's team headed for the Student Council building.

"Don't stop. Keep moving! Else they'll catch up," Nina urged.

"So annoying!" Shante shouted back, her face showing she wanted to turn back and fight her pursuers, but it was still too early to counterattack.

They weren't just running away. A number of Myath's students had been chasing them from the rooftops. They now all jumped back to the ground. Compared to simple chasing and jumping here and there, it was quicker to just run.

Three people landed on the ground, planning to rejoin the main team and interfere with the speed of Nina's team from behind.

"Uhah!" Before they could do anything, they were paralyzed by an intense pain on their backs.

Dalshena, Naruki, Gorneo and Shante were with Nina.

Not Sharnid. His bullets were hitting the defense team from behind. He had parted from the team when they reached Myath. He was now protecting the team from behind them. Thanks to that, his presence only appeared in the moment of a shot.

Confirming that the threat behind them was gone, Nina and the team continued moving forward. The path they were on wasn't connected directly to the building of the Student Council. The map didn't show these small paths, so the team could only run by instinct. Metallic shadows emerged the moment they entered a small path. A close study showed numerous shooting holes covering the path - Myath's defensive weapons.

"Away!" Dalshena shouted. The team scattered right and left.

Dalshena headed in with her lance held high. A large number of anesthetic bullets shot out along with flame.

"Haahhhhhhhh!"

The Kei gathered at the tip of her lance shot out to rent the air apart. The external Kei created a defensive wall and deflected all the bullets. She then pierced through all defensive mechanisms with the lance. The sound of breaking metal accompanied successive waves of explosions.

"Ugh...."

Dalshena's fighting clothes had been damaged, Blood seeped through it. The explosions had also damaged her lance to the point that it couldn't be used. On the other hand, the presence of enemies were closing in.

"Hurry!" Nina shouted.

Dalshena spun the handle of the lance and pulled out the thin blade hiding beneath the cracked surface.

"I won't let them through!" She turned around and attacked the defense team closing on them. Sharnid's gunfire sounded around her.

They continued to close in on the Student Council building. Slightly different from Zuellni's spire, if they used internal Kei to increase their vision, they could see their objective, the city flag.

"Go with the original plan."

"Counting on you."

Nina and Naruki nodded at Gorneo's reminder, and they increased their speed. Gorneo and Shante jumped to land on a rooftop. Myath's Military Artists found them the moment they landed.

"Let's go."

"Yeah!"

The two of them ran straight for the Student Council's building. Around ten of Myath's Military Artists came to block them off. Kei exploded throughout their bodies. Karen Kei. Wind surrounded Gorneo's Dite as flame writhed on Shante's spear. They entered the fight.

In the end, Nina and Naruki were left to head for the Student Council's building. They could still feel the presence of enemies, but no one stood between them and the building. They had to consider how many more Military Artists were left to guard the building....The number shouldn't be too large. Taking into account the people involved in the main fight at the contact point, the infiltration teams, the number spread throughout the city for defensive measure, only around 10 or so Military Artists should be left around the building. Still, it was difficult to find an opening and take the flag.

"Speaking of which, is this suitable to leave me till the end?" Naruki sighed as she ran, pressured and uneasy.

"As I said before, can we stop now that we've come this far? Keep running!"

"Right!"

Actually, Nina had the same feeling. There were many Military Artists more powerful than Nina in Zuellni, such as Gorneo, Vance and others. She was given the infiltration mission because of Layfon. Strange that the mission remained the same even though Layfon couldn't enter the fight.

She held a question for the deployment of her team. Did they think she might create danger in the main fight because of the Haikizoku in her? She had harbored that speculation.

Vance had explained before the war, "Your team has the most experience in fights under extreme circumstances, so you people are the best candidates."

Extreme circumstances. True, they had had these experiences when it came to dangerous missions. The fight with the aged phase filth monster, in the ruined city, with the 10th platoon......Nina's platoon had managed to pull through every time. However, that was when Layfon was with them. Or one could say that they managed to pull through fully because Layfon was there.

Besides, Karian had also said that Nina was the one who commanded Layfon's actions. But Nina thought she had the responsibility to make plans for the team's actions, as the platoon's captain. However, she had been straightforward with her intentions in order to pull Layfon along, and that had often put them both in danger.

One thing was certain though. She had never viewed Layfon's strength as her own. She understood how weak she was without him.

"We can only keep going now!" she said to confirm her resolve.

This wasn't the time to say "I can't do it". They had no other places to retreat to. Sharnid, Dalshena, Gorneo and Shante, and Vance and other Military Artists were fighting desperately. Their fights allowed Nina and Naruki to stand here.

A number of Military Artists waited around the building.

Time to follow the plan.

"Naruki!"

Naruki tossed out the rope, already clear of what Nina wanted. This new Dite that Harley made was able to restore a second time to extend the length of the rope. Actually, she still couldn't control the rope's length until a short while ago. Gorneo's teaching in Karen Kei had helped her control it.

The rope rose with the increase of Kei. It successfully hooked around the flag's pole. Pulling at the rope, Naruki jumped.

Military Artists appeared before her.

"Come!" Nina released a huge amount of Kei as she ran. The tension in her heart was so high that it was about to burst.

Combined Internal and External Kei Variant - Raijin.

A huge pillar of thunder fell as if to chop the sky apart. It pierced through the door of the building and its impact caught the things around it in an explosion. An aftermath storm blew the lobby into pieces, sweeping away the Military Artists in its wake. But Nina had also felt that impact.

(Um.)

She released the remaining Kei and felt exhaustion seeping in.

"Captain!" Naruki called, hanging from the rope.

"....Ah!" she cheered herself and jumped with Internal Kei. She took Naruki's hand in the air and together, the two of them headed for the top of the building.

Nina's previous move had not eliminated all enemies. The rope suddenly loosened and the two girls fell, losing their balance. The remaining Military Artists inside the Student Council building had reached the top and cut through the rope.

"Senpai!"

Balancing herself in midair, Naruki kicked off the wall of the building and gathered her strength.

"Counting on you!"

She threw Nina.

Waiting on top were two Military Artists. If she were in her normal condition, she would somehow pull it off. However, Nina having used the Raijin technique and furthermore using a large quantity of Kei had put her in a state of deep exhaustion.

But, nevertheless....

"I can only do what I can!"

No help was left around her. Mentally prepared, she readied the iron whips in midair.

The two Military Artists rushed her with swords. She blocked the attack as she landed on the roof that was shaped like a pyramid. The fighting shoes helped her stay upright on the steep surface of the roof. The two swords pressed down on her weapons, and the weight of the swords caused the soles of the shoes to steam with friction. She gritted her teeth and took the pressure on her wrists. The chance she now had would be gone if she was pushed off the roof. Also, Myath's Military Artists would reach here if she failed to take care of these two in a hurry.

"Ha!"

The amount of her Kei exceeded that of the two people's in an instant and sent them flying. The two retreated to just before the flag. They readied their fighting stances without hesitation and renewed their attack.

The remnants of the Raijin move remained in Nina's body, making it hard for her to control her own Kei. The impact of Kei from the swords almost pushed her off the roof several times. She had no choice but to keep swinging the iron whips to keep her balance.

Finally, unable to take the impact of the Chrome Dite, one person lost his sword. Nina seized that chance and kicked the enemy's stomach, sending him flying. The Military Artist rolled down the roof and fell off it.

One more to go.

Nina ran for the flag. The moment she took the flag was the moment when Myath lost the match. She must do all she could to reach that goal.

The enemy sped close to her. Nina swung behind her, the iron whip clashing with the sword.

"Get lost!"

"Why don't you!"

Both of them could not retreat. They shouted, not backing off one step. Nina and Myath's Military Artists released External Kei together. Whirls formed above their heads, and the huge energy sent them both flying.

In one swift moment, Nina felt luck on her side. The weight of the iron whips in her hands prevented her from flying too far. However, that weight still felt like huge slabs of rocks. Her opponent was tossed up above the building whereas Nina's was a downward direction. The iron whips would increase her falling rate so she let go of her weapons before they became a burden.

She ran for the flag. No room to even think of gathering Kei. The flag was right before her. All she needed to do was to take it and ensure Zuellni's victory. She recalled the last Military Arts Competition, recalling how Zuellni had lost again and again so it only had one selenium mine left. She recalled how she had been useless and couldn't do anything. What couldn't she do now that she was about to touch victory?

Just a bit more.

(If I take this down.)

But luck ended here. No, the sense of luck was just her imagination.

Myath's Military Artist, the city's last defense line, stood up and crashed into her with his body.

The flag was so far away now.

The two of them rolled down the steep surface of the roof.

"No....!"

She wanted to push him away but it was too late. Her feet were in the air as she slid down the roof.

(And I managed to reach this place.)

Did she make a mistake in the last moment? How should she face all those people who placed their hope in her? Gorneo, Shante......

At the time when she was sunk in deep self-reproach and regret....

Rumble!

A pillar of light shot from behind her and the top of the pyramid exploded. The flag shook, leaned towards Nina, and fell.

(Layfon?)

That wasn't just instinct. Only Layfon could get the timing right and make such a powerful move without hurting Myath's Military Artist.

(Is he stupid? Thinking of others while he's in that situation.)

But it was true that the bitterness and pain in her heart had turned warm. Nina snatched up the fallen flag. Victory was decided in that instant.

◇

His left wrist was dead. At least, he couldn't move it in this fight. Layfon had made calm judgment while hot blood ran. It must be luck that his right hand wasn't injured.

At the same time, a sound cut through the air. The sound of a long electric voice rose above the sound of fights. The announcement to the end of the war came from the building of Myath's Student Council.

"....You did it," Haia said, angry despite the fact that the tide had turned for him. "That Kei wasn't aimed at me."

"....You didn't give me a chance."

Haia hadn't had any openings in his defense at the time Layfon shot forth the Nine Bullets. The end result was Layfon's injured left hand. However, that shot was perfect timing as Nina's reinforcements.

"My aim is to help Zuellni win."

Karian had transferred him into Military Arts for that purpose, and that was why he had met Nina.

"I've already let you take the upper-hand. It's not good if you kept saying such spoiled things."

"What did you say?"

"But I admit I've done what I'm not used to doing......"

Actually, he was used to fighting with a burden. At Grendan, that burden was the orphanage. This time it was different in a sense. Haia's interference had stopped him from realizing what he had also strove for - participating in the Military Arts Competition. Nina's mission would have been easy for him, but he ended up having to give it to her alone. In a battlefield, Layfon would rather do his best from the beginning than trust others. Hence, his heart refused to calm down at the fact that he had to suddenly let go and leave the mission to others. He wouldn't have been able to stand himself if he hadn't done what he just did.

"Speaking of which, aren't you the same, doing what you're not used to?"

"What nonsense are you talking about...."

"Aren't you the leader of the Mercenary Gang?"

Layfon had once fought filth monsters with them. He noticed at that time that the Mercenary Gang had sent members to fight with Haia even though Haia could have defeated the filth monster on his own. The Gang took the path to reduce danger.

"Haven't you been relying on the comrades that you trust on the battlefield?"

On the contrary, Layfon had always been fighting alone when he was a Heaven's Blade successor. The power of a Heaven's Blade successor far exceeded that of a normal Military Artist. Heaven's Blades tended to only form teams with fellow Heaven's Blades. And that would only happen in incidents such as the one with Behemoth.

"Standing alone here is in itself a mistake," Layfon said.

A Military Artist who was used to trusting others. A Military Artist who was used to fighting alone. Both had chosen a fight style that differed from their past.

"Yet...."

The electric voice left an echo in Myath's sky. The faraway fight was dying down.

"Now I can leave everything and concentrate on this fight."

Though he didn't know how Nina and the others fared in Myath, he didn't have to worry now. As for Felli, she shouldn't be in any danger if she was just used to threaten him. He didn't know about the other Mercenary Gang members, but he felt Fermaus could be trusted.

He felt that he had picked up the feeling he had in past fights.

Layfon's left hand hung by his side. He slowly turned the dark blade of the Shim Adamantium Dite to the left of his waist. This was obviously the pose readied to pull out a blade and strike.

Psyharden's technique - Flame Cut.

"Though you hold a Katana, what you know is still a far distance from Derek's essence. You can only use tricks to confuse people. Let me show you the real Psyharden technique."

"....How dare you!" Haia readied the same pose, even while knowing Layfon was provoking him.

(Good.)

In truth, he couldn't drag out the fight in his current condition. Blood still spurted from his left wrist. The nerves in his wrist might have been cut.

One move to decide the outcome of the duel. He gathered his Kei for this purpose.

"Uh!"

His left wrist hurt. His body naturally used the aid of Internal Kei to help resist the effects of rising density of the Kei. His blood vessels expanded and the blood flow increased. The result could be seen in the blood spurting faster from his left wrist. However, he didn't stop gathering Kei even though blood covered his feet.

The pressure of Layfon's Kei had sealed off the space around Haia, preventing him from making any evasive movement. Haia didn't escape though. He was also preparing.

The electric voice finally stopped.

Both of them took a step forward. Two blades containing huge amounts of Kei flashed. Huge noise echoed in the air. The cutting paths of the two mirrored each other and clashed. The impact of Kei destroyed the foothold of the fighters and both of them retreated.

No difference for now. Flame Cut was a move that required two swings. The pressure of Kei remained around them. Hence the first person to recover was the first to complete the move.

Flame Cut had two parts to it - strike and Shou Kei. Just like the time when Layfon executed Snake Fall, the striking power of Flame Cut was most effective when the opponent had no more variations in his move. The Shou Kei then helped to expand the power of the strike. The second strike would be made in the closest distance possible, striking at an opponent who had no more moves to make.

Both of these fighters were in the process of resisting the other's Kei. Layfon would have won if not for the injury. The amount of blood loss was preventing him from releasing the full strength of his Kei.

Layfon didn't know that Haia had a reason to win. As Layfon had said, Haia had yet to experience a fight without anyone helping him. A fight that didn't involve trusting anybody. The leader of the Gang had been living in the family that was the Mercenary Gang. However, a day would come for the Gang to disband. The people he trusted would not be around him anymore.

(I'm so unsightly, thinking of it when I'm like this.) Haia wanted to test his ability to fight alone.

Kei and Kei. Breath clashed with breath. They weaved together. The blood spurting from Layfon's left wrist painted Haia's vision red.

Layfon's Kei power slowed in one split second.

(I can win.) Haia thought. Layfon's left wrist was useless. The gathering of the huge amount of Kei increased the blood loss, and that had lowered his level of concentration. However, his expression showed no signs of impatience. His silent and emotionless pupils watched Haia.

(This guy......)

He should be hating Haia. One for the kidnapping of Felli, and two for forcing him to take up the Katana. In fact, he was obviously outraged when he began the duel. Strangely though, his anger faded as the fight progressed, and his eyes became empty. It was even more obvious after Zuellni's victory.

Blood still gushed out of the wrist. The storm created by Layfon's Kei whipped up the blood and turned everything red.

(Does this guy not fear death?)

But those eyes had no fear in them.

Haia's Katana had no safety setting. If he managed to strike first, then Layfon would die. Even so, Layfon remained rock-firm, as if he was just an observer, watching and letting time pass.

And this was the moment when Haia finally understood what Layfon possessed. He had fought alone against mad filth monsters. Any damage to his protective suit on the hopeless, arid, pollutant-filled wild plain would bring death. Defeat meant death. To fight alone, he had to even think of how to escape alone. He had such a background. He was in a lonely world devoid of support.

(........!)

Haia spent all his might to stop his sudden shivering. Suppressed by fear, he had missed his best chance.

The fingertip of Layfon's left hand trembled. His nerves hadn't been cut. Raising his Internal Kei to its max, he gathered all his Kei in that nerve. Just one moment was enough. Move.

This was a lonely world without support. Use his own power to win hope. Use his own power to survive.

His left wrist moved to slowly grasp hold of the blade's handle. Shou Kei increased.

"Ahhhhh!"

Haia's blade was deflected. The crashing pressure of the Kei completely dominated Haia, keeping him in place.

Psyharden technique - Flame Weight.

The blade flipped to draw from Haia's shoulder downward. Skin ripped. Bones shattered. Organs were damaged. Without time to even shout, Haia was batted into the air but Layfon prepared to deal him a final blow - a blow for the throat.

(I'll probably die......)

Haia couldn't move. Intense pain interfered with his nerves. His entire body was numb. Though he was shocked, he managed to calm down and quietly waited for it to happen. He closed his eyes.

But....that moment didn't come. The impact didn't come.

"......?" he slowly opened his eyes, and never expected to see the glasses he was so familiar with. Tears rolled down the face of his childhood friend.

"Myunfa....You....What're you doing?"

Myunfa, gritting her teeth, was shielding him with her body. She had saved him while he fell from the sky, and she was now shielding him.

He saw Layfon standing behind her.

"......Hurry and escape."

He himself provoked the fight. Since he lost, it couldn't be helped that he was to die. But Myunfa was unrelated to all that had happened. He couldn't get her involved.

She shook her head desperately.

"....No."

"Don't say nonsense."

"No," she shouted and held him tighter. "I don't want to leave you! I....made that decision long ago."

Her resolve made him speechless. He moved his gaze to Layfon. Layfon stood there for a while then gave a long sigh, releasing the Kei gathered in his body. He turned the Katana into its Dite form and turned around, preparing to leave.

"Hey!" Haia shouted.

"You are enough as the villain. I'm not interested in becoming one." He left with that excuse.