Red Nocturne

by Shūsuke Amagi

  "Why are you fighting for Zuellni? Not for money. If you were that type of person, I'd be very willing to put you beside me, but you're not like that. Your purpose is to survive, and you rely on Nina Antalk to survive. Because both you and she won't change much in the next few years," Karian said as Layfon continued to pour Kei into the steel threads. The distance between the trap and the filth monsters was shortening.

  "There are people who exist to help point out the path of life. Before the end of their lives, people are solving their own problems in different situations. But you're not one to fight at the cost of your life. Will you fight for Zuellni even if it costs you your life?"

  "That kind of thing......"

  The filth monsters had entered the steel thread area. Layfon leaped onto the threads and howled, "How should I know!"

  A few filth monsters had been cut by the steel threads and fell onto the earth. Layfon concentrated on a filth monster before him instead of checking to see whether the others were dead.

  Karian went to meet Harpe for the sake of Zuellni. He was just a normal person, yet he did it to protect Zuellni. Then was Layfon the same? The Layfon who had been pulled through by the intense will of Nina?

  "How should I know!"

  He pulled the steel threads, controlling them as he ran on them. Blood spurted from filth monsters' bodies. The distance between Layfon and the bike became wider. Zuellni might be the reason why the filth monsters had chosen this path. The destination that both Layfon and Karian were heading for. In that case, Layfon must take care of them here. The problem now wasn't with the number of steel threads he had but with the length of them.

  "What is it?" Felli said.

  "I don't think it's a problem handling them here, but it'll be difficult to fight filth monsters that are further away," Layfon said.

  "Um...... we've a tiny problem here," Karian said.

  "What?"

  "Felli, how much longer till we reach Zuellni?"

  "Two hours minimum. What's wrong?"

  "The batteries. Two hours. Amazing!"

  "Ah......"

  Two hours. They had spent two hours resting at night and cutting off the engine.

  "We already used the spare battery."

  A bike wasn't the same as a roaming bus. Still, the bike was made for long distance travel, so the batteries shouldn't run out so easily, and they did change a new battery before they slept!

  "No way! Perhaps it sustained some damage during the ride. A place that can damage the battery......"

  "How come?"

  "We won't make it unless Zuellni comes to meet us......... What should we do?"

  It wasn't possible to kill all of the filth monsters in two hours.

  "You're calm, Nii-san."

  "Getting into a panic does nothing. So what does Layfon plan to do next? If you plan to stand there and fight with your life, I'll stay with you."

  "Nii-san!"

  "The filth monsters might not split up even if I run away as bait. So we can only rely on Layfon and buy some time for Zuellni to finish its preparations!"

  "You don't have to do that," Layfon said. He didn't really like Karian, but not many people could show his calmness and resoluteness while conversing with a filth monster. "Zuellni cannot lose its Student President."

  "Thanks, but......"

  "Leave this nonsense and come back!" someone else said angrily.

  "Ah! Vance, you heard us!"

  "Of course! We've relayed the current situation to all Military Artists. We're making preparation. You just need to head straight back. We'll take care of them."

  "That's reckless......" Layfon said.

  "You shut up. I'm the Head of Military Arts! I won't allow you, a platoon member, to disobey an order. Just keep those filth monsters together while you head straight back for Zuellni. This is an order!"

  The anger in the voice allowed no protest and kept Layfon silent.

  "Do you really have a plan?"

  "I'll show you the defense we have. Just come back!"

  "That makes me glad," Karian said.

  "That's right. I'll lead the way," Felli said.

  "I'm counting on you, Layfon. You can return while keeping them like this, can't you?"

  "Got it."

  He wasn't satisfied but it was true that he couldn't fight them all alone. Layfon returned to the bike.

  "Counting on you!"

  Karian put his attention back to driving as Layfon did his best to herd the filth monsters together. The filth monsters chasing them were tangled in the steel threads and those who tried to split up were herded back by Layfon's external Kei.

  "Isn't this unbelievable? He......."

  "What do you mean?" Layfon said, keeping his eyes on the filth monsters.

  "He made a decision to fight so many filth monsters!"

  "Well......"

  "You said you couldn't win against Harpe. To you, the meaning of a fight depends on the gap of strength between you and victory. I don't mean you aren't prepared to die in a fight, but that's about what your fight is like – chosen from the few to enter the arena. What did you fight for? It must have been money in Grendan."

  "........."

  "You fought under disadvantageous circumstances. You haven't fought differently so you don't understand their feelings."

  "Student President, understand what?"

  "To understand that they have what you don't have!"

  The reason to protect Zuellni. The reason to fight even at the cost of one's life.

  "What?"

  "Glory!"

  "Eh?"

  "You might think what kind of reason is that. But most Military Artists fight for the pride and glory in them. Only they can protect the city. They're to protect their cities with their hands......And that's the meaning of survival!"

  Layfon recalled Karian's speech at Zuellni.

  "So you did it for that?"

  "Yes, in order to summon their pride. They chose the pride of a Military Artist, and that is a reason worthy of throwing one's life away for."

  "So stupid, how......"

  "But what else is left? A Military Artist has the duty to fight filth monsters once he's born to this world. That's why the society made changes for them. In order to obtain glory. Duty doesn't mean simple sacrifice. Military Artists fight with their pride to protect the city. That's what society trains them to do."

  "........."

  What're you saying? That's a lie! You're wrong! But Layfon didn't give voice to those thoughts. He understood deep down that Karian was right.

  Karian glanced at him a bit sadly. "You weren't trained like that. Perhaps you had that question before you received your training...... Either way, your pride is as a Military Artist who doesn't die. And for that, you can keep on walking no matter how hard life becomes. As a Military Artist, you don't escape from reality. And because of that, you have to find your reason to fight. I wanted to say this to you too, Felli."

  Was this Karian's love for his sister?

  Felli didn't reply. The bike continued on its path. The murderous intent of the filth monsters shrouded Layfon and Karian, as if that tension was about to explode. The steel threads cut through the murderous intent. The liquid spurting from filth monsters' bodies turned into a mist. Those monsters who fell onto the ground writhed in agony, and were immediately consumed by their brethren.

  The two hours long flight was about to come to an end. Karian's bad driving skill allowed the bike to slide on the ground, and that wore out the tires quicker than usual. The brake wasn't as sensitive now. The engine was overheating and parts of it were melting. The bike wasn't the only thing edging close to its limit. Karian had almost exhausted his physical strength and concentration as he experienced the terror of filth monsters outside the city. He did all he could to keep himself calm and dispel the fear in him like all other Military Artists.

  "The signal's out. Seems we're about to run out," Karian mumbled.

  A red light was flash
ing in the middle of the control panel, and the status of the battery showed "low".

  And Zuellni finally appeared before them.

  "Great......" Karian's words were cut off. The bike swayed as his head lulled.

  "He's lost consciousness!" Felli said in a shrill voice. The sight of Zuellni had broken Karian's concentration, causing him to sink into a slumber. The bike crashed into a huge rock and Karian was thrown out of his seat.

  Layfon caught the Student President in the air. The engine sparked and the entire bike exploded. Pieces of the bike scattered and cracked wheels shot upward. Layfon ran ahead of the explosion. The weight of Karian prevented him from dashing at full speed.

  "Five more minutes. Keep at it! Run!" Vance shouted.

  Layfon bit his lower lip, the steel threads waving madly behind him.

  Jump, run, leap.........He ran through a sea littered with debris to where Zuellni stood. Something sounded on the surface of his helmet. The pieces of earth shattered by Zuellni's passage danced everywhere, and those pieces of small debris hammered Layfon. Praying the debris wouldn't damage the protective suit, he kept running. Unable to evade the shattered pieces, Layfon headed underneath the city.

  A presence behind them suddenly surged. His steel threads closed in on the filth monster and cut apart its wing. It lost its balance to slide on the ground.

  "Wu-!"

  But the filth monster didn't give up. It slid with the momentum of its fall with its jaws wide open, planning to sweep Layfon and Karian into its mouth. Layfon could've jumped up to avoid the attack, but he couldn't do it with Karian on his shoulder.

  "Keep running!" Sharnid's voice sounded from Layfon's helmet. Gun shot. And the filth monster wailed. The bullet had shot through its eye.

  "Compared to attacking the enemy head on, sniping really is much more enjoyable!"

  Layfon kept running. The door of the city was close, and he could see Sharnid standing there. Two new figures slipped through the door and leapt past Layfon, one holding a lance and one holding a baton.

  "Aaaaaaaaaaah!!" Naruki roared. She adjusted her landing trajectory in the air and swung her baton with all her might at the weakest scale of the filth monster – in between its eyebrows. The attack bounced Naruki off the filth monster's body, but her attack managed to shatter the scale and expose the meat beneath. She tossed out a rope and it hooked itself onto the filth monster's lower jaw.

  "Aaaah!!"

  She slid down the rope, the rope stopping the filth monster's movement, pulling its head down to the ground.

  "Heee........." Naruki pulled at the rope to keep the filth monster in place. Her shoes sank deep into the ground and the rope made a moaning voice at the pressure. The tug of war didn't last long. Naruki let go of the rope and left her spot.

  Dalshena leapt up. Her lance stabbed deep into the wound that Naruki had made. The bone of the filth monster's head broke as Dalshena's external Kei destroyed the brain cells. Blood spurted from the filth monster. Its head crashed heavily onto the ground. It died.

  Shocked at what had happened beside him, Layfon hadn't stopped running.

  He then felt a change above him.

  (What is it?)

  A massive amount of Kei was being gathered on the outskirt of the city.

  Layfon arrived below the door. No time to use the lift. Should he jump.........? A new figure appeared at the door. Wearing a protective suit, the figure slid down the rope, its length coiling around her waist.

  "Give me your hand!" her voice sounded in Layfon's helmet.

  -- The voice he had wanted to hear for so long. -- The voice filled with colors. -- The voice that shone before him.

  Layfon leapt and took hold of her hand. He handed Karian over. They confirmed each other at the closest distance possible.

  "You're back!"

  "Yes!"

  They spoke without using the force of psychokinesis.

  A great flash of light enveloped them the next second. A huge ball of Kei had shot out from the city, obliterating a large number of filth monsters and triggering chain explosions.

  "Let's go!"

  "Yes!" Layfon retrieved the steel ropes and turned the Adamantium Dite into a sword.

  The feeling of the tightening of relaxed nerves. The feeling of his flesh and his concentration coming together. The feeling of Kei exploding from head to toe. He was confirming what he had – some kind of meaning that could release his strength. Something that was like a parasite.........This was the current Layfon Alseif, howling alone as he leapt into the battlefield.

  Pulled back into the city, Nina put Karian down. The medical team, its members all wearing protective suits, rushed over to tend to the Student President. Nina looked at the battle. The second shot of massive Kei closed in on the filth monsters like a ball of light.

  "This is........."

  A weapon she had never seen before. The intensity of the Kei made the air vibrate.

  "The Kei cannon!" Karian said, standing up with the support of the medical team. "It's not on that huge a scale. We need about 100 Military Artists to recharge it. Not a very good weapon."

  "To make this weapon, that means......"

  "We don't have to cower under the threat anymore, besides......"

  Nina watched Karian's eyes.

  "He has become his original self."

  "No! If he does that, then it's meaningless for him to come here. You're the Student President. You shouldn't be tolerating his condition. Don't you realize that you're using him like a tool?" Nina reproved.

  Academy City. A city that no one could view it as home – that was the city's fate. A cold yet gentle place that nurtured newborn birds that had yet to fly.

  Karian was shocked by Nina's words. "I'm using Layfon as a tool......?" Outrage surged in him. It wasn't like that! – He wanted to shout it out, but ended up swallowing it. He calmed himself down. "I'd receive punishment if I did that."

  But Leerin had said.

  "He has to shoulder the agony that is the result of his punishment. When that time comes......"

  Reproving himself and reproving everything around him.

  Nina watched the battle. Layfon was dancing with the filth monsters, sword held high.

  "When that time comes, and till the end........."

  She wanted to stand with him.

  "He shouldn't feel regret at what he himself has done."

  Nina continued to gaze at the battlefield. She felt a sigh coming from Karian.

  Birds called somewhere out in this world.

  Epilogue

  The roaming bus still wasn't there.

  "What's going on?" Leerin said at the bus station. She was fed up. The bus was many days late, according to the schedule. Only the sound of the lonely wind and the vibration of the city's multi-legs accompanied the outer edge of Myath.

  "Well, not all things go as smoothly as expected!" Savaris said, sitting on the long bench with his back bent forward.

  Leerin came to the bus station everyday, and Savaris always accompanied her. A number of passengers also came to check the status but after confirming the bus wasn't here, they all left. Only Leerin searched for the roaming bus with the pair of binoculars she had bought.

  "Even if you do that, the roaming bus won't appear."

  Savaris's pair of binoculars were more powerful and he could see further than her. Leerin didn't listen to him. She ignored him and looked through her binoculars again.

  "If......" Savaris said. "What if Layfon's become a coward?"

  She lowered her binoculars to look at him.

  "If he hasn't started anew and lives his life dragging himself around. What would you do?"

  A person surfaced in Leerin's mind. She met him in the assault on Myath, the Military Artist named Roy. A Military Artist who had encountered failure and was exiled. A Military Artist who was twisted and had failed to regain his courage. Whenever she recalled Roy, somewhere deep inside her she would ponder whether Layfon was the same.


  "Well............" Savaris smiled, as usual. Leerin knew he wasn't really smiling.

  She chose her words carefully. "It's ok if he's not acknowledged, as long as he's done everything he can, but........."

  What if Layfon was like Roy?

  "I'll knock him awake," she said and balled her hand into a fist. Compared to Savaris' stronger arms, her small and delicate arm held up her fist.

  He looked at her with a vague expression. "Really?"

  "Really."

  He smiled and shrugged in admiration. Leerin saw his real smile. She once again picked up her binoculars.

  "Since you're looking for something, why not look at something that can be seen!"

  Some other noise came through to them.

  "Eh?"

  "Such as that," he pointed.

  Leerin adjusted the direction and the strength of her binoculars. A huge figure was moving above rolling dust. She thought for a split second that it was a filth monster.

  "A city?"

  "Yes."

  "No way, why is a city here........."

  "This is the time!"

  A fight for selenium.

  "We're entering a fight?"

  "Strict rules are set in a fight between Academy Cities, so it won't be that intense. Besides, you see the flag, don't you?" he urged.

  Leerin didn't see it at first as she was adjusting the strength of the binoculars, but she managed to catch her target. The image of a young girl was weaved onto the flag like a crest.

  ".........Eh?"

  She had seen that crest in Layfon's letter that told him he had passed the entrance exam.

  "Can this be............"

  "Looks like we don't need to wait for a bus!" Savaris said.

  Leerin watched Zuellni, the city that was heading for them.

  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, transport 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.