Mixing Note

by Shūsuke Amagi

  Before Layfon had become a Heaven's Blade Receiver, Layfon had already fought on the battlefield. In Grendan, those who didn't achieve a certain amount of results in the competitions weren't allowed to fight on the battlefield, and they also couldn't receive the Military Artists' grants. And the young Military Artists' grants would only be given until fifteen.

  Layfon had been participating in the competitions since two years ago.

  After achieving his goal in the first competition, he started participating in every battle he was allowed to fight in.

  If one went onto the battlefield, a Military Artist's grants would be more than others. Layfon gave all of that money to the orphanage.

  "But today you're alone, right?"

  Leerin looked at the Dite belt strung around her childhood friend's waist. On it hung a unique Dite.

  Today was Layfon's first battle as a Heaven's Blade Receiver.

  "Lintence-sama will be there as well. That person is very strong. So there's no problems."

  Him saying this didn't lessen Leerin's worry at all.

  "Then let's make a promise."

  "A promise?"

  Leerin was stunned by Layfon's proposal.

  "A promise I'll definitely come back safely. So, you have to make me a week's worth of food without any green vegetables whatsoever."

  "Three days."

  "Eh~~~"

  "Uh-uh. If you don't eat properly you won't grow. Isn't that what Lucia-neesan said?"

  Lucia was a girl who was helping with the cooking recently, and was responsible working in the kitchen before Leerin. Also, she was the one who had taught Layfon and Leerin how to cook.

  "So mean. Fine, I got it."

  Layfon nodded his head very unwillingly, and after raising his hand and shouting goodbye he turned and left the orphanage. The younger brothers and sisters shouted towards his retreating back. Layfon waved back at them before leaping out.

  Leerin sent Layfon off as she watched his shadow leaving, using his emergency high speed dash, flying across rooftops as she whispered.

  "You clearly have nothing that you don't like eating."

  But they had already made their promise.

  Now she could only believe in him.

  A late Layfon saw what the uniform he was going to wear outside of the city looked like.

  It was a delicate grass green-colored pollution isolation suit. Next to it was placed a helmet marked with 'Wolfstein.' The suit itself was labeled with Wolfstein, indicating the accessories were made especially for him. Although it didn't affect movement very much, it would still probably create a bit more wind resistance. But for Heaven's Blade Receivers, they have to carefully take into account that sort of minute detail as well.

  But also, Heaven's Blade Receivers were a symbolic existence. Sometimes, when battling large numbers of filth monsters, their existence can improve the performance of other Military Artists, so they can't neglect the ornaments on their uniforms.

  "Isn't sensei wearing a protective uniform?"

  Even though he hadn't been ordered to be addressed as such, but Layfon still called Lintence "sensei."

  "You're the only one leaving the city."

  Layfon had some doubts, as Lintence prevented the technical support members from getting close to him as he continued to wear his normal clothes.

  "This is your battle. I'm just insurance. I'll deal with the guys you leave out. The next time there are orders it'll just be you by yourself. Don't embarrass yourself."

  "I understand."

  The obediently nodding child didn't have a look of fear at all. Because he was a child, his only reaction to anything in the world that he didn't understand was indifference. That pair of eyes no longer had their usual look.

  A very good expression.

  He had gotten rid of any emotions. It was an expression reflecting Layfon concentrating all his thoughts into the upcoming battle.

  (The young child made such an expression. Was this a lamentable occurrence...?)

  Having once lived in a peaceful city when he was young, he considered it.

  However, he didn't have too many feelings on that point. And he didn't really think it was lamentable.

  If one really wanted to push on towards the roots in search of the person to blame, then that would be the adults who made this child make such an expression.

  Taking this a step further, in the entirety of Grendan, how many children other than Layfon could make such an expression?

  That is to say, Layfon was a unique example.

  "You still don't know how to use the steel threads, you understand that, right?"

  "Yes."

  Wearing only equipment for traveling outside a city, Lintence made all the technical support members go away. Layfon lifted his head looked at the helmet, playing with the buckle, and walked up to Lintence.

  "For a person who originally uses a katana, this fight will be rather constrained. But this is a battle that you have chosen, so just fight as you like."

  Layfon showed a moment of surprise, but it vanished immediately from his face.

  "There's no problem, I've made a promise with her to get home safely. If I provoke her anger, she's terrifying."

  "Really?"

  Although he didn't know who Layfon had made this promise with, but seeing as how he was speaking with such passion it was fine.

  "Then go."

  Layfon took the helmet, strapped it on properly. After checking the connectors for gaps, he slapped him on his back.

  After the stairs opened up leading below, Layfon jumped out.

  "Then, I wonder if the comedy over there will be able to meet the expectations?"

  Moving towards the outer edge of the city, Lintence whispered silently, the words never carrying across to that midair garden within the palace.

  Part 3

  At the same time, in the midair garden.

  The emergency alert was already fading, and the city has sunk into silence. Strong winds were blowing roughly beyond the air filter. If it's someone used to, knowing the approach of filth monsters in that wind condition can be done. However, in Grendan, days when the wind is calm are almost none. That's why inversely, in Grendan, it is people who can detect them only on the outside wind who are rare[2].

  All most people know is that on calm days, roaming buses are more likely to arrive.

  Alsheyra laid on a long bench in a corner of the midair garden.

  Hands resting on the arm rests, sleeping. The emergency alert did not wake her up. For the sake of sleeping here, she purposely did it all the way up all night. She had no intention of simply waking up.

  She slept so deeply that she wouldn’t even have any dreams.

  Strong wind from outside couldn’t reach inside because of the air filter. A breeze stroked the cheek, hair tossed. Warm sunshine bathed the whole body. The perfect conditions for basking in the sun and taking an afternoon nap had been met.

  "...The hell?"

  Yet Alsheyra’s eyes were awake.

  "What the hell is this?"

  There was not even the hazy feeling one gets after waking up. The body was claiming lack of sleep. Her body stressed that it hadn’t slept enough, but despite that, Alsheyra woke completely from her slumber.

  "Jeez, I really wish you did it more simply, y'know. Even among the Heaven’s Blades, You're the number one Sakkei user, right? Get a grip a little more, Kanaris!

  At those words, the people standing at the entrance of the Royal Garden trembled.

  "Or is this not your fault, I wonder? Ah, that's right, you didn't have any bloodthirst. A moment more, you could’ve approached about another ten steps, I think? If that’s the case, then who? Whose fault is this, I wonder? Kalvan? Savaris? Or is it Minse? All members come here for a moment![3]"

  Alsheyra stood there with her hands on her hips, shouting.

  Kanaris stood there, stunned, before hurriedly stepping forward, followed by Savaris and Kalvan. And lastly was Minse’s silhoue
tte.

  "Your majesty...."

  "I don't want to hear any excuses"

  Alsheyra cut off Kalvan’s explanation.

  "What is this unsightly behavior? You came for an assassination didn't you? Show more backbone."

  At Alsheyra's rebuke, everyone was unable to move.

  "It is very like us to express objections with military might, however the fact that you can’t even express the ‘suc’ in success is really lamentable. Especially for me. I've been really excited about this you know. Working through the night, I was filled with weariness as I waited here. Do you understand? The troubles that I went that far for has been made into nothing. Would you like some of my leftover anger as change?"

  Her displeasure from sleep deprivation showed through as Alsheyra glared at the four of them.

  "Ah, man. You wasted it all. What a bad feeling. I can’t take this. I’ve got no more energy. Minse, you have to take responsibility. If you can’t find something interesting that’ll make me laugh, then I’ll have to start the punishment game."

  Facing the various responsibilities he had to take, Minse shuddered.

  "…you, it was because you didn’t let me participate in the competition that everything became like this!"

  Unable to bear any more of Alsheyra’s slow scolding, Minse shouted out.

  "Why can a ten year old child participate, yet I cannot? I can only imagine this was the doing of some sort of Almonise family conspiracy."

  "Hah, a conspiracy? Aren’t you getting a bit too far ahead of yourself? You’ve never participated in an official competition, have you? Those with insufficient results aren’t allowed to participate in the selection battles, right? You didn’t think that you would get special treatment just because you’re part of the three royal families, did you? Even Tig-jii followed the order step by step as well, didn’t he?"

  "Uuu…"

  "Ok, that’s that. Well? I’m sure the rest of you did something like this because you were displeased for one reason or another, right? Well, let’s hear it in order, starting from Kalvan."

  "Recently, Your Majesty’s Heaven’s Blade examination standards…"

  "For those who have skills matching yours, and gain recognition in proper order in accordance with the laws, should I not give him a Heaven’s Blade? It’s what the Royal family is here to do. Ok, rejected. Next."

  Kalvan powerlessly drooped his head. The next person to speak, Savaris was lightly smiling as he began weaving his speech.

  "I want to fight Your Majesty."

  "Is that all?"

  "Uh-huh. I’m not like those other people who consider this world in such a complicated way. I only wanted to fight with Your Majesty, so I accepted Minse-sama’s request is all."

  "Sigh~ That’s so damn boring. Next?"

  "…………"

  Kanaris kept her head lowered and said nothing. However she quickly whipped out her dite from her belt and restored it. The hilt of the sword had a decorated guard, and the sword was very slender…it was a rapier.

  "Oya? Kanaris had the same intentions? Really? Ah."

  Looking at Kanaris’ silent, intense, glare, Alsheyra revealed a confounded expression, but that quickly changed into a smile.

  "Ok, then so be it. If you guys can beat me, perhaps I will take what you guys said into consideration."

  "Then what about what I said?"

  "As long as we battle, it’ll all be good, won’t it?"

  "Well, I guess so."

  Savaris stood up as well, restoring the dite on his hands and feet.

  "What will you do, Kalvan-sama?"

  "…Since it’s already gotten to this stage, I don’t suppose I have any choice."

  Saying this, Kalvan also restored his dite. It was a great sword.

  "For now, I want to make that ‘perhaps’ a certainty."

  "Oya? Is it that you have confidence in beating me?"

  "I’ve never gone into battle thinking that I would lose."

  The kei around Kalvan began to expand, making the flowers in garden tremble, and even the trees were beginning to falter. Kalvan’s tall and solid body let out a golden aura. The high density kei being gathered, in tandem with his fighting style, was also undergoing change. The golden kei was almost like a viscous liquid, as it seethed around him, it still floated around Kalvan.

  "...You Majesty, before, you wanted to ask us, if we could ever hope to defeat you with just this kind of level, right?"

  "Yeah."

  "From the start, I never thought about assassination…"

  What immediately followed these words no longer sounded like a spoken language.

  The golden kei which was revolving about Kalvan suddenly rushed towards Alsheyra.

  "…but about fighting it out with you fair and square!"

  "…!"

  Alsheyra wanted to move her wrist, but she was blocked by something.

  It was an External-type Burst Kei Variant, Armed Sword.

  It was a move Kalvan created himself. It was normally used as an armor, with the half materialized kei surrounding his whole body. Although its defense wasn’t as strong as Kongoukei, but it was like a liquid which could congeal instantly into blades the moment anything approached it.

  It was different from creating Kei of the same hardness and defensive strength as Kongoukei. It was a sort of pre-emptive defensive measure.

  "Ooo~~"

  That thing was currently wrapped around Alsheyra’s body, binding her with hardness and stickiness akin to industrial grade rubber.

  But it couldn’t hold for long.

  They had no intention to wait for it to break.

  At this moment, Savaris and Kanaris mobilized.

  In the moment it took to shake off the Armed Sword Kei, the two had closed in on Alsheyra.

  They didn’t use any special techniques, but the fist and the sword were strikes charged with their respective owners kei.

  If they couldn’t break through with one point of attack, then they would break through with two. Two Heaven’s Blade level kei energies came rushing from different directions.

  The Midair Flower Garden shook intensely. The garden was filled with sounds of explosions and flashes of light. Avoiding with difficulty, Minse was sent flying into the wall joining the Midair Flower Garden the outer walkway by a full body hit.

  (Success!)

  As Minse landed within the doorway, his whole body was wracked with pain and as he untwisted his body he expressed his confidence.

  (With that, I’m sure she’s been gotten rid of.)

  But Minse still didn’t notice.

  His own naïve understanding.

  As the last heir of the main branch to the Eutnohl family, one of the three Royal Families living a greenhouse life within the Grendan Military Arts world, he couldn’t understand.

  The force of their own strikes also blasted the three Heaven’s Blade Receivers apart from the centre.

  The lawn in the flower garden had been torn up, the soil lining the flower garden was scattered about, and the stone beneath the soil could be seen. It was like a small scale meteorite crater.

  The dust scattered about in the centre gradually settled.

  "Uwah~ Well, I guess you guys get a ‘pass.’ "

  The voice range out from the centre.

  "To limit the damage around you to a minimum, you opened out two Armed Swords? Quite befitting your hardworking personality, Kalvan. But I’m quite fond of this place, so it’s great that this place hasn’t been wrecked."

  Alsheyra was standing there.

  On that beautiful face of hers, there wasn’t a single speck of dust. She merely stood there, unperturbed.

  "Impossible."

  Minse’s voice quivered, making incomprehensible noises.

  That Alsheyra stood there without a single injury in that soil crater was an unbelievable sight for Minse.

  A pained expression appeared on Kalvan’s face, and even Savaris smiled bitterly. Only Kanaris stood ther
e, expressionless, although her eyebrows were slightly furrowed.

  "But I should take off points for not being able to restrain me just like that, right? Well, I can sympathize seeing how you guys made the decision to give up after understanding you were defeated."

  "Thank you very much."

  The only one obediently lowering his head was Savaris.

  "As expected, teamwork you haphazardly created won’t do very much, Kalvan-sama."

  "…It seems that way."

  Kalvan opened out his Armed Sword yet again. The golden Kei wrapped itself around his body anew.

  "Then we’ll just have to act according to the situation of the battle on our own."

  "I suppose those are some good words."

  "……"

  Agreeing to Kalvan’s suggestion, the three silently increased their Kei pressure. That’s all they did, but it began to warp the airflow. The intense kei flow expelled the air, created a strong gale.

  It was as if the Midair Flower Garden was in the eye of a hurricane.

  But in the centre of that…

  "Didn’t I say that I was kind of partial to this place? If you guys go all out, then it would be very troublesome, and you would break this place. Which – is – why…"

  Alsheyra raised a finger.

  Closing an eye, with a coquettish expression on her face, she quietly whispered.

  "Let’s end this here ?~"

  What happened in the next instant was something that Minse would probably never be able to explain.

  Victory was decided just like that.

  The wilderness, was just as wild and rough as its name suggested.

  Despite wearing shoes with strong soles made specifically to cater for this, he could still feel that intense feeling penetrate throughout his body. Layfon carefully stepped on the ground as he marched forward, finally arriving at the point ten kilomels out from the north-easternmost edge of the city.

  His target had already entered his line of sight.

  Layfon pulled out his dite and restored it.

  The Heaven’s Blade.

  A platinum dite appeared in his hands.

  Even the weight of Grendan’s mysterious platinum could be adjusted according to the user’s wishes. Normally, one would have to compromise some aspect of density, hardness, viscosity, shape, or conductivity. But the Heaven’s Blade had no such issue.