Dim light. The artificial light of Zuellni illuminated Layfon's shadow.
Something felt different about that face.
The Layfon Felli knew always wore a troubled expression. Tense gaze, an unnatural feeling that he never attempted to hide, of knowing he shouldn't be where he was. That was the Layfon she knew.
On the top of the tower, Layfon's line of vision hovered on the outskirts of the city – the earth filled with filth monsters. The vision of a normal person would be unable to make out what went on in the darkness outside the city. But what about the Layfon now?
The way he stared faraway was like he had confirmed something.
(Good.)
"Senpai, have you found it yet?"
"......Not yet."
To reply, she swallowed what she was about to say. Her face was hot. What was she thinking, looking at him? As if to toss away her shyness, she switched off Layfon's image and went to check all of the other images.
The hovering flakes brought back information to her through many means. Vision reflected by light, infrared rays, ultrasound, etc. She searched for Layfon's target through what humans didn't originally possess.
To possess strong psychokinesis was not enough to be called a genius.
Felli was a genius because she could process a massive amount of information simultaneously.
"Please hurry. I can destroy as many larvae as I like, but it'll be hard even for me if the mother calls for reinforcements."
"I know."
The voice of the Student President counting down drifted over. From ten down to one. Felli increased her processing pace. Ultrasound could not pierce the ground, so she made the flakes enter the crack where Zuellni's legs were, heading deeper into the depths of the earth. At the same time, she searched above the ground through infrared rays. She filtered through the heat sources of numerous larvae, and using Layfon's information as the basis, extended her search for a bigger heat signal.
At last......when the countdown reached "Two".
"Found it. Heading 1305. Distance, 30 Kilomel. Depth, 12 Mel. I'll lead you in."
"I'm counting on you."
Zero.
What will happen when the signal goes off...... At the end of Felli's thought was Layfon.
But he remained immobile, gazing straight ahead with the Dite held tightly in his hand.
The flakes conveyed their search results to Felli.
Nine hundred and eighty-two. Nine hundred and sixty-five. Nine hundred and three. Eight hundred and seventy-seven. Eight hundred and thirty-three. Seven hundred and seventy-eight. Six hundred and ninety-one......The red lights of the larvae were snuffed out one after another.
Four hundred and seventy-seven. Three hundred and sixty-five. Two hundred and twenty-three. One hundred and ninety-eight. One hundred and fifty-seven. One hundred and two. Ninety-nine......The huge number that had exhausted all of the Military Arts Students was greatly reduced over a short period of time. Felli didn't want to confirm with the images. The moment that Layfon saved Nina was too tense for her.
She looked at him again.
He had Restored his Dite.
A strange looking weapon with only a handle.
"What's important is control. Once you have the key, even senpai could be so much better than me," he said.
But she truly doubted whether she could exhibit such power.
The Dite held another form of Restoration that Harley had adjusted.
It wasn't just a handle. Countless numbers of long, thin threads hung from the tip of the handle, so fine that one couldn't distinguish them with the naked eye.
A weapon of steel threads. The pressure and friction of a normal string could cut through flesh. The threads were enough to be a murdering weapon.
Layfon deftly controlled the threads, as if they were a part of him. The threads spread across the edges of the city, tearing up the larvae.
Ninety-eight. Ninety-seven. Ninety-six. Ninety-five. Ninety-four. Ninety-three. Ninety-two. Ninety-one. Ninety............ The threads targeted their prey with shocking speed. The disappearing red dots were another countdown to Felli. She must find the mother before all the lights disappeared. If not, the mother would call over any filth monsters in the surrounding area and Zuellni would become a feast for the young of other filth monsters. The filth monsters' determination to extend the survival of one's kin sank Zuellni deeper into its current crisis.
If Felli couldn't find the mother......
Fifty-six. Fifty-five. Fifty-four. Fifty-three. Fifty-two. Fifty-one. Fifty......
Her consciousness flew alongside the flakes deep in the earth. Deeper and deeper, flowing through the twisted caverns and snake-like corridors.
There.
A huge and ugly abdomen. The body of the mother as if it was dead. A huge heat signal.
"I found it. I'll lead you over."
"Thanks."
As he replied, he disappeared from the tower.
To fly in the air.
No, not flying. He was probably pulling himself over, using one of the threads as an anchor. Through the Kei in his legs, he sped from the center of the city to its outskirts. While flying through the air, he continued to control the threads. The number of larvae was reduced to zero when he reached the edge of the city.
Felli sent another flake to his side.
"You have five minutes. Your lungs won't hold beyond that."
"I know."
His soft reply worried her. Humans could not live long on the polluted earth outside the city. The pollutant floating in the air would rot one's lungs.
She didn't understand why he was risking his life. Because of his ability? The ability that'd only bring him danger......
"He doesn't want to do this," she said to no one.
It was for others, and also for himself.
Felli couldn't understand his naive thinking.
But......
"Please don't die," she said to his image through the flake.
She didn't send the words to him.
He felt sticky the moment he left the air shield.
Layfon leaped down from the very edge of the city. He controlled the threads and set them as anchor points, using them to lower himself down into the crack of the earth. He minimized contact with the ground and kept his breathing shallow.
Soil particles fell into his eyes, causing intense pain. The pollutant ate at his flesh. He squinted, and tears filled his eyes. He regretted not bringing a mask with him. Did they have it in Zuellni? Perhaps the Mechanical Department would have some.
The Kei-filled threads replaced his nervous system and led him through the dark cavern. He chased after one of the threads wrapped around his guide, a flake.
Humidity came through the threads. The moisture in the air was laced with pollutants. Even the skin beneath his uniform felt pain.
How much time did he have left?
Pain flared from deep inside his throat. It wasn't possible to completely stop the seepage of pollutant, even though he kept his breathing as shallow as he could. If he held his breath, then he couldn't create Kei. He had never managed to get used to the anxiety and irritation that arose from fighting filth monsters.
No matter how many times he had done it.
A world not habitable to humans.
What a harsh world.
The world was cruel to the people living in sealed off cities, who could only communicate with the outside world through the danger that hid in the shadow of roaming bus. Yet humans continued to live in this world. A world that did not permit their existence.
But they had to pay a price to keep on living......
The pain reached his lungs, and he could feel the juice in his stomach flowing backward into his throat. If this feeling became more intense, so intense that he couldn't bear it, then everything would be over.
Considering the time he had spent getting here, he probably only had one minute left.
"The mother's right behind this last corner,"
Felli said.
He flew around the corner, released all the threads and turned the Dite back to its original form. A normal Dite.
He opened his eyes. He was standing on humid earth.
And before him was the mother form of a filth monster.
Her abdomen was two-thirds of its bulky body. The body had been damaged. The uterus in the abdomen was where the larvae were nurtured. Earth buried the immobile wings above its shell. In its head, so much larger than a larva's, was a compound eye. Its jaw was half closed, as if it was breathing out its last breath. The sound of friction caused by the shells grinding against each other filled the cavern.
"Restoration 01."
The Dite restored into the blue green sword.
"Perhaps, our will to live is the same."
Without fearing the waste of breath, Layfon talked to the mother.
"Perhaps, the feelings of not wanting to die is the same."
Layfon strode towards the mother while talking. Every step increased the light of Kei in the blade, driving back the darkness.
"Those people who aren't satisfied with that alone, are probably too rich."
The filth monsters who had adapted to the polluted earth might be the masters of this world. According to history, when humans didn't have to rely on Regios, they did whatever they wanted as masters of this world. The fact that humans could only survive in artificial worlds in this era meant the filth monsters had risen to become the new conquerors.
Whether the mother had discovered Layfon or had sensed danger from Layfon's Kei, its jaw started to close and open rapidly, and the sound of friction deepened.
The mother was about to call for reinforcements.
"But we still want to live on," Layfon said in a low voice and raised his sword.
"I don't plan to apologize."
The blade swung down.
Epilogue
In the silence, Nina stood rooted on the spot.
Before her lay the decapitated corpses of the larvae. No one at the scene understood what had happened.
The medical students were the first to collect themselves. They started to work on the injured.
The medical student who had dragged Nina back applied antiseptic liquid, haemostatic and cell regeneration gel to her wound. He then bandaged the wound, not too gently.
What had happened?
Only a few minutes had passed since the Student President began the countdown. No one else had done anything, yet the larvae were torn apart one after another.
Did Layfon do this?
Probably. She shivered. Was this due to her blood loss? Or excitement......
Or fear?
Extraordinary skill. Was this what a Heaven's Blade Receiver was like? She thought of this as she pressed down, hard, on the trembling of her body with her right wrist.
The students who didn't know anything began to move. Some shouted in shock. Others were joyful for being alive.
Yes, they should be happy.
She tried to think along those lines.
Damage was minimized because of Layfon. She didn't plan to deny that point. As long as Layfon was here, they could safely win the next Military Arts competition.
But, was this really okay?
To resolve a crisis by relying entirely on one strong person?
If she had lost her life, she wouldn't be here, thinking like this now. Without Layfon's help, she would've died already.
He wasn't proud of his exceptional skills in the Military Arts, and his viewpoint was totally different from everyone else's.
She didn't think the way he thought was totally bad. The former Nina, who didn't have to worry about money, could never understand, but now she could. She understood because she also had to work to pay for her own school and living fees.
But......
"No, what am I thinking?"
She turned around, about to give the retreat order.
And her gaze came across him.
"Layfon......"
Layfon stood on the edge of the city, on the other side of the larvae corpses.
He wasn't there before.
He had just flown up from the ground, using one of the wires. It looked as if he had just jumped up one step to stand on Zuellni's edge.
No words came from Nina.
"Ah, it's great that you're okay, Senpai."
He staggered to her, his appearance appallingly terrible.
His face and part of his arm not covered by the uniform was swollen red. His eyes were all red and tears tracked down his cheeks.
"This......?"
"Sorry, I ran too far from the city."
So he was in pain, but his smile looked more like a spasm.
"If I hadn't destroyed the mother, other filth monsters would have come......"
As if he was shyly......No, looking at him trying to smile and break the awkward atmosphere, she felt her thoughts were too foolish.
"You were stupid. We've got gear tailored for combat outside!"
"Eh!? Really!"
"Of course. This might be an Academy City, but even so, it's a famous one. You can find standard equipment here."
His dumbstruck expression looked ridiculous. She laughed. And he also smiled, if only a bit sourly.
Then......
"Sorry, I'm a bit tired. Let me rest a bit," he said, and toppled.
"Hey!"
She supported him, but he showed no signs of waking up. As she herself was weak from blood loss, she also fell, unable to fully support his weight.
"H-Hey, you shouldn't sleep in such a place!"
He hadn't planned to, but Layfon was using Nina's chest as a pillow.
Though she looked flustered from the pressure on top of her, she couldn't move.
"And you look so thin too......You're heavy!"
No matter how much she pushed at him, he remained inert. For some reason, none of the medical students nearby came over to help. Angry, she struggled to get him off her.
The sound of peaceful snoring.
"Geez......" she sighed.
"Well, you did really well," she patted his hair that was roughened by soil.
He said he participated in the underground matches for money, but he risked his life in a fight that had nothing to do with it.
Wasn't this the right thing to do for a person trained in the Military Arts?
She herself probably hadn't discovered that Layfon's nature wasn't bad. He was just too honest.
To the level of rushing forward to do the right thing without harboring any doubt.
(If only I could do something for this guy.)
She thought as she patted his hair.
And......
"Cough."
"Huh!? Aaahhhhh! Blood! He's vomiting blood! Stretcher! Get a stretcher over!" she shouted.
With Nina's panicked voice, the medical students finally stirred.
(So noisy......)
Layfon thought, half asleep and half awake.
(Oh yes, I have to write a letter back to Leerin.)
The normal days might come.
And they should be more relaxing than the past.
He'd report everything to Leerin. As that thought fled, the background noise also fled, and he fell into a deep slumber.
Appendix
This section may contain spoilers! Proceed at your own risk.
Regios
Large Mobile cities created by humans to live after Earth atmosphere became too polluted to live. Each city is named after the Electronic Fairy that controls the Regios. Most Regios avoid Filth Monster as much as possible but with the exception of Glendan, which does the opposite as it constantly finds monsters. There are two different kinds of city's ; Academy Cities & General Cities. Academy cities like Myath, Zuellni, and the former Gandoweria are places where students from different areas come to learn & study. General cities are the main cities where most of the population lives. Different types of cities are under the title of general city. These include Trade cities, t
ransport cities and the Proto-City Glendan. Due to a treaty, only Regios of the same type are allowed to have a match with each other.
Proto-City Lance Shelled Glendan: The most powerful city in the world due to its regular encounters with Filth Monsters of all levels and was the birthplace of the Military Arts, which most other cities practice today. The Twelve Heaven's Blades are found here under the command of the Glendan Royal Family.
Academy City Zuellni: A University City governed by its students. This is where the manga/light novel/anime takes place. Its Electronic Fairy takes the shape of a pale blue, young girl.
Academy City Gandoweria: A former city that was overrun by Pollutant Beasts not long after their victory over Zuellni two years ago. Its Electronic Fairy takes the form of an goat-like creature and is currently running amok as a Haikizoku.
Sheniebel: The city Nina Antalk grew up in, currently the only city with the Fairy Copy System which is capable of making new Electronic Fairies. Like Glendan, Sheniebel also has a royal family, which Nina is the heiress of, as seen in the manga of Chrome Shelled Regios.
Academy City Myath: An academy city like Zuellni, its electronic fairy takes the form of a red bird. In the anime, the military capabilities of this city are shown to be poor, perhaps even worse than that of Zuellni, as when attacked by a mature filth monster no resistance from the residents of the city is put up.
Transport City Yoltem: The original home city of Mayshen Torinden, Mifi Rotten and Gerlni Naruki, according to the manga. All roaming buses eventually return to Yoltem and most travelers will encounter it during their travels. Only its Electronic Fairy knows the current location of every Regios.
Trade City Santoburug: The city Kalian Loss and his sister Felli grew up in. Their family holds significant positions and weight in the city, and is the Regios.
Electronic Fairy
Special Artificial creatures that control the Regios. Created by scientists as a two-way solution of having an AI performing the many functions of a Regios while having a mind of a human for maintaining and controlling the Regios, they are the most important asset of every city. Without them, the city would die. On the other hand, the Electronic Fairy will also die if it does not have Selenium, a special ore that has many Regios fight each other for their city's survivability. An electronic fairy whose city has been ruined turns into a Haikizoku, a being which is capable of greatly enhancing a Kei users power, but the user will be filled with endless hatred towards pollutant beasts.
Chrome Shelled Regios Page 15