Volume 9, 4 — Confusion(2/2)
Savaris gave a bitter smile. This person knew of his thoughts and had suggested accordingly for the negotiation.
The man continued speaking without fear. "Filth monsters will attack Zuellni today."
"........"
A topic that Savaris had been waiting for.
"What's the catch of telling me this?"
"No matter. This is a filth monster with a name," the man said something that only people of Grendan would understand.
"This is becoming more interesting. The Haikizoku will definitely appear. What useful information. As thanks, I won't destroy your body."
"Not at all. I still haven't yet asked for your help," he said.
"Then what do you want me to help with?"
"We'll take the Haikizoku out of its vessel."
"Why?"
"Why? Don't you want the Haikizoku? It'll be troublesome to take it back like that. You can't be thinking of asking us for help when you're at your end?"
True. That made sense. Savaris did not have the tools to capture the Haikizoku. He'd probably use the same method as the Mercenary Gang. Find a random person and let the Haikizoku possess him. That wasn't enough. The Haikizoku would be very unstable because the vessel lacked willpower. In addition, Layfon would be there to interfere.
The Queen knew the Gang would fail in this mission, so she sent a Heaven's Blade over.
But once the Haikizoku had settled in its vessel, next was Savaris's turn to contend against it. He didn't think he would lose. Actually, it'd be interesting if the vessel was Layfon. In that case, he had to make sure he had enough strength left to fight Layfon after contending with the Haikizoku.
"But can your way ensure nothing will happen on the way with delivering the Haikizoku back to Grendan? If it was in a city, I could suppress it with force, but if it was on the roaming bus......?"
"Uh......"
As he thought. This would get troublesome. Besides, that consciousness in Leerin might not take his side.
"We can take the Haikizoku off its vessel and hand it to you in its real form."
"You can do that?"
"Only we can do this."
It sounded like a good trade.
"Then what're you getting out of this? Do you want me to fight that filth monster?"
If that filth monster did have a name, then Layfon himself wasn't enough. This would also be difficult for Savaris as he didn't have his Heaven's Blade. But if they were to cooperate, they might defeat it.
"I want you to protect Zuellni."
Savaris's eyes widened at the unexpected. "You do know how to joke. According to what I saw in Myath, destroying Academy Cities is what you like."
"Yes, Myath doesn't mean much to us, but Zuellni is different. It has something that we want."
"I see......"
"But it takes time to obtain it. We'll be troubled if something is to happen to Zuellni."
"I see."
Was that the only reason? What were the Wolf Faces planning? Savaris was really curious. In that case, he better collaborate with them so he could return to Grendan earlier.
"Let's do this then."
"Good. Please look after me."
The man nodded and vanished. Speaking of which...... what did that man look like? All he saw was that grey coat.
"Uh, this is troublesome," he said, losing interest in the Wolf Face man.
What he was interested in now was the upcoming battle.
"A filth monster with a name...... I'm really looking forward to it."
How much could he do without a Heaven's Blade? That question made him really anxious.
◇
Feeling the Kei running up her arm, Naruki released her Kei without hesitation.
"Ha!"
External Kei variation - Purple Lightning.
Thunder strikes shot from the chain of rope. The Military Artists caught by that rope fell down one by one.
"Fu........" Naruki retrieved the rope and sighed.
In the past three months, she had successfully learned the key points of Karen Kei under Gorneo's instruction. The move she executed was of Karen Kei. The Military Artists she caught did not faint. They just couldn't move as their nervous system was in chaos, leaving Zuellni's Military Artists ample time to deal the final blow. Naruki took back her gaze from the scene.
They didn't have a judge to decide whether a person was out of action in the platoon match even though a safety setting was installed in every Dite. Besides, a safety setting couldn't guarantee safety. A blade could still inflict heavy damage, and that was the same with Nina and Naruki's weapons. Sometimes, Military Artists would sustain severe injuries. They might even die. In truth, a guy the same age as Naruki had sustained a head injury during the match with Myath. She had visited him in the hospital. He didn't look reliable, but he was a good man. Fortunately, it wasn't a life threatening injury. But in the month after he was discharged, he always complained of headache. At present, his head would still hurt occasionally. Even modern medicine failed to completely cure brain and Kei-related injuries. That man might have died. This was what a Military Arts fight was like. No matter how many safety precautions were made, one fought with death.
Naruki couldn't agree with it. She couldn't do it, and that was why she left Joeldem. One had to fight filth monsters in order to survive. But what was a war for? Why should they fight over selenium mines? Why did the cities, the Electronic Fairies have to make humans fight? She didn't understand.
And that, she couldn't agree with.
Once she told her parents of her thought, they decided to allow her to study in Academy City. They thought she would die if she continued to think like that in Joeldem. Only death awaited her if she didn't fight. Her parents' decision was right.
Hence Naruki aimed to join the police force. Police's opponents were people who threatened the peace of the city. Till now, she had never doubted her decision in becoming a policewoman. However, right now she was part of a platoon, and she was fighting in the Military Arts Competition. She fought and she learned Karen Kei from Gorneo. What was with the change of heart? Actually, she knew. The event with the 10th platoon had changed her. Dinn had chosen the wrong path for the sake of the city. Did he fail because his choice was wrong? Or was it that even with a wrong decision, one could reach one's goal with a firm belief? Was there any mistake in the justice that she believed in? A closer study yielded the conclusion that one made mistakes because one was too loyal to one's belief. Did the action succeed in the end or fail? Naruki didn't understand, so she now fought in a fight she didn't want to participate in. What she couldn't accept might not necessarily be wrong. But what about the people who had a hand in changing her thinking?
Naruki's gaze turned to Nina. Holding the iron whips, Nina changed the team's movement according to the enemy's reactions. If the counterattack was strong, she would take the attack. If the counterattack was weak, she would increase her territory. No one needed a Psychokinesist's report to realize Nina was the captain, looking at the way she shouted and gave orders. As naturally, she concentrated on attacking. Naruki and the other Military Artists became Nina's wall to reduce her burden. However, Nina would choose to attack even while defending. As long as she saw an opening, she would rush forward. Even though the strategy was aimed to keep Nina's team not too far away from Dalshena's, Naruki still thought it tactless. If Layfon didn't head alone into the enemy's ranks to cause a commotion, Dalshena's attack wouldn't have worked. Putting it the other way, the connection of the teams had turned harder to maintain because the fight was too smooth. The team led by the 16th platoon would have collapsed if not for their favorite Whirl Kei strategy.
"Captain, please stop for a bit!" Naruki shouted.
"Ah? Uh, yes...." Nina replied reluctantly.
Naruki calmed herself. She must stop her before anyone broke through the defense of Kei in the Captain's Dite.
"Captain!" she called again.
Nina finally halted her steps.
"You're going in too fast. What exactly are you thinking?" It was Felli's voice coming through the flake. "Please also tell Dalshena senpai not to keep moving ahead. You guys are too far away from the third team."
"But......" she looked ahead. "Layfon, he......"
"If I don't first stop you, I can't concentrate on persuading that happy idiot." Reproach filled Felli's voice.
A Psychokinesist could process gathered information all at the same time. Still, it was difficult for her to speak to different people at the same time.
"Sor, sorry......" Nina said and gave an order to Dalshena through the flake. "This is Vance's order. Join with the second wave and turn to defensive formation. Defend the areas we've gained."
"Roger."
"Really......" Felli didn't say anymore. She must be talking to Layfon.
Though they had stopped moving, many Falnir Military Artists still surrounded them. Naruki and the other members had turned to a defensive formation while Nina was giving the order. The team changed into a dense formation with Nina at the center of the circle. Not long after that, Dalshena's team retreated to meet up with Nina's team.
Since she was in the middle of the formation, Nina couldn't fight. She sighed.
"Damn!"
She wasn't relaxed at all. She was impatient with Layfon. He wasn't back yet.
"What is it?" Naruki asked. The heavy push forward back then seemed to have been pulled by Layfon.
"Did I think too highly of myself?" Dalshena sighed also. Sweat rolled down her face.
Naruki felt more at ease. No matter how beautiful her senpai was, she could sweat too. This scene didn't mean much, but it helped Naruki breathe.
Dalshena's gaze turned from Nina to her. "What's up with her?"
"Ah, no, it's Layfon. He seems different from usual. That's worrying."
True. Layfon's action was strange. He didn't give off that dark and shadowy feeling. Compared to before, he was happier and more carefree. So carefree that it was hard for her to accept it.
"...... He must have solved that problem with Leerin?"
"I think so too, but somehow, I feel he's really overdoing it......"
Yes. It felt hard to approach him before the intercity match. She also hadn't talked to him during the fight. And today, she got a feeling that he was relaxed up till the signal for the match to begin. Though he looked like he had plenty of room to spare, others couldn't help but think he was being careless.
Was that why Nina was worried? Naruki's instinct told her that wasn't it. Nina was worried...... She was probably using that as an excuse to lie to herself.
(Meishen would have felt down while saying, "That's great".)
Though Nina was happy that Leerin and Layfon had made up, she probably felt down for failing to help him. Naruki was probably feeling the same too. So useless. But perhaps she was dreaming to live such a useless life. She thought she would deceive herself like this.
(Has Leerin noticed?)
That Leerin herself felt something for Layfon. Nina should have known the reason behind Leerin's visit, yet she still chose to live with her. It must be hard for her to see Leerin and Layfon so close together.
Why was Naruki so useless?
The battle continued and Layfon still hadn't returned.
"So slow. Has she not convinced him yet?" Nina stumped her foot.
At this time.... A roar sounded in the air.
"What?"
As the battlefield was filled with noise, no one noticed something was nearing them. The Psychokinesists were concentrating on gathering information of the battle, so they didn't have spare time to look beyond the cities. The roar became a rumble, and the entire earth shook.
"Cityquake!?"
Naruki quickly threw away that speculation. A city's multi-legs being trapped inside a crack was the cause of a city's quake. Falnir and Zuellni had already stopped moving, so this wasn't it. Then what was it?
New rumbling sounded from in front of and behind the two cities. No one had yet to give the signal to stop the battle. However, all Military Artists had ceased fighting.
A shrill siren sounded above the battlefield to announce the attack of filth monsters. The sad wailing of Electronic Fairies. At the same time, countless number of larvae had appeared outside the cities.