{1}
— Something felt wrong.
Sheltis leaped up from his bed when he was assaulted by a strange, indescribable feeling.
"...... What's going on?"
The clock on the wall showed it was three. It was not quite morning yet - it was a time that was in limbo between midnight and morning. Sheltis and the other cadet guards would not do their morning training at a time like this. That was right, everyone should still be sound asleep.
...... Why was it so noisy?
The commotion was the cause for him to wake up all of a sudden. And that was coming from outside of his room — the corridor.
It was not like there was a ruckus happening outside. Instead, people were walking with an unnaturally quiet manner as not to disturb those who were still in their dreams. Was it a squad that was setting off in the morning? No, there was way too many people for that to be true.
What is happening? The atmosphere is really heavy.
It like he was pulled into a quagmire — the atmosphere was difficult to breathe in. He had experienced that feeling countless times already. Whenever that happens, his ominous feelings always comes true.
— Let's take a look at what is going on.
He opened the door slowly.
A few people happened to pass by the door just as he opened it. One of them was a tall lady who had blended herself into the dark thanks to her blue suit. The cigarette in her mouth was burning like a phantom light.
"...... Instructor Yumelda?"
"Oh. It's you, Sheltis."
His instructor turned her head around. Behind her were several guards who were wearing pure white ceremonial clothing with the badge of regular guards sewn onto their shoulders.
— So I was right. What's happening?
There was no reason for an instructor to lead a large number of guards in the middle of the night with normal circumstances. If that was the case, then it was only during emergencies when......
"The cause of their mishap is unknown. The rescue headquarters has deemed the situation to be serious, and has thus decided to dispatch an official team which comprises of regular guards and apprentice-Priestesses for the rescue mission. I'sa and I are summoned to the team."
A sole reason appeared in his mind.
"Could it be...... Instructor!?"
"I see. Looks like I am quite unlucky to bump into you."
The Instructor put on one of her rare bitter smile and bit hard onto the end of the cigarette.
"I've no time to explain since I am on my way to a meeting...... head to the twenty-second story if you think it is something that concerns you."
Twenty-second story. That is the floor where the tower's hospital is located at, the place where he received treatment only a few days ago.
"...... Just what is going on around here?"
He could clearly feel the trembling of his clenched fists.
Sweat streaked past his cheek down towards his chin. Despite the burning sensation on his face, it felt like his spine was stung by a chill as cold as ice.
"Ugh!"
"Sheltis!"
He suppressed his urge to make his move after hearing the roar from the instructor.
"Remember this — don't you dare do anything reckless. We've already decided to send in the third squad — the team led by Sennenshi Run."
"............"
Sheltis turned his body and ran in the direction of the elevator without giving a reply.
***
He was greeted by a blinding light when the door of the elevator opened.
...... It's still lit up at a time like this?
He made his way quickly through the blinding corridor while suppressing his anxiety. After turning past the final corner that led him to the hospital's counter, what appeared before his eyes was—
The scene of countless injured guards lying in front of him.
"...... That was just appalling."
The cadet guards on the beds looked incredibly weak. Their pure white ceremonial clothing were stained with dirt while the emergency bandages were stained with fresh blood.
Hollers and instructions were flying across the room.
Doctors were flipping through medical records quickly and communicating with each other in loud voices. As for the nurses, they were dashing through the narrow pathways with both their arms filled with medical supplies.
"Move to the side! Stop blocking the way!"
Stretchers were hurriedly transported past the place he was originally standing in. Not just one, but two, three...... The numbers would be astounding if there were more stretchers that were unable to get on the elevator during the first trip.
Why have things become like this?
"What's happening......!"
He bit his lower lip and squeezed his way past the crowd and the counter. As he moved towards the treatment rooms that were located inside, he checked the injuries on each and every cadet guard he could see.
Finally.
Sheltis stopped in his tracks when he saw a dual gunner lying on a bed and a girl with her head lowered in silence as she sat quietly on the bench at the side.
"I'sa?"
"...... You're that...... dual sword wielder......"
The young girl lifted her head. Her eyes were red and puffy.
The sleeves of her ceremonial clothing were filled with holes, revealing the purplish skin beneath them — haematoma. Her legs beneath her skirt were covered with dirt as well.
However, what was surprising was the fact that she was the only person to suffer from light injuries, compared to the rest of the guards who were unable to move.
"It's...... uhh......"
The young girl was close to crying.
"...... Jin, he...... protected me......"
The comatose dual gunner was placed on a respirator.
—Mmm.
So that was the reason for the strange feeling he had when he first saw them.
"...... I don't get it. What exactly happened?"
"What happened?"
I'sa's voice rose by a pitch as she glared at him.
"What happened...... that's what I'll like to know as well............ why...... why have things become like this......"
Sheltis stared at girl silently, whose shoulders were trembling nonstop. She did not require his words now; what she need was time to calm down so she can break away from her terrified state.
I'sa regained her calm after a while.
"...... Sorry, I got emotional."
The young girl took in a deep breath to regulate her irregular breathing. What a strong girl she was — she actually suppressed her panic forcibly with pride and reasoning. Sheltis was deeply in awe of her mental fortitude.
"I should be the one apologizing. Pardon my rudeness."
"No...... you made your way here despite the early hours. Thank you."
I'sa took yet another deep breath as she gripped her left arm tightly with her right.
"You should know this by now. Jin and I were dispatched to rescue the two teams...... the team whom we initially lost contact with, as well as the first rescue team who suffered from the same fate. Both teams' communication were broken off at the same location."
"The western area of the nature sector?"
"So you did your homework......? You're right."
— Just as I've thought.
Interpreting his silence as acknowledgement, I'sa continued with much difficulty,
"It's the fourth sector, at an area that consists of large plains. The cadet guards of both teams had all collapsed there...... To be honest, we did not expect ourselves to locate them that quickly, so we all thought the mission would be an easy one."
However...... the young girl's lips began to tremble. He could detect fear in her voice; terror could be clearly seen from her drooping eyes.
"However, Jin felt that something was wrong after seeing those collapsed guards. It's quite normal to, right? I mean, both teams had collapsed on the empty plains. It's as if......"
"Someone moved them there?"
The teams were downed at another location. They were then shifted to a faraway place so as to keep the location a secret.
"Mmm. There were traces on the plains suggesting that the cadet guards were dragged from another place. We left the remaining two members behind to provide medical treatment to the collapsed guards. Jin and I then followed the trails and began our investigation........... and then............"
"We met...... a monster."
"...... What do you mean by a monster?"
Sheltis could not help but to reconfirm his doubt after hearing the strange term from the young girl.
There was nothing on the floating continent that could be classified under the term 'monster'. If they were talking about Yuugenshu - creatures that threaten the human race - they would be referred to by their name. If they were harmful beasts like dragons and etc, they will be referred to by their general species.
"Not Yuugenshu or harmful beasts, but a monster?"
"He's a human being."
"...... Wait, a human being? Three teams were defeated by a single person?"
"Mmm, that's right. But, somehow...... it somehow feels like we were not fighting against a human. It was a one-sided fight...... we could not even retaliate. We were unable to resist or defend ourselves...... You can even say it's a fight between the strong and the weak...... that's how much of a monster the opponent was."
...... How could that be possible?
The unconscious guards in the infirmary looked like they were suffering from all sorts of injuries: incisions caused by sharp weapons; contusions by what looks to be from huge iron balls; some of their bodies were filled with bruises all over as though they were thrashed about by wrestling techniques.
It was hard to imagine that a single person could deal such a wide variety of injuries.
"Can you give me more details?"
"Why do you want to know? What's the point?"
I'sa asked with self-depreciating laughter.
"Now's not the time for a cadet guard like you to take the stage. Queen Salah has already passed down the royal decree by giving orders for Run's squad to sortie...... she must have deemed the task to be beyond the means of regular and cadet guards."
The young girl laughed in disdain.
The laughter was filled with grief as well.
"...... I............ couldn't do...... anything............ Jin protected me............ and despite him collapsing right before me............ I............"
Her fist placed on top of her thighs were trembling nonstop
The young girl suddenly stood up from her chair.
"Why...... Tell me why!? I...... I too wish to have my revenge on Jin's behalf............ but why...... why am I so pathetically weak!?"
All that happened in an instant.
I'sa grabbed Sheltis by the collar of his coat and pulled him into her gaze.
{2}
"...... Gotta move fast."
Sheltis dashed into his room on the eleventh story and kicked his wardrobe open.
A pair of metal sheaths gave off a black luster.
They were made from chromium porcelain and constructed specifically for dual swords. The machine crystal <Ilis>had them prepared for him just in case — he never thought he would actually use them.
He took out the twin blades hidden beneath his bed and slid them into the sheaths before securing them onto the fasteners located on his back.
— The fourth sector of the western area of the nature sector.
The 'person' who attacked the members of Tenketsu Palace <Sophia> was at one of the spots predicted by Kagura, where the Yuugenshu may appear.
There are only eight hours left.
The deadline mentioned by I'sa fell at exactly noon today.
He did not know the implications behind it, but it was definitely something bad. And in order to prevent that from happening—
"Run...... is unlikely to make it."
The first story of Tenketsu Palace <Sophia>.
Sheltis reached the pathway and dashed past the empty lobby.
It would be much better if he could team up with a Sennenshi, but she must have teamed up with the elite guards by now.
The disadvantage of moving as a team was the time spent on logistics. Gathering group members, preparing the transport vehicles and ironing out a battle plan — it will be past dawn by the time everything is done. If so, it is unlikely for them to make it to the fourth sector before noon.
I'sa must have realized that as well. That was why she insisted on sortieing alone.
"...... Monica will probably stop me if she comes to know of this."
Is it because he disobeyed the instructions from the instructor? Actually— she would probably stop him all the same even considering that. Monica would definitely not allow her teammate to head to the battlefield when his body was not even in the condition to undertake any training...... That was just the way she was; the girl who cared for her companions from the bottom of her heart despite her past struggles to become a Priestess.
That is why he must not say it.
He had to start and end everything silently.
"The hangar should be located here."
He slipped past the passageway reserved for the members of Tenketsu Palace <Sophia> to make his way out of the tower. The world was shrouded in darkness and the cries of birds were nowhere to be heard. Only the edges of the sky were dyed in a pale white.
He ran all the way to the outdoor training area. A large rectangular shadow began to slowly appear before his eyes. The white walls under the bright illumination of the lights and the large shutter in the center of the walls were becoming closer and closer.
It was the hangar — a depot under the care of the Law Enforcement Bureau, where tens of transport vehicles were parked in the building.
"...... I'm not too familiar with this, but I guess it will have to do."
Sheltis had his eyes set on a two-wheeled high-speed electric vehicle. Since he was travelling alone, that vehicle offers a higher top speed and better maneuverability compared with a transport vehicle.
Just then—
"This model will be better if you want to head to the nature sector."
A strong ray of light shone down from the hangar's ceiling.
"Type 21 of the floating models, with the largest horsepower rated seven hundred and fifty Joules. Its maximum speed may not be comparable to that model there, but since it travels by a floatation device instead of wheels, it will produce a much smoother ride at the unpaved areas of the nature sector."
The person who switched on the lights of the hangar was a young girl with a mechanical helmet and visor on her head — and as she pointed towards a dark blue floating vehicle, she said,
"Geez, thank goodness I did not slacken in my monitoring of you."
"...... Kagura?"
"From your expressions, you're wondering why I am here, am I right? As much as I do not want to, with a large number of regular and elite guards gathering for a meeting this early in the morning, it is inevitable for me to wonder if something bad has happened."
*Kan* — Kagura gave the blue vehicle a light kick.
"Monica knows about how I've secretly installed hundreds of surveillance camera inside and outside of the tower. Part of the reason is due to my personal interests, and the other half is because I was approached by the Towers Control to do so. Upon noticing the commotion outside of my room, I activated the screen and voila — as I expected, I saw a certain someone running breathlessly."
And of course, that person was none other than you.
The young girl took a dig deliberately at Sheltis.
"To think you came down to this hangar in secret despite the early hours...... I want to be around during the investigation of the Yuugenshu — didn't I say so before?"
"It's not that, Kagura. Listen—"
He suddenly withheld his words.
No, I can't waste any more time explaining.
"The place I am going to...... is the western area of the nature sector. The fourth sector."
"Oh, so you are really going to investigate on the Yuugenshu. The place is exactly the same as that found in my data—"
"I am not investigating the Yuugenshu."
"Why?"
"I don't have any time left to explain. Can you please let me off the hook this once?"
Hmm— Kagura thought in silence as she placed her finger on her lips.
"Looks like you are really in a hurry. Fine, I'll not question you any further at a time like this — on the condition that I'll be tagging along as well."
...... Just as I thought.
Sheltis had already braced himself for a request like that.
"I don't think this is that bad a condition. I promise I'll not divulge anything about today if I get to come along with you. How about I drive this vehicle instead? It will definitely be a more comfortable ride if I am to drive it instead of you."
{3}
The howling of the wind.
While travelling on the electric vehicle that sped through the road, the wind that brushed past his ears made a shrill as sharp as that of a flute. There was an indescribable sadness in the sound of the wind.
...... It was the same as back then.
The large-scale invasion by the Yuugenshu against Tenketsu Palace <Sophia>. It sounded just like the cry of the wind back when he squared off against the commanding body in mid-air, two thousand meters above the ground. It was the wailing sound of the wind that was pouring into the floating continent.
"Sheltis, Sheltis! Can you hear me!?"
"Eh? Ah, yeah. I'm fine."
Kagura, who was sitting in the driver's seat before him, inquired with her voice that was raised a pitch. Sheltis tapped her shoulder in response.
"Anything wrong? You look out of sorts."
"I'm just thinking of something."
"And that's looking out of sorts. Geez...... 'You are to run away immediately when you sense any danger' — you are the one who told me that, you know?"
The young girl sighed.
"Then again, is it really true that everyone in the team of regular guards were defeated?"
"There is no point in hiding this from you. The instructor should be announcing it to the cadet guards today."
"...... That's just unbelievable."
"I can't believe it as well, but......"
"That's not what I meant. I am referring to you."
Kagura increased her grip on the steering wheel.
"We're talking about a monster who crushed two teams of cadet guards and a team of regular guard which included apprentice-Priestesses in its setup...... Why are you planning to take on that person alone should he really exists? Is it because the regular guard I'sa came crying to you? Or are you affected by the heroism of the dual gunner named Jin? In any case, that's just too reckless of you, isn't it?"
"...... You're right."
Sheltis flashed a light smile after hearing the lengthy speech from Kagura.
"Perhaps it's just as you've said. No, I think that's really it. Monica will probably stop me if she comes to know of this...... It's strange, isn't it? I mean, my body has not recovered fully, and my doctor barely gave me permission to practice on my swordplay for no more than an hour a day."
"Then why?"
"Why huh? Probably because...... I am really happy about the fact that they did not shun me."
He was an irregular cadet guard who possessed exceptional skills and had attracted the attention of others due to that. As the only person who wore a black jacket all the time, he also hid his past from others.
But just like Monica, the two of them invited him into their team despite knowing all that.
"It may be too late for me to say this, but I do really feel that if I had joined them in the mission back then...... I might have been able to help them somehow."
"I see......"
*Kiiiii*— the electric vehicle made a sudden stop in midair.
The vehicle that floated a few centimeters off the ground began to descend slowly. The sound of the engine slowly disappeared as well.
"We've reached our destination. The fourth sector of the western area of the nature sector. I've parked the electric vehicle here just as you've instructed. Are you really planning to scout on foot?"
"Mmm. The fourth sector's not large, so it's much more convenient for me to survey the place with my own legs."
...... Three hours left huh.
The electronic display on the vehicle showed nine o'clock. Sheltis leaped off the electric vehicle hastily after confirming the time and landed on the lush green grounds beneath him. He then made his way towards the entrance of the gently sloping and endlessly wide plains. He will have to cover the large plains at least once in the next three hours.
"Are you okay with walking?"
"I will keep up just fine. I'm not a child anymore."
Sheltis flashed a wry smile in the direction of the girl who was throwing a tantrum and began walking towards the plains.
***
"Hold on Sheltis...... wait for me!"
As he turned his head backwards, he saw Kagura running towards him hastily from a distance of more than ten meters away from him.
"Can you be more aware of your surroundings? You're walking way too fast."
"R-Really?"
In actual fact, he did cut down his speed to accommodate Kagura.
Back when he walked along with Monica at the Floating Archipelagos <Lagoon>, his pace was much faster than this despite the fact that they were walking on rough terrains filled with the roots of trees.
"The distance between us will increase with each step due to my small size. Ah....... d-don't you misunderstand! I am definitely not saying that my legs are short!"
...... She's really talkative.
Kagura forms a strong contrast to Monica's reserved personality.
"Sorry, but I have to speed up my pace."
"I know that. It's not like I am walking so slowly for no reason though. I have been gathering data while we were walking."
The young girl continued walking as she typed on a floating mechanical sphere.
The reason for her lagging behind was not just due to her walking speed; it was mainly because she focused her attention on the bewildering controls.
"I'm curious about that floating sphere. Is that a machine?"
"You've finally asked. This is my masterpiece out of all of my inventions."
Kagura happily caressed the mechanical sphere that was floating before her chest.
It was a perfect sphere with a circumference that's roughly the length of a child's hug. There was a metallic luster to its color, making it obvious that it was a machine of some sort.
"This little thing here is a 'machine pearl <Machina>'. To put it simply, it's a portable computer. Also known as a 'large mobile computer', this thing here can connect itself to the main computer located in my lab and process calculations at extreme speeds. Just as you've seen, thrusters are included in its frame so that it can move along by my side."
He processed her words in his brain for a brief moment.
The first thing that came to Sheltis' mind was the girl in overalls who loved to invent things.
"That sounds just like something that Eyriey would invent."
"She would not invent something like this."
The young girl suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"That's right, she has disdain for things like this. She has zero interest...... in these high-performance, practical and ordinary things."
"That's ordinary? I think it's pretty impressive."
"...... I have quite a few opinions about your response, but I guess I'll that it as a praise from you for now. Speaking of which, you're friends with Eyriey, right? Did she talk about me before? For example, how's her appraisal of me?"
"Well, like how you're incredibly strong when it comes to machines and calculations."
"...... I guess."
Phew— Kagura heaved a sigh which sounded a little disheartening. That should be a word of praise, so why is she putting on such a sad smile?
"Eyriey also said she always loses whenever she's competing against you."
"That's right, I did win all the time...... but that's just how it looks like in the eyes of an ordinary person."
The young girl resumed her steps after a brief pat on the machine pearl <Machina>.
"Let's chat while we walk. The first time I met her was at the <<Homemade-Calculator Contest>> held by the Mechanical Bureau of Tenketsu Palace <Sophia>. It's a major event where thousands of enthusiasts from all over the floating continent gather to pit their skills against one another."
"I heard that from Eyriey before..... so the Mechanical Bureau will organize these strange events from time to time."
"It's because we have a bunch of cute weirdos gathered at the Mechanical Bureau as well. But putting that aside, I won by an overwhelming margin in the preliminary theory papers as well as the semi-finals. To be honest, I was a little disappointed by how easy my wins were............ however."
The young girl pouted fiercely.
"I was stunned when I saw the scores for my competitor in the finals. Her scores for the preliminary theory papers as well as the semi-finals were way above those of mine. I guess you should know by now, that person is none other than—"
"Eyriey?"
"That's right. The topic on the final decisive round is 'Destruction that Brings about Creation'. We are to build from scratch a brand new calculator that breaks itself free from the constrains of the current calculators in two hours time. My creation is a calculator that not only retains its original functions, it can also create documents, send emails and doubles as a music player. Needless to say, the judges are in full praise of my creation. They thought it's good enough 'to be mass-produced immediately and sold to the public'."
"To think you can actually create such high performance machines in a mere time-span of two hours......"
But of course— Kagura nodded calmly in response to that. Perhaps it was really nothing to her.
"Back then, I thought to myself: I had it in the bag for sure. However, when Eyriey's calculator was revealed...... that was the first time in my life that I was in awe of something. That girl is definitely my destined rival whom I must overcome."
"...... Is her invention really that great?"
"It can explode."
"Eh?"
What did she just say?
"Eyriey created an 'Incredibly High Performance and High-Powered Fireworks Calculator'. Think about it, a calculator displays the digits from 0 to 9, isn't that so? Upon keying in a predetermined series of commands, it will create a huge explosion three seconds later and shoot the fireworks into the air.
The colors and scale of the fireworks will differ according to the digits keyed into it. Even the pyrotechnic experts would bow their head in defeat after seeing a design like that."
"............"
"And so her calculator blew itself up along with the the audience as well as the judges. It's a firework of immense firepower and artistic merit. The fleeting beauty that was displayed live right before my eyes...... It was as though I was gazing at the starry skies above me—"
"That's crazy. There's no way that thing is good."
"What are you talking about? Look, what matters most to a researcher is creativity. An ordinary person will not come up with things like a fireworks calculator that explodes — and even if they do come up with the idea, no one will actually make it. However, the judges decided that I am the unanimous winner...... Those amateurs. It's obvious that Eyriey's the deserved winner."
"Nope. If you include their hatred towards Eyriey thanks to the explosion, I think it was a rather fair result."
However, the girl who was walking beside him could not accept whatever he had said.
"And that's the same for the later competitions as well. She keeps creating things that are way beyond my imagination — for example, an automated prank-calling phone; or an anti-cockroach rocket launcher...... Before I know it, I was already deeply interested in her inventions. I always wondered, 'What will Eyriey come up with this time?'. However, the judges will always rule the results in my favor as they cannot appreciate the ingenuity of Eyriey's inventions...... that's just silly. It's obvious that those victories belongs to Eyriey alone."
I see. In everyone else's eyes, the winner is Kagura; however, Kagura herself is in favor of Eyriey. That explains Kagura's rivalry towards Eyriey, and also Eyriey for saying 'I am the one who always loses'.
"Hmm...... I'm more or less understands what's going on. But I am a little skeptical about the criterion for winning."
"Plenty of people say that. This is what you mean by the battle of the powerful against the strong — I guess it's to be expected, since this battle is way above the levels of what the ordinary people could comprehend."
Ahem— Kagura cleared her throat.
"Moving back to the topic of the machine pearl <Machina>. Actually, this little thing here is what stores all the data that I had gathered in Tenketsu Palace <Sophia>. The equipment in the laboratory are actually used specifically for processing."
"Then it must be really important."
"Definitely. It also stores the data of the dual sword wielder from three years ago — the person whom Monica admires."
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